Program Lead Community Connections

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 Lead Community Impact and Drive Positive Change Join Melbourne Water as a Program Lead – Community Connections and play a pivotal role in shaping programs that empower communities to protect and enhance our waterways, land, and biodiversity. In this leadership position, you’ll guide a passionate team delivering innovative capacity-building initiatives across Landcare, Sustainable Agriculture, and Waterwatch programs. You’ll collaborate with government, industry, and community partners to grow participation, foster inclusiveness, and champion environmental stewardship. In this role you will Drive Leadership of the Community Connection team, development & support of team members Coordinate and manage the Community Connections team programs (Landcare, Sustainable Agriculture, Waterwatch) to deliver programs targets Understand the drivers and constraints of our community and volunteer groups; grow participation rates in programs by removing barriers and finding ways to include a diversity of groups e.g. youth, CALD communities and Traditional Owners. Drive the continual improvement of programs, seeking out and delivering on ways to optimise processes and increase business efficiency. Explore opportunities for program innovation through the use of technology, application of research and/or emerging practices. Coordinate efficient evaluation and reporting processes and meet reporting deadlines. For more information, please refer to the attached Position Description. About you: Ability to lead, manage and motivate a team of professionals to deliver program outcomes that operationalize strategic priorities. Demonstrated application and specialist knowledge of the design and delivery of community capacity building, engagement, citizen science and/or education programs. Understanding of scientific methods and experience working with the community and volunteers within the disciplines of environmental protection, natural resource management and/or sustainability. Highly developed organisational skills and demonstrated ability to manage complex and often competing priorities within strict timelines. Critically review work and use own expertise and knowledge to influence others in program planning, delivery and evaluation. Strong attention to detail and an ability to accurately report numeric outcomes and manage financials. Experience leading the development of effective stakeholder relationships and collaborative partnerships. If you’re a strategic thinker with strong leadership skills, a passion for community engagement, and experience in natural resource management or sustainability, this is your opportunity to make a lasting impact. Why join us: At Melbourne Water, we care deeply about water and the life it sustains. Our team is inspired by passion and purpose, with an unwavering commitment to safety. We are on a mission to protect every Melburnian’s way of life, one drop at a time. We don’t just talk about flexible working - we live it. Our culture of purpose, safety, results, and learning flows through 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, LGBTIQ+ individuals, Neurodivergent 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 passionate about public resources, community, and the environment, we'd love to receive your 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 4th January 2026 at 11:55pm AEST #J-18808-Ljbffr