* Executive leadership role influencing major infrastructure delivery outcomes
* Own and embed risk management across a complex, multi-billion-dollar portfolio
* Purpose-driven organisation with scale, autonomy, and long-term impact
Risk Director
* Engineering
* Water & Waste
* Sydney
* Permanent / Full Time
3/2/2026
Sydney Water is one of Australia’s largest and most trusted utilities, delivering essential water, wastewater, recycled water, and stormwater services to more than five million people across Greater Sydney. With a multi-billion-dollar capital program and a strong focus on sustainability, resilience, and customer outcomes, this is a rare opportunity to influence risk management at scale and shape how major infrastructure is delivered for one of the country’s most important public organisations.
The Opportunity
Reporting into senior Infrastructure Delivery leadership, the Risk Director will lead the end-to-end approach to risk management across a complex portfolio of major infrastructure programs and projects.
This role is not about compliance for compliance’s sake. It is about embedding pragmatic, value-adding risk practices that enable confident decision-making, improve delivery outcomes, and provide clear visibility of enterprise-level risk exposure.
You will lead a specialist risk team, partner closely with project directors and delivery partners, and act as a trusted advisor to executive stakeholders.
Key Responsibilities
* Lead and continuously improve the risk management framework across Infrastructure Delivery, aligned to Sydney Water’s enterprise risk approach
* Ensure risks are clearly identified, owned, monitored, and actively managed by project teams and delivery partners
* Provide clear, timely insight to Infrastructure Delivery leadership on current and emerging risks, trends, and mitigation options
* Oversee fit-for-purpose governance, systems, tools, and reporting, ensuring they are lean, practical, and effective
* Review and optimise the risk operating model, team capability, and ways of working
* Coach, teach, and enable project leaders to embed strong risk thinking into everyday delivery
* Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing risk team, fostering accountability and professional growth
* Collaborate across legal, commercial, assurance, and delivery functions to support major investment decisions
About You
To be successful in this role, you will bring:
* Significant senior experience in risk management within complex, asset-intensive or infrastructure-led organisations
* A strong understanding of major project and program delivery risk (e.g. construction, procurement, commercial, safety, environmental, and delivery risk)
* Proven experience operating at executive and board-adjacent level, influencing outcomes through insight rather than control
* Demonstrated people leadership capability, including building and leading specialist teams
* A pragmatic, commercial mindset with the ability to balance risk, opportunity, and delivery outcomes
* Strong communication skills, with the confidence to challenge, coach, and advise senior stakeholders
* Tertiary qualifications in risk, engineering, law, commerce, or a related discipline (or equivalent experience)
Experience in utilities, transport, energy, or large public-sector infrastructure environments will be highly regarded.
What’s In It for You
* A rare opportunity to shape risk strategy across one of Australia’s largest infrastructure portfolios
* Direct influence on projects that safeguard Sydney’s future water supply and environment
* Executive-level role with genuine autonomy and strategic impact
* Hybrid working environment and flexible arrangements
* Strong organisational commitment to sustainability, safety, and customer outcomes
* Competitive executive remuneration and long-term career opportunity within a purpose-driven organisation
How to Apply
This appointment is being managed exclusively by Morag at Redpath Partners on behalf of Sydney Water. For a confidential discussion or to request further information, please contact Redpath Partners. All direct and third-party applications will be forwarded to Redpath Partners for consideration.
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