• Band 7 + 12% Superannuation
• Permanent Part Time (0.8 FTE)
• Drive evidence-informed community planning and social policy outcomes

At Whitehorse City Council, community is at the heart of everything we do.  To stay ahead of and best respond to the evolving changes and needs of the community, the organisation is undertaking an exciting journey that will transform ways of working and will empower employees to be innovative and constantly striving towards providing excellent customer experience at all times. The five pillars of our organisation focus on:

• Excellent Customer Experience and Service Delivery
• Great Organisational Culture
• Innovation and Continuous Improvement
• Good Governance and Integrity
• Long Term Financial Sustainability

The Community Wellbeing Unit is a multi-disciplinary team within the Connected Communities department, consisting of Community Strengthening, Positive Ageing and Youth Services portfolio teams. The Unit delivers key community outcomes that foster inclusive, resilient and connected communities across Whitehorse. The team also works collaboratively to undertake strategic planning, policy and evaluation work, to strengthen Council’s understanding of current and emerging community needs. 

The role:

The Community Planning and Policy Officer contributes to Council’s strategic planning and decision-making by providing specialist expertise in community planning and policy development. This role offers an exciting opportunity to strengthen Council’s understanding of current and emerging community needs, aspirations and trends.

The Community Planning and Policy Officer must be able to translate complex demographic trends, community engagement findings and policy contexts into clear, persuasive advice for senior leaders and Councillors. The role undertakes tasks such as social research, population forecasting, data analysis and the development of social policies, strategies and community plans, in collaboration with colleagues across the organisation.

Working with a high degree of autonomy, this role contributes to feasibility assessments, community infrastructure and service planning, provides guidance on the evaluation of key community initiatives and builds internal capabilities for the use of social data and evidence-based practice.

About you:

To be considered for this position you will have: 

• Substantial experience in social policy development and data-driven community planning 

• Expertise in communicating complex social research, demographic data and population forecasting for a range of audiences

• The ability to analyse complex issues and provide evidence-informed advice to support planning and influence decision-making

• Considerable experience with evaluating community-based initiatives or strategies in a government (or related) context

• Strong interpersonal and stakeholder management skills, and experience working collaboratively across disciplines.

In return, we will offer:

The ability to make a difference - Working at Whitehorse City Council you contribute to making a real difference in the lives of the community and those that live, learn, work or visit Whitehorse.  Every day you really will see how the work you're involved in benefits the diverse community.

Great working conditions – a professional environment, friendly and supportive teams and a flexibility program that promotes employee work life balance.

An extensive Health and Wellbeing offering – Employee assistance program, private health insurance benefits, health checks (skin, hearing and vaccinations), discounted gym membership and facilities (e.g. Theatre, Arts, Leisure) and an active health and wellness program (e.g. stretching, healthy eating demonstrations and health challenges.

Career opportunities – engaging work and the opportunity to apply your skills and experience.

Reward & Recognition - extensive reward and recognition program, corporate learning offerings, study assistance and comprehensive leadership development programs.

Further Information:

Further information is available by contacting Siobhan Wood, Coordinator Community Wellbeing (************@whitehorse.vic.gov.au or 0403 142 ***). To apply, please submit a copy of your resume (max 5 pages) and a one-page statement addressing the selection criteria and what you would bring to the Community Planning and Policy Officer role by Wednesday, 17 June 2026 at 5.00pm

Download the Position Description:

Community Planning and Policy Officer 

City of Whitehorse is a culturally and linguistically diverse community. We are proud of the diversity of our workforce and recognise the strength this provides in meeting the needs of our community. We are committed to upholding a safe, inclusive and respectful workplace that values the contribution of all.

Whitehorse City Council is committed to being a child safe organisation.  We recognise our responsibilities to keep children and young people safe from harm and have established policies, procedures and training to achieve these commitments.

ABOUT US

The City of Whitehorse, located 15 kilometres east of the Melbourne CBD, is a culturally diverse community of almost 177,000 people. Whitehorse includes the suburbs of Box Hill, Burwood, Nunawading, Blackburn, Mitcham, Forest Hill and Vermont and is characterised by quiet tree-lined residential streets, an abundance of parks, gardens and natural bushland reserves, bustling shopping centres and a diverse range of arts, cultural, sports and leisure facilities.

Whitehorse City Council provides more than 100 services and facilities across a range of areas within our community services, city development, infrastructure, corporate services and transformation directorates. Whitehorse is one of Melbourne’s largest metropolitan councils with a workforce of approximately 1300 employees and aspires to foster an inclusive, vibrant, prosperous and sustainable community. Our employees help us achieve these goals!

At Whitehorse, employee health, wellbeing and development are paramount, and we aim for everyone to become the best they can be in the workplace. Benefits of working with us include:

• A welcoming and supportive working environment 

• Great opportunities for training and to build a long-term career within Whitehorse or the local government sector.

• Extensive employee health and wellbeing programs including flexible working arrangements

• Salary sacrifice options for gym / swim memberships, childcare and superannuation; and access to novated vehicle leases.

• Competitive terms and conditions of employment 

• Ample onsite parking at most facilities with ready access to public transport