Design and Engineering Manager
Your New Role:
Ready to shape the future of a growing regional community? As Design & Engineering Manager at Kempsey Shire Council, you’ll lead a high-performing, multidisciplinary team delivering impactful infrastructure across the Macleay Valley.
Working within the Strategic & Asset Planning group, you’ll play a key role in designing and delivering projects that directly enhance the region’s liveability, from public spaces and transport networks to innovative stormwater and flood management systems. This is a unique opportunity to influence how the community grows and adapts, while driving best-practice engineering outcomes.
You’ll oversee the coordination of design services across civil, urban, stormwater and traffic disciplines, ensuring projects are delivered on time, within budget and to a high standard. From leading the design of Council’s capital works program to providing expert technical advice and guiding tender processes, your work will have a visible and lasting impact.
Beyond the technical scope, this is a leadership role where you’ll build strong partnerships across Council, government agencies and the community. You’ll mentor and empower your team, foster innovation, and champion a culture of collaboration and continuous improvement.
If you’re looking for a role where your expertise, leadership and ideas will genuinely shape a region, this is it.
For a full list of the Key Accountabilities of the role, please refer to the Position Description.
About You:
You are an experienced engineering professional with a strong background in the delivery of civil design services, particularly in roads, bridges and drainage. You bring proven leadership experience, with the ability to guide, mentor and motivate a team while managing competing priorities and delivering results within tight timeframes and budgets.
You have a solid understanding of relevant legislation, engineering standards, and local government processes, and ideally bring additional experience in areas such as stormwater and floodplain management, environmental assessment, and traffic or road safety.
Your communication and stakeholder engagement skills are highly developed, enabling you to influence outcomes and build productive relationships across a diverse range of stakeholders. You are organised, solutions-focused, and confident in managing projects from investigation through to design and delivery.
To succeed in this role, you will have:
* Degree qualifications in Engineering (or equivalent experience)
* Demonstrated experience in design and engineering service delivery
* Strong leadership and team development capabilities
* Sound financial and budget management skills
* Experience with engineering design software (e.g. 12D, AutoCAD, Drains)
* Excellent written and verbal communication skills
* A current Class C driver licence
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 worth of assets across many sites throughout the Shire, KSC work closely with our community to build an inspired, connected Macleay Valley.
Why Join Us?
As the successful candidate, you’ll enjoy:
* A permanent full-time position, 35 hour work week
* Monthly RDOs
* Weekly salary of $2,508.26 to $2,823.08 (plus superannuation).
* Generous leave entitlements, including access to Long Service Leave after five years
* A working environment focused 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.
* Council provided leaseback or vehicle allowance options.
* A supportive, collaborative working environment designed to help you grow!
* A fantastic lifestyle and work life balance, on the beautiful Mid-North Coast.
Interested?
Please apply via Council’s website http://careers.kempsey.nsw.gov.au/. Note that you will be required to prepare and submit:
* A short statement (maximum 2 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); and
* Your current resume.
Applications Close: COB Monday, 11 May 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.
Have questions? Please contact Phillip Hood, Director Operations and Planning, for a confidential discussion on Ph: 02 6566 3200.
Please Note: Our recruitment notification process is primarily via system generated emails. Please ensure your email is correct before submitting your application to avoid missing crucial updates.
If you experience any difficulties applying online, please contact the Recruitment team on 02 6566 3200 or email
Thank you and good luck with your application.
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.