Lead Planner – Land Use and Town Planning

Shape significant regional projects while leading an experienced planning team.

Pinion Advisory is seeking an experienced Land Use Planner to provide senior technical expertise while demonstrating leadership capabilities and commercial acumen across Victoria and New South Wales.

This is a hands-on consulting position primarily based in the Victorian and New South Wales geographies and focused primarily on land development, development approvals, subdivisions and land rezoning. You will lead complex planning projects, provide trusted advice to clients, and guide a small team of experienced planners.

The role offers an experienced planning professional the opportunity to help shape and grow Pinion Advisory’s expanding planning service, influence new markets and locations, and connect planning expertise with the firm’s broader environmental, water and agribusiness capabilities.

Why Pinion Advisory?

Pinion Advisory is a leading agribusiness, land use planning, water and environmental consulting firm that helps clients unlock the potential of their people, businesses, land, industries and natural resources. Our advisors bring expertise in food and agricultural production, family agribusiness, commodity risk management, land use planning and development, and comprehensive water resource management.

Through a global partnership with Pinion (U.S.), we combine local expertise with global reach delivering impactful strategies, forward-thinking solutions and a professional, collaborative approach that consistently meets high technical standards while supporting long-term resilience and competitiveness.

What You'll Be Doing

Planning & Project Delivery

· Lead land use and town planning projects including development approvals, subdivisions, rezoning and land development.

· Prepare and oversee planning applications, technical reports and strategic planning advice.

· Manage project scope, budgets, resourcing and timelines, while navigating statutory approval processes.

· Coordinate specialist consultants and work with councils, government authorities and other stakeholders.

Client & Business Development

· Provide practical, commercially informed planning advice to private, corporate and government clients.

· Build strong client relationships and identify opportunities to grow existing engagements and the planning work pipeline.

· Contribute to proposals, tenders, project scoping and costing.

Team Leadership

· Lead, mentor and support a small team of experienced land use planners.

· Support team capability, performance, recruitment and effective allocation of work.

· Foster a collaborative, high-performing team environment.

Business & Industry Contribution

· Support the Regional Manager with team budgets, pipeline management and business planning.

· Build Pinion Advisory’s profile through professional networks, industry engagement and strong client outcomes.

· Contribute to improvements across planning, project delivery and team processes.

What You'll Need for This Position

We’re looking for an experienced planning professional who combines strong technical capability with commercial awareness, confident leadership and excellent client skills.

You’ll ideally bring:

· Qualifications in Town Planning or a related discipline.

· 5+ years’ Australian land use or town planning experience, including senior-level responsibility.

· Strong knowledge of development approvals, subdivisions, rezoning and statutory planning processes.

· Consulting experience within a commercial, client-focused environment.

· Experience working within Victorian and/or NSW planning frameworks, with established industry networks.

· Experience managing client relationships, projects, proposals, tenders and engagement scoping.

· The confidence to lead and mentor experienced planning professionals.

· Strong written, verbal, organisational and digital skills.

· A current driver’s licence and willingness to travel occasionally.

You’ll be proactive, commercially minded and comfortable taking ownership, while remaining hands-on with consulting work and supporting your team to deliver high-quality outcomes.

What's in it for You

· A competitive salary. The final package will reflect the successful candidate’s technical experience, consulting background and leadership capability.

· A Flexible location: Mildura is the preferred office location, with hybrid or flexible arrangements considered for the right candidate.

· The opportunity to lead and influence a growing planning service within a broader multidisciplinary advisory business.

· A senior role that remains strongly connected to technical consulting and client work.

· The ability to influence future growth across new clients, services and regional markets.

· Exposure to varied projects across regional and rural Victoria and New South Wales.

· Access to professional development, industry engagement and relevant professional memberships.

· A professional, collaborative environment where quality, relationships and practical client outcomes matter.

Location

Mildura preferred, with flexible/hybrid arrangements considered for the right candidate across regional Victoria and the NSW/Victoria border.