Lake Macquarie provides a naturally beautiful, vibrant, progressive environment for families, businesses, and tourists. It features lively communities, beautiful beaches, lush forests, and the delights of a lakeside life. The city is rich in new ideas and next generation thinking – a natural playground for progress and possibility.
Lake Macquarie City Council is seeking an experienced, strategic and community-focused Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to lead one of NSW’s most progressive and high-performing local government organisations. Reporting to the Mayor and accountable to Councillors, the CEO is responsible for the effective leadership and management of Council operations, resources, and strategy. This is a pivotal position providing the link between the elected Council, the organisation and the community—ensuring decisions and services reflect the long-term vision of the City.
The Chief Executive Officer will lead a diverse workforce and oversee financial, strategic, and operational performance. The CEO will foster a culture of innovation, accountability, and engagement while ensuring Council meets all statutory, governance, and community obligations.
Key responsibilities include providing strategic leadership to deliver the Delivery Program and long-term priorities for the City, while advising and supporting the Mayor and Councillors in policy development and good governance. The role will lead high-level engagement with government, industry, media and the community, oversee financial sustainability and service excellence, and represent Council as a trusted leader and spokesperson within the community.
You are an accomplished executive leader with the confidence, capability, and resilience to guide a complex, multi-disciplinary organisation. With exceptional communication, governance and relationship-building skills, you bring a collaborative leadership style and a commitment to transparent, customer-centred service delivery.
The ideal background and experience includes demonstrated experience requiring strong financial, verbal and written communication skills, plus experience with lobbying and advocating on behalf of Council and community stakeholders, strategic planning and development, and a solid knowledge of local government legislation and statutory requirements. A strong focus on providing transparency, achieving efficiencies/savings, delivering robust financial management and having highly refined political skills are critical to success in this role.
This is a unique opportunity to make a lasting impact. A strong commitment to community engagement, continuous improvement, and high-quality service delivery is essential, along with the ability to navigate complexity in a dynamic environment.
An information package including a comprehensive position description can also be found on the website at lgnsw.org.au/lgms
All applicants must address the selection criteria to be considered for this role. To learn more about Council and the area go to www.lakemac.com.au
For further assistance please contact Christian Morris Manager Local Government Management Solutions on 0417 693 ***.
Applications close 5pm, Monday 2 February 2026.
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