Lead essential services. Shape critical infrastructure. Make an impact you can see.
There are leadership roles where you maintain what already exists. Then there are opportunities to shape what comes next.
Davidson Executive & Talent is partnering with Cook Shire Council to appoint its next Manager Water and Waste, leading the essential water, wastewater and waste services that support communities across one of Queensland’s most unique regions.
Based in Cooktown and reporting to the Director Infrastructure, you’ll lead an experienced team of approximately 28 people across water, wastewater, waste and electrical maintenance. You’ll also oversee an operating budget of approximately $9.3 million across these essential services.
Your remit combines technical leadership with asset management, commercial thinking, regulatory compliance and long-term service planning.
The opportunity
This is a role for a leader who wants to build, improve and influence.
There is a significant infrastructure agenda ahead, including new and upgraded water and wastewater infrastructure in Lakeland and Coen, alongside the opportunity to strengthen asset management and shape a practical future waste strategy.
Your early priorities will be clear:
- Strengthen regulatory and legislative compliance
- Improve asset management and long-term infrastructure planning
- Lead, mentor and get the best from an experienced, long-tenured team
- Build robust business cases that connect infrastructure needs with funding and investment decisions
- Bring a commercial lens to operational and capital planning
- Manage and optimise a significant operating budget across water, wastewater and waste services
- Work confidently with executives, councillors, regulators, contractors and communities
The role spans a large geographic footprint, so visible leadership matters. You’ll spend time with your people, understand the assets firsthand and be comfortable getting out across the region rather than leading solely from behind a desk.
The leader we’re looking for
Your strongest technical grounding will be in water and wastewater. You understand treatment, infrastructure, compliance and the consequences of getting essential services wrong.
You’ll also bring:
- Leadership experience across water, wastewater and/or waste services
- Strong asset lifecycle, renewal and capital planning capability
- Commercial and financial acumen, including responsibility for significant operating budgets and business cases
- Sound knowledge of relevant regulatory and environmental requirements
- Experience leading people through change and improving established ways of working
- The ability to turn complex technical issues into clear recommendations and gain stakeholder support
- Strong judgement, communication and stakeholder management skills
- Relevant engineering qualifications or extensive equivalent experience
You don’t necessarily need to come directly from local government. If you bring the technical credibility, commercial judgement and leadership capability, Council can support you in understanding its processes and environment.
Why Cooktown?
Cooktown may not have been where you expected your next career move to take you. That could be exactly what makes this opportunity worth exploring.
You’ll be joining a close-knit organisation with people who care deeply about their community. Council’s Director Infrastructure describes the management team as among the best they have worked with across their career in Australia and internationally, highlighting its integrity, low-ego approach and genuine commitment to community outcomes.
Cooktown offers a very different pace to metropolitan life, without being disconnected from the essentials. The region has schools, health services and airport access, with Cairns approximately a 45-minute flight away. Housing can be challenging, and Council can assist successful candidates in navigating local accommodation options.
We’ll be open about the move, the location and what the role involves. We want you to understand Cooktown properly and decide whether the opportunity is right for you.
Ready for something different?
If you’re an experienced water and wastewater leader looking for greater scope, visible impact and the opportunity to help shape essential infrastructure for the future, we’d like to start a conversation.
You don’t need to have made your mind up about Cooktown before you call.
For a confidential discussion, contact William Stock at Davidson Executive & Talent on william.stock@davidsonwp.com
