Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Urban Officer

🎯 Role Definition

The Urban Officer is the operational and policy-focused practitioner responsible for translating municipal strategy into on-the-ground urban projects and programs. Working at the intersection of planning, community engagement, regulation and delivery, the Urban Officer leads land-use assessments, development application review, stakeholder consultation, and cross-department project coordination to improve liveability, sustainability and economic outcomes across neighbourhoods and precincts. This role requires strong technical planning knowledge, demonstrated project management, persuasive stakeholder skills, and the ability to synthesize data-driven insights for elected officials and the public.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Planning Assistant / Planning Technician
GIS Technician / Spatial Analyst
Community Development Coordinator

Advancement To:

Senior Urban Officer / Senior Urban Planner
Strategic Planner / Policy Lead — Town Planning
Built Environment Team Leader or Planning Manager

Lateral Moves:

Housing or Affordable Housing Officer
Transport Planning or Sustainable Infrastructure Officer

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Lead the preparation, review and implementation of local area plans, precinct plans and urban design frameworks that align with municipal policy, statutory planning instruments and strategic growth objectives.
Assess development applications, subdivision proposals and planning permits, prepare statutory reports, and provide expert recommendations to planning panels, development assessment teams, and elected councils.
Manage and negotiate complex development conditions, infrastructure contributions and legal agreements (e.g., development agreements, covenants, Section 106/278 equivalents) to secure public benefits and services.
Conduct regular site inspections and compliance monitoring to ensure developments and public works meet approved plans, building regulations and environmental standards; initiate enforcement action where required.
Facilitate and lead community consultation programs, public information sessions and stakeholder workshops using inclusive engagement techniques to collect input, build consensus and address objections.
Prepare clear, evidence-based briefing notes, policy submissions and council reports that translate technical analysis into decision-ready recommendations for senior management and elected officials.
Coordinate cross-functional project teams (planning, engineering, transport, parks, heritage, environmental health) to ensure integrated project delivery on schedule and within budget.
Deliver feasibility studies, land-use and market analysis to support strategic housing, economic development and revitalization initiatives, including brownfield redevelopment and urban renewal sites.
Design and manage grant-funded projects, including drafting funding proposals, administering budgets, reporting to funders and ensuring compliance with grant conditions.
Develop and maintain mapping, GIS datasets and spatial analyses to inform planning decisions, visualize scenarios and monitor growth, using ArcGIS, QGIS or similar platforms.
Prepare traffic and transport impact assessments in partnership with transport engineers to integrate network capacity, active travel and transit priorities into planning decisions.
Lead heritage impact assessments and coordinate with heritage advisors to balance conservation objectives with adaptive reuse and development opportunities.
Formulate and implement affordable housing strategies and inclusionary zoning policies, working with housing providers, developers and social services to increase supply and housing diversity.
Monitor planning legislation, policy changes and regional strategies; interpret statutory requirements and implement necessary local policy updates and compliance measures.
Supervise consultants, technical specialists and junior staff engaged on planning projects; manage scopes of work, deliverables and performance to ensure value-for-money.
Oversee urban design review processes, setting design quality benchmarks and reviewing architectural and landscape proposals against urban design principles.
Manage risks, procurement and contracts related to built environment projects, escalating issues to senior managers and ensuring mitigation plans are in place.
Support economic development initiatives by identifying sites for commercial activation, coordinating public realm improvements and advising on incentives for adaptive reuse and small business support.
Prepare, deliver and participate in public hearings, council briefings and community advisory panels; present complex planning material in accessible language.
Conduct environmental and flood risk assessments in collaboration with environmental scientists to ensure development resilience, biodiversity protection and stormwater management.
Establish and maintain strong relationships with state/regional planning agencies, utility providers, transport authorities and neighbouring municipalities to coordinate infrastructure and regional growth priorities.
Maintain up-to-date records, permit databases and workflow systems to track applications, approvals, compliance actions and performance metrics against service standards.

Secondary Functions

Support policy development by contributing data, benchmarking, case studies and best-practice research for strategic planning reviews and climate adaptation initiatives.
Participate in place activation programs and pilot projects that test temporary urban interventions, public realm improvements and tactical urbanism.
Provide technical and planning input into capital works programs, parks upgrades and streetscape design to align infrastructure investment with planning outcomes.
Assist in the preparation of communication materials, FAQs and web content to keep the community informed about planning controls, timelines and project milestones.
Mentor and provide training for junior planning staff and trainees to build internal capability in statutory assessment, engagement and GIS.
Maintain and update local planning policy documents, development control plans and guideline documents to reflect contemporary practice and legislative changes.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Professional competency in urban and statutory planning, including development assessment, zoning interpretation, land-use policy and planning scheme amendments.
Proficient in GIS and spatial analysis (ArcGIS, QGIS or similar), including map creation, spatial queries and geospatial data management to support evidence-based planning.
Technical experience with development application systems and electronic lodgement platforms, permit tracking and reporting tools.
Knowledge of transport planning principles, traffic impact assessment basics and integration of multi-modal planning into precinct design.
Familiarity with building and environmental regulation, heritage controls, stormwater and floodplain management, and sustainability standards (Green Star, BREEAM, or local equivalents).
Demonstrated project management skills, including scoping, budgeting, contract management and procurement for planning and urban projects.
Strong written skills for preparing council reports, statutory decisions, funding applications, and policy documents with clarity and legal accuracy.
Experience with community engagement tools and digital consultation platforms (e.g., online surveys, virtual workshops, social media outreach).
Capability in performing land economics, market feasibility analysis and modelling to support affordable housing and redevelopment strategies.
Proficient in MS Office suite, presentation software and data visualization tools to produce high-quality briefings and stakeholder materials.
Experience with grant writing and external funding administration for urban improvement projects.

Soft Skills

Excellent stakeholder engagement and negotiation skills with the ability to manage competing interests and achieve pragmatic outcomes.
Clear, confident public speaking and presentation skills when addressing community groups, council committees and external partners.
Strong analytical and critical thinking with the ability to synthesize technical data into actionable policy recommendations.
Resilience and judgement, able to manage sensitive issues, objection processes and high-profile projects under political scrutiny.
Collaborative team player who builds trust across internal departments and external agencies to deliver integrated outcomes.
High attention to detail and organisation to manage multiple concurrent applications, inspections and project milestones.
Customer-oriented approach with empathy for community concerns and a commitment to transparent, consultative planning practice.
Adaptive problem-solving and creativity in designing place-based solutions and pilot interventions.
Ethical awareness and integrity in decision-making, ensuring compliance with statutory obligations and public interest considerations.
Time management and prioritisation skills to meet statutory decision timeframes and service delivery standards.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor's degree in Urban Planning, Planning and Development, Geography, Environmental Planning, Architecture, Civil Engineering or a closely related discipline.

Preferred Education:

Master's degree in Urban Planning, Planning Practice, Public Policy, Urban Design or related postgraduate qualification.
Professional accreditation (e.g., AICP, RTPI membership, or equivalent regional planning accreditation) is highly desirable.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Urban and Regional Planning
Urban Design and Architecture
Environmental Science / Environmental Planning
Civil Engineering (with planning experience)
Public Policy / Public Administration
Geography (with GIS and spatial planning focus)

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

3–7 years of professional experience in local government planning, statutory assessment, urban design or development management.

Preferred:

5+ years of progressively responsible experience in municipal planning or a related public sector role, including demonstrated experience in development assessment, community consultation, and cross-disciplinary project delivery.
Proven track record of preparing council reports, negotiating development agreements, administering permits and delivering place-making or regeneration projects.