Zero Waste Projects Lead

Job Description

Part time temporary role (4 days per week for 6 months) Long Service Leave backfill, 2 April to 6 October 2025 Leadership role in Council’s kerbside waste reforms project team About Merri-bek City Council Merri-bek City Council is a progressive council of 175,000 residents: one community, proudly diverse. Our council area sits within the banks of the Merri Creek and the Moonee Ponds Creek, and includes Brunswick, Coburg, Fawkner, Glenroy, Gowanbrae, Hadfield, Oak Park and Pascoe Vale. Our city is vibrant and energetic, known for its active community, cultural diversity, creative industries and the arts. Our long-term vision has ambitious goals for environmental sustainability, social justice, community wellbeing, and creating great places. With the Civic Centre located in Coburg, 8 kilometres north of Melbourne’s CBD, there are excellent public transport options and great food and cafés right at the doorstep. Merri-bek Council strives to be a contemporary, innovative and collaborative organisation with a deep commitment to engaging and supporting the Merri-bek community. Our organisational vision is to be one team, brave and diverse, making a difference. We pride ourselves on being an inclusive and welcoming workplace. We offer flexible and hybrid work options and genuinely care about providing our staff work/life balance. About the role We are currently seeking a committed, highly organised and experienced waste leader to join our kerbside reforms project team. A key objective of this backfill role will be managing communications, engagement and education for successful delivery of the upcoming trial of fortnightly garbage as part of the staged roll-out of municipal-wide 4-bin kerbside service reforms. The role has particular accountability for the extensive community engagement and education needed to maximise community support and compliance with the Kerbside Waste Reform (KWR) trials and service changes across Merri-bek’s diverse and growing resident population. You will work collaboratively with the KWR project leadership team, lead the KWR Communications & Education Working Group and supervise/oversee officer/s providing communications support to the project. This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced local government waste professional to gain in-depth experience coordinating and delivering kerbside waste reforms at a progressive local government striving to facilitate a circular economy with zero waste. The fixed term backfill is for 4 days per week focused on KWR, with an existing job share arrangement in place for the additional 1 day per week managing food and garden organics projects and initiatives. Skills and experience required to perform the role Demonstrated knowledge of waste and recycling system issues and practices at a local level, and understanding of best practice recycling, waste education principles and methods, including the waste hierarchy, resource recovery, zero waste to landfill, and carbon emission impacts in the waste industry. Proven community engagement, education and behaviour change skills and applied understanding. Strong communication skills with excellent written and verbal skills to prepare and deliver materials of a consistently high level. Demonstrated project management skills including project implementation, risk management and resource management, to ensure delivery of outcomes within budget and agreed time frames. Proven strategic thinking, analytical skills and attention to detail – especially around community education, continual improvement, and evaluation. Staff management skills to supervise/oversee staff, consultants, contractors. What the role can offer Excellent opportunity for career development. Be part of supportive and high performing teams. Salary sacrifice options. Work-life balance & flexible work options. Wellness programs. Further support offered for our staff Up to 20 weeks primary & up to 5 weeks secondary parental leave. Purchase leave. Ceremonial leave. Gender affirmation leave. Family violence leave. For further information about this position please contact Michaela Skett on (03) 9240 1264. Applications close: 11:30pm, Wednesday 19 February 2025. Please fill out an application using our online recruitment system. You will be required to upload your CV, a cover letter outlining your relevant skills and experience. You do not need to respond to the individual Key Selection Criteria. Please note that applications must only be submitted online, applications will not be accepted via email. Merri-bek City Council is proudly diverse and an equal opportunity employer. We encourage applications from the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community, people with disability, and people from every culture, sexuality and gender identity, age and ethnic background. Merri-bek City Council is a Child Safe organisation. Merri-bek is focused on diverse representation of the community we serve. We value lived experience that could contribute to the shaping of this role and in turn will continue to provide representation and growth of a safe and inclusive work culture. We encourage everyone to apply and discuss opportunities to develop your knowledge and experience. Our Commitment In May 2021, Merri-bek Council adopted a revised Statement of Commitment to Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung People and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities of the municipality. The statement recognises the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung people as the traditional owners of the lands and waterways of our municipality. Merri-bek City Council is committed to being a Child Safe Organisation and has zero tolerance for child abuse. We believe children and young people have the right to be and feel safe and that their safety and wellbeing is the responsibility of everyone. #J-18808-Ljbffr