Executive Manager Strategic Communications and Engagement

• Create | Shape | Innovate 
• Move Your Career to Tropical North Queensland
• Agency or Corporate Communication Background | Commercial Mindset
• Circa $170K + Super + assistance with Relocation and securing Accommodation

Autonomy to Reframe and Reposition how Council engages with its customers. Have your ideas supported and the latitude to truly let your creativity shine!

The Opportunity

Are you an enthusiastic and Strategic Communication and Engagement executive who is keen to have the autonomy and latitude to truly be effective and to use your creative ideas when it comes to engagement across all levels of the Cairns community? If so, Cairns Regional Council are looking to appoint an Executive Manager Strategic Communications and Engagement. With so much content at your fingertips you can combine your lifestyle aspirations with a meaningful role in this vibrant region.

The Council are working hard to build a vibrant city, maintain their enviable tropical lifestyle, and ensure the city will thrive, be sustainable and attractive into the future. The lifestyle opportunities, weather and career growth opportunities are some of the reasons why working here may be the best decision you could make. Council is led by the Mayor, Deputy and 8 Councillors. Their vision is “A city for today that is planning for the needs of tomorrow.”

As one of the region’s largest employers, with approximately 1300 staff they deliver an extensive range of community services to foster social well-being, including grants, programs and activities for young people, multicultural information and community safety services and programs. Council manages $4.6B of net community assets on behalf of ratepayers and residents of the region. Growth of net community assets is projected to increase steadily over the next three years, driven mostly by Council’s capital works program. With a budget for 2024/2025 of nearly $670 million the Council is a significant local economic driver.

To find out more about living in Cairns please click HERE

The Role

Council is seeking to appoint someone who enjoys leading and mentoring a team and who is renowned for the energy and passion they can demonstrate in the delivery of contemporary strategic comms and engagement. Driving this area of Council forward on a trajectory of enhanced performance will be evidenced by delivering superior messaging to the community and in controlling the narrative. Importantly, you will have the scope to profile creative communication ideas and take risks to lead a new way forward.

Working closely with all levels of Council, you will lead an action orientated approach that will contribute to the region's prosperity and manage the resources of Council effectively and efficiently ensuring your team’s performance is underpinned by an elevated level of service delivery and evidenced by their positivity and engagement. You will also broaden your skillset playing a critical role in Disaster Management.

A full Briefing Document will be made available to short listed Candidates

About You

Renowned for your strong leadership and creativity in communication and engagement initiatives you will have a warm and engaging personality and the wisdom and empathy to deal with people from all walks of life and abilities up to the highest levels of Council. Bringing a passionate and lateral thinking approach to developing cohesive communication strategies and then executing them brilliantly will characterise your career to date.

Your experience will have been gained ideally within a large corporate/consultancy environment and your success in the role will be determined by your confidence in and ability to work with senior management together with your self-motivation, highly energetic disposition, and overall enthusiasm to embrace and communicate change. Managing a multiplicity of situations with calm professionalism will be part of your DNA.

The personal and professional satisfaction this role can offer should not be underestimated and it is a rare opportunity to leverage your capital city experience and live a lifestyle in tropical North QLD that most only dream about!

Council will provide relocation assistance and genuine support for securing accommodation in this tight market.

How to Apply

PEAK Services is working in conjunction with Cairns Regional Council 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 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 16th September at 10pm or sooner if a suitable candidate is identified.

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