City of Ryde Council

Senior Development Contributions Officer

• Manage development contributions and negotiate VPAs 
• Accrue a rostered day off approximately once every 3 weeks
• Hybrid working environment

About Us

City of Ryde, just 12 kilometres from Sydney CBD, is a place of unique lifestyle and opportunity. It is home to an engaged and culturally diverse community of around 130,000 people, and a strong and growing Smart City economy including more than 13,000 local businesses, Macquarie Park, world-class hospitals, and a leading university. All balanced with beautiful bushland, riverfront parks, open spaces, and sport facilities.

Our council delivers a broad range of services, projects, programs, and events. We are actively committed to innovation, sustainability, resilience and providing exceptional customer experiences, and this relies on attracting and keeping great people. We offer a range of benefits, including flexible work arrangements, health and wellbeing programs, a learning and development program including study support, and a reward and recognition program.

About the Role

We are seeking a highly skilled and experienced professional to join the City of Ryde as a Senior Development Contributions Officer. In this strategic position, you will manage and oversee development contributions, including the negotiation of Voluntary Planning Agreements (VPAs), ensuring optimal outcomes for community growth and development.

As a Senior Officer, you will provide strategic advice to the Chief Property Officer, Development Contributions Coordinator and senior staff on complex development contributions, including VPA negotiations. Your leadership will drive the negotiation of high-stakes agreements, ensuring they create long-term, meaningful benefits for the community while aligning with sustainable development goals.

Beyond contributions management, your role will focus on policy development, process optimisation, and governance improvements. You will lead efforts to establish best practices in the assessment, collection, and monitoring of development contributions, overseeing consultation and engagement processes to promote transparency and accountability in all VPA negotiations.

In this senior capacity, you will oversee the strategic management of development contributions, ensuring compliance with relevant legislation, policies, and best practices. You will lead the assessment, negotiation, and collection of contributions, leveraging your strong analytical skills to review complex development proposals, determine appropriate obligations, and secure optimal outcomes for the community.

About You

As a senior leader, you have a strong history of successfully developing, negotiating, and managing high-value VPAs and complex contracts. With extensive experience in development contributions management, you possess exceptional analytical skills and a comprehensive understanding of planning legislation and financial frameworks. Your strategic thinking and expertise in business and project management systems will allow you to drive policy innovation, optimise processes, and strengthen governance frameworks for Development Contributions and Planning Agreements, ensuring the City of Ryde achieves the best possible outcomes.

In addition, you will also have:

• Degree level qualification in either town planning, business, property, engineering, law, or a related field or have extensive practical experience in town planning, development contributions and planning agreements. 
• Extensive knowledge and understanding of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act and associated legislation.
• Knowledge and understanding of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act and associated legislation, particularly in relation to Section 7.11 and/or Section 7.12 development contributions and Voluntary Planning Agreements.
• Demonstrated experience with development contributions, planning agreements and project management.
• Strong ability to review and improved processes and procedures in order to achieve delivery improvements.

Your commencing annual salary will range from $118,621.56 to $137,073.81 + Superannuation, dependent on your experience and qualifications.

Culture & Benefits

• Free shuttle bus between the North Ryde Office and North Ryde Metro Station
• Commitment to providing opportunities for work/life balance
• Hybrid work from home and office arrangements available for eligible positions
• Flexibility regarding start and finish times to suit your lifestyle
• Work 37.5 hours and enjoy a rostered day off approx. every 3 weeks  
• Long service leave after 5 years, then accrued monthly 
• 18 weeks paid parental leave (for eligible employees)
• 3 extra grant days at Christmas to ensure you have time to enjoy the holiday 
• Annual performance reviews and Award increases
• Opportunity to sign up as a fitness passport member
• Various health & well-being initiatives (i.e. flu vaccinations, skin checks, etc.)

How to apply

Please ensure you give full answers to the online application questions, showcasing your abilities and experience. Your answers, in conjunction with your resume, will determine if you are invited to an interview. 

Please note you do not need a “password” to use our on-line application system, however you have the option save and return to your application prior to the closing date. In addition to answering the online questions, this position requires you to attach your Resume to complete the application process.  Please note, you are not required to submit a cover letter or a statement addressing selection criteria. 

Closing Date: Sunday 2 March 2025 at 11:30pm

If you would like to know more, please see the position description or contact Robbie Platt on 0466 608 611 for a confidential discussion.

City of Ryde is committed to Equal Employment and Child Safety