Who we are

In Melbourne, water is essential to our way of life.

As caretakers for Melbourne’s water cycle, we care for water, life and land throughout Melbourne: both its people and its biodiversity.

Each time you drink from the tap, flush a toilet, run through a backyard sprinkler, or kayak down the Yarra, we’re there. Primed and ready, quietly delivering some of the world’s cleanest water for over five million residents and wildlife that call Melbourne home, just as we have for over 130 years.

If you value making it count, diving in with curiosity, and doing what’s right, you're in the right place.

About the Role

Reporting to the Head of Waterways & Catchment Services South East, this is a pivotal role within the Service Partnerships team. In this exciting and impactful leadership role, you will oversee a team of partnership coordinators and drive multi-partner collaborations that are key to achieving Melbourne Water’s strategic objectives. You will lead complex, internally and externally funded initiatives that require strong partnership management, strategic thinking, and a focus on community outcomes. Your efforts will contribute to the health of our catchments and waterways and the broader environment, ensuring that we are meeting the diverse needs of our stakeholders and customers. This includes:

• Lead Multi-Partner Collaborations: Drive collaborations for Melbourne Water’s strategic priorities, managing relationships and expectations to ensure successful outcomes and maintain Melbourne Water’s reputation.
• Partnership Negotiation: Shape how contributions from various partners align to achieve shared goals, negotiating effectively to ensure win-win outcomes.
• External Partnerships: Provide expert input into external-led partnerships and ensure effective delivery of on-ground services and activities.
• Traditional Owner Partnerships: Support the development and implementation of Traditional Owner partnerships and ensure cultural obligations are met.
• Issue Management: Lead the management of complex waterway, catchment, and drainage issues from a relationship and reputational risk perspective.
• Team Leadership and Development: Oversee the service partnerships portfolio, driving process improvements and building team capacity to effectively manage service partnerships.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Cultivate and maintain strong relationships with senior government representatives, public-facing stakeholders, and other key partners to foster collaboration and drive outcomes.
• Continuous Improvement: Utilise analytics and insights to monitor performance, report to partners, and ensure continuous improvement in service delivery and stakeholder satisfaction.
• Partnership Design: Scope and define service partnerships, including the development of necessary agreements, roles, and responsibilities, ensuring alignment with regulatory, corporate, community, and customer expectations.

For more information please review the Role Mandate:  Role Mandate - Service Partnerships Manager.pdf

About you:

• Tertiary qualifications, ideally in Communications / Environmental / Natural Resource Management / Science or Social Science / Engineering.
• Extensive experience and refined interpersonal skills with a proven ability to negotiate and influence effectively to build, maintain and leverage high level strategic partnerships.
• Career experience within the water industry or natural resource management, ideally gained through a senior management position.
• Experience collaborating with high level often public facing stakeholders to produce successful outcomes in complex multi stakeholder environments.
• Extensive experience managing and developing high performing teams and collaborative cultures
• Valid Victorian Driver’s License
• Ability to pass a criminal record check

Why join us:

At Melbourne Water, we care about water and all life that springs from it.

Our people are fuelled by passion, and with safety at the forefront, we have an unwavering sense of purpose, and are on a mission to protect every Melburnian’s way of life, one drop at a time.

We walk the talk when it comes to flexible working – but that’s not all. Our culture of purpose, safety, results, and learning permeates everything we do. We're dedicated to doing what's right, and this commitment extends to the meaningful work we do in a supportive and inclusive culture that encourages you to make the most of your talents.

Our long-standing commitment to Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging means that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, LGBTIQA+ individuals, people living with disability, mature age and young jobseekers from all cultures can apply with confidence knowing they are safe, affirmed, and celebrated.

If you’re curious, action-orientated, outcomes-focused, and care deeply for public resources, community, and the environment, we'd love to receive an application and learn if you could be a great fit.

How to Apply

Click the 'Apply Now' button below and complete our online application form.

Closing date: Sunday 23^rd February 2025 at 11:55pm AEST