About Us
Kempsey Shire Council (KSC) is located on the Mid North Coast of NSW, known for its genuine hospitality, pristine beaches, sub‑tropical rainforests, mountain ranges, rock river gorges, sprawling farmland and peaceful villages. We are a progressive, proactive and dynamic organisation, and we pride ourselves on the respectful and supportive workplace we have cultivated. With 360+ dedicated staff managing $1.8 billion in assets across many sites throughout the Shire, KSC works closely with our community to build an inspired, connected Macleay Valley.
Your New Role
Are you a confident and capable leader with extensive experience in water and sewer operations? Do you bring strong technical knowledge, sound judgement and a commitment to safety, quality and continuous improvement? We are seeking an experienced and forward‑thinking Water & Sewer Network Manager to provide strategic and operational leadership across our water supply and sewerage networks. This is a key leadership role with real impact; protecting public health, supporting community growth and ensuring the long‑term reliability of essential services.
As Water & Sewer Network Manager, you will lead the day‑to‑day operation, maintenance, renewal and construction of Council's water and sewer infrastructure. You will be accountable for delivering safe, reliable and high‑quality services while driving continuous improvement across safety, performance and customer outcomes. A core responsibility of the role is the implementation and ongoing management of Council's Drinking Water Management System, ensuring risks to water quality are effectively controlled, and public health is protected at all times. You will provide strong leadership to distribution and construction teams, fostering a positive, high‑performance culture where safety, accountability and excellence are embedded in everything we do.
Key Accountabilities
* Lead, supervise and mentor network staff and supervisors to build capability, consistency, fairness and a high‑performance team culture.
* Set clear responsibilities, objectives and performance expectations, and manage recruitment, onboarding, training, competency development and succession planning.
* Manage the efficient operation, maintenance and repair of water and sewer reticulation, distribution and rising main infrastructure, ensuring service continuity and compliance.
* Plan, coordinate and deliver planned and reactive maintenance programs and minor capital works using internal teams and contractors, ensuring safe, high‑quality and standards‑compliant execution.
* Ensure compliance with all relevant legislation, standards, licences, DWMS/PIRMP requirements and Council policies.
* Investigate and resolve customer complaints, service issues and complex operational queries in a timely and professional manner.
For a full list of the role's Key Accountabilities, please refer to the Position Description.
About You
* Degree qualification in civil engineering or equivalent and/or demonstrated substantial experience in a similar role at the same organisational level within the water and sewer industry.
* Current Class C Driver's Licence.
* General Construction Induction Card.
* Extensive experience in the water industry across operations, maintenance, construction and network management, with strong knowledge of water and sewer systems, specifications, legislation, WHS requirements and regulatory frameworks.
* Proven leadership capability, including managing multi‑disciplinary teams, supervising operational staff and fostering a positive safety culture, accountability and high performance.
* Demonstrated ability to plan, organise and coordinate multiple programs of work, including setting priorities, managing resources and delivering works to required levels of service, time, budget and quality.
* Strong technical capability, including analysis of asset condition, performance data, lifecycle costs and engineering problems to inform strategic decisions and operational improvements.
Benefits of working for Kempsey Shire Council
* A permanent full‑time position, 35‑hour work week.
* Monthly RDOs.
* Weekly salary of $2,068.86 to $2,328.52 (plus superannuation).
* Generous leave entitlements, including access to Long Service Leave after five years.
* A working environment focussed on wellbeing, including flexible work arrangements, rostered days off, EAP access, social club and health and wellbeing programs.
* Fitness Passports for discounted access to a range of gym and pool facilities.
* Career development and learning opportunities, access to study leave if required.
* A supportive, collaborative working environment designed to help you grow.
* A fantastic lifestyle and work‑life balance, on the beautiful Mid‑North Coast.
* Commuter use or leaseback vehicle available.
Interested?
Please apply via Council's website. Note that you will be required to prepare and submit:
* A short statement (maximum two pages) outlining how your experience, abilities, knowledge and personal qualities will enable you to achieve the key accountabilities of the role (as listed in the Position Description).
* Your current resume.
Applications Close
COB, Friday 9 January 2026. Please note that Council reserves the right to close this job advertisement before the stated closing date if a suitable candidate is found. Therefore, we encourage all interested applicants to submit their applications as soon as possible.
Contact
Have questions? Please contact Keith Hyatt, Group Manager Water and Sewer, for a confidential discussion on Ph: .
Pre‑employment Requirements
Completion of a pre‑employment medical assessment is a requirement of KSC's recruitment process for this position. Current immunisations against tetanus, Hepatitis A & B, and Q Fever, or willingness to obtain these vaccinations, are a requirement of KSC's recruitment process for this position.
Equal Opportunity
Kempsey Shire Council is an equal opportunity employer and we celebrate our diverse, inclusive and values‑led workforce. We welcome and encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people with diverse culture and linguistic backgrounds and people with a disability. In addition, Kempsey Shire Council will provide reasonable adjustments for suitably qualified individuals with disabilities. If you require additional assistance to participate in the recruitment process, please discuss with the advertised contact person. You can ask for reasonable adjustments to be made at any time during the recruitment process.
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