Manager Public Works

Manager Public Works

• Move Your Career to Cloncurry in 2024!
• Up to 140K + Super + House + FMV + 5 weeks leave
• Unique Career Building Opportunity

Come and work in the friendly heart of outback QLD! Oversee a diverse portfolio and be an important Ambassador for Council..

About Cloncurry

Cloncurry is located in North West Queensland and is approximately 120km east of Mount Isa, 770km west of Townsville and 450km south of the Gulf of Carpentaria.  Cloncurry is at the heart of Queensland’s transport hub with key rail, air and road links from the eastern seaboard through to the Northern Territory and its well established cattle industry includes some of the largest pastoral leases in the country. Situated in the heart of the North West Mineral Province, the town has one of the richest and most established mining investments in Australia.

Over the years Cloncurry has been the focal point for many of Australia's greatest innovations. Cloncurry was involved with the beginnings of Qantas, and the original Qantas Hangar is still in use at the airport, where 'Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services' is still displayed about the hangar door.

The Royal Flying Doctor Service was founded in Cloncurry in 1928, now recognised the world over. The airport was also en route for early planes coming from overseas and a stopping place for contestants in the Great Air Races of 1919 and 1934. During the Second World War, Cloncurry was the site of a major United States of America air base.  More recently, Cloncurry's cutting edge commercial drone testing facility has paid big dividends for Queensland and is being used by international aerospace giant Boeing to produce the latest in UAV technology.

The railway reached Cloncurry in 1907 and was officially opened in 1908, and remains an important industry in the town.

A visit to Cloncurry Unearthed Visitor Information Centre and Museum, or John Flynn Place Museum and Art Gallery will open the eye of any budding historian to the richness of Cloncurry's history.

Cloncurry is a rural town, which derives its main income from the mining and pastoral industries. The town itself is nestled on the banks of the Cloncurry River. The Cloncurry River catchment area begins in the Selwyn Ranges and flows into the Flinders River, where it continues on to empty into the Gulf of Carpentaria. It is well-connected to the east coast with direct flights to Townsville and Brisbane.  Residents have access to a wide range of general and specialist health; education (to Grade 12) and kindergarten, child care.  There is an abundance of sporting clubs and activities to partake in along with a wide range of events and activities to entertain locals, visitors and tourists throughout the year. For those interested in the wild life of the region a visit to Chinaman's Creek Dam offers a chance to cool off with lots of birds to observe including storks, pelican, egret, royal spoonbills, ducks, waders, plovers, darter and cormorant as well as some bush birds.

Annual Events held in Cloncurry include:

Merry Muster Rodeo, Stockman’s Challenge, Beat the Heat Festival, Cloncurry Show and Horse Racing

About Council

Cloncurry Shire Council is a future-focused, community-responsive organisation with a charter to enhance all facets of life in the Shire. Creating this improved future is underpinned by a dedicated focus on planning for the long-term needs of the community and coordinating the delivery and ongoing management of assets and associated services.

Popularly known as the “Friendly Heart of the Great North West”, Cloncurry has the feel of a western town with the progressiveness of a modern community. The ‘Curry’, as it is affectionately known by locals, is 120km east of Mount Isa and 400km south of the Gulf of Carpentaria.

Within this ever-changing world there could not be a better time to make that ‘lifestyle change’ happen and come up to North Western QLD.  Council will support you every step of the way to make this a reality so if you have any questions please do not hesitate to call.

About the Position

Reporting to the Director of Infrastructure and Environment, you have responsibility for the planning and delivery of Council’s rural roads and town streets programs, parks and gardens program and are responsible for the effective management and oversight of Council’s workshop operations (small motors, fleet, heavy machinery).

As a member of the Senior Management Team, the Manager Public Works plays a crucial role in building organisational capability and contributing to a positive workplace culture.

The role requires effective stakeholder engagement with the general public, pastoralists, departmental representatives/funding agency representatives, engineering consultancies etc. To this extent, the Manager Public Works is an important ambassador for Council. Your charter will be to provide leadership across the day-to-day operations as well as provide guidance and strategic oversight across this diverse portfolio to keep driving business activities forward.

Proven capability in the management of most areas relevant to this role – rural road maintenance programs, town streets maintenance, workshop operations, parks, and gardens – and the ability to deliver associated programs of work safely and in alignment with adopted budgets/timeframes will be essential.

Further information can be found on the position in the Candidate Briefing Document HERE

About You

With either a strong Public Works background or someone working as a Foreman ready to ‘step up,’ you will have excellent planning and scheduling skills, and a detailed knowledge of road maintenance operations. Additionally, skills and experience in the management of plant and equipment (workshop operations, plant and fleet planning, procurement, utilisation etc, and a working knowledge of Parks and Gardens (works programming, field maintenance, irrigation, maintenance of drainage etc) would be ideal.

With proven management skills and demonstrated experience (ideally in local government) as a Public Works Manager or Foreman you will be renowned for your leadership capability, solid and rigorous track record of growing the capability of your staff and for your passion to add value and motivate those around you to continually improve. Others will describe you as having a high level of integrity, possessed of drive and energy, a track record of meeting agreed deliverables, and good problem-solving capabilities. Council seeks to adopt and embed best practice in everything they do and there is a strong team in place for you to work with and support.

Why this Role?

The diversity of the operation is substantial and puts Council on par with several much larger Councils. Voted the friendliest town in QLD – there is a strong community feel, and Cloncurry represents a wonderful place for families to feel safe and to enjoy every advantage of living in outback QLD, particularly in these uncertain times.

This is no ordinary role in local government. While Cloncurry may not be somewhere you have previously considered living and working - you will work closely with the Leadership team and have your ideas supported and a genuine opportunity to ensure ‘best practice’ is embedded across your functional areas of responsibility. The experience gained will be hard to equal elsewhere and you will be supported around any training that is deemed appropriate which will undoubtedly enable you to realise future career aspirations.

This is a regional centre that has more facilities than most including a fully staffed medical centre, hospital, airport etc.

How to Apply

PEAK Services is working in conjunction with Cloncurry Shire Council, exclusively on this position. We offer local government expertise across a wide range of professional fields, providing tailored solutions for councils and other similar organisations. We work with our clients to deliver meaningful outcomes in recruitment and contracting services. 

You will be required to answer a few questions that relate to the criteria on the online application below.  Please note that you cannot submit your application without attaching your resume.  A cover letter is not mandatory, but may be added if so desired. When uploading your Resume or documents please ensure file names should only include 'A-z', '0-9', '.' and '-' characters.

PLEASE NOTE: Once you have commenced your application you cannot save and continue at a later stage. 

Applications will close at 10pm on Monday 11th March 2024

For a confidential conversation, please call Rona Horsfall at Peak Recruitment Services on 0438 943854.