About the Company
Townsville City Council represents a globally connected community driven by lifestyle and nature. It is the largest local government authority in Northern Australia, committed to creating value by growing Townsville through driving economic diversity and generating an enriching lifestyle. The Local Government Area (LGA) encompasses the city of Townsville (unofficially considered the capital of North Queensland), together with the surrounding rural areas, to the south are the communities of Alligator Creek, Woodstock and Reid River, and to the north are Northern Beaches and Paluma, as well as Magnetic Island.
Townsville City Council employs 1700 staff and provides and maintains close to $9b worth of community assets including water and wastewater network and treatment plants, bridges, drainage, roads, waste management, community facilities, sporting venues and more. They contribute to an active lifestyle for residents and visitors through events, providing recreational facilities, protecting the natural environment and heritage, while creating a mentally and physically healthy city. They are driving economic diversity and cultivating an enriching lifestyle, growing a city for this and future generations by building a vibrant, sustainable, and innovative city. Council’s vision is for Townsville to be a connected, lifestyle driven and innovation focused city while continuing to deliver service excellence and to be led by our community to create an exciting today and future.
About the Role
The Principal Dam Safety and Operations will lead dam operations, compliance, and risk management for Council’s water storages and infrastructure.
This position will act as the technical decision-maker for dam safety, supported by consultants but ultimately accountable for ensuring the safety and resilience of assets. The role also provides the opportunity to work alongside experienced engineers, mentor developing talent, and play a critical part in strengthening Townsville’s future water security.
Key areas of focus will include leading the multi-year dam safety upgrade project to mitigate potential failure modes, embedding improvements identified in Council’s Dam Safety Program gap analysis, and building the expertise required to act as a critical leader during emergency events. In practice, the role is multifaceted across both dry and wet seasons. It balances ensuring regulatory compliance, managing day-to-day operations, coordinating inspections, and engaging with engineering consultants, while also being prepared to activate and oversee emergency action procedures in collaboration with regulators and disaster management groups.
About You
To succeed in this role, you will bring:
- Tertiary engineering qualifications in civil or structural engineering, with RPEQ registration (essential).
- Proven experience in dam management, water infrastructure, or large-scale structural projects.
- The confidence to make technical decisions under pressure and stand by them.
- Strong stakeholder engagement skills, able to work effectively with regulators, consultants, and local disaster management groups.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead the dam safety upgrade project and ensure compliance with dam safety regulations.
- Deliver improvements identified in the Dam Safety Program gap analysis.
- Act as the technical decision-maker for dam safety and operations.
- Work alongside experienced engineers, while mentoring and supporting developing engineers.
- Build effective relationships with regulators, external consultants, and disaster management stakeholders.
- Provide knowledge transfer and contribute to building technical capability within the team.
The Benefits
- Council pays membership for Engineers Australia and covers costs to maintain RPEQ registration.
- Opportunity to work on technically significant water infrastructure projects that directly impact community safety and water security.
- Lifestyle benefits of living in Townsville, a growing regional center with access to the Great Barrier Reef, Magnetic Island, and North Queensland’s tropical outdoors.
- Potential for relocation assistance
Please apply with current resume in Microsoft Word format only (.doc or .docx). If you would like to have a confidential discussion, please contact Ben Byrne on ben.byrne@davidsonwp.com, quoting reference JN -092025-41339. Want to know more about Davidson? Visit us at www.davidsonwp.com
