Assistant Planning Officer

Location: Parramatta CBD - 50% office attendance (hybrid)

Employment type: Temporary until June 2028

Salary: Clerk Grade 3/4, $87,199 to $95,482 p.a. plus employers’ contribution to superannuation and annual leave loading

Your role

The Assistant Planning Officer within the Planning and Assessment Team in Homes NSW works to deliver more social and affordable housing, end the cycle of homelessness, and deliver quality public housing to our 262,000 tenants across NSW. The role provides expert planning advice in order to make decisions on the development of Homes NSW assets in order to provide housing to current and future tenants.

The role will assist in providing strategic and statutory planning advice, review the impact of Government planning policies and housing policy initiatives on Homes NSW property portfolio, assist to manage consultants as required and assist in undertaking planning approvals and rezonings for the Housing Portfolio.

The role is required to work across the various work streams of the Planning and Assessment Team, including Strategic Portfolio Planning Team, SSDA and Rezoning Team, and the Planning Assessment Team, to assist in the achievement of team milestones and deliverables.

What you’ll do

• Assist in providing accurate and timely technical planning advice to internal and external stakeholders, housing providers, contractors, and consultants.
• Assist in preparing and/or reviewing planning assessment reports and packages to ensure they comply with planning legislative requirements, planning policies and Housing Portfolio requirements.
• Assist in the completion of planning and technical study reviews, assist in providing advice and planning solutions.
• Assist in providing advice and recommendations on the appropriateness of different approaches to managing planning risks across projects. This includes identifying planning risks and environmental impacts and compliance matters to ensure projects are delivered in line with expected Housing Portfolio objectives.
• Assist with planning and study reviews, providing advice and planning solutions, reviewing third party submissions and project manage consultants, contractors, and providers (as required) in relation to planning activities.
• Assist in state assessed planning proposals (rezonings) for Homes NSW precincts and other sites.
• Participate in workshops with Council and State Government working groups to better align local and state government plans and policies with Homes NSW portfolio objectives.
• Build and maintain effective working relationships with stakeholders (internal and external) and assist in providing planning outcomes to ensure the effective and efficient delivery of projects to meet briefs, timelines, and expectations in line with Government planning policies.

What we’re looking for

Essential requirements:

• Knowledge of relevant environmental and planning legislation and processes.
• Recently completed tertiary qualifications in urban/regional planning or related discipline.
• Current valid NSW driver’s licence
• The role may involve travel both locally and regionally, including overnight travel, as required by the business and/or directed.

Download the role description.

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To apply directly via the DCJ Careers site click here. Search for the job and click the ‘Apply now’ button.

We focus on hiring people who share our commitment and goals of inclusion, collaboration, adaptability, courage and integrity. If you meet the essential requirements and the role resonates with you, please apply – you do not need to meet every desired requirement for us to want to talk to you.

What We Offer

We offer a variety of benefits, including:

• A challenging and rewarding career
• Flexible, autonomous work environment
• Competitive pay and conditions
• Training and development opportunities to build and maintain capabilities
• Health & Wellbeing and Employee Assistance Programs.

While the Department of Communities and Justice offers a flexible or hybrid working arrangement, you will be required to attend our Parramatta office for our designated office days. Therefore to be considered for this role you would need to live in NSW or be relocating to NSW.  

Want more information?  Visit our website to see more information on Working for us.

We do work that really matters

Working for the Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ) provides lots of opportunities to make a real difference. We collaborate with other agencies and community partners, to improve lives and realise the potential of children, adults, families and communities. We're focused on breaking, rather than managing, disadvantage. It’s work that really matters.

Apply now and join Australia’s top public sector employer where we will support you and provide an exciting and flexible working environment!

Are you ready to join us?

Click apply, attach a cover letter (maximum 2 pages) outlining how you meet the requirements of the role as well as an up-to-date résumé (maximum 5 pages).

Applications close: Sunday 26 July 2026 at 11:59pm AEDT.

Got a question?

For more information about the role or what it’s like to work for DCJ, please contact the hiring manager Carolyn Howell on 0437 208 038 or via Carolyn.Howell@homes.nsw.gov.au

If you’ve got a question about applying or would benefit from an adjustment in the recruitment process to help you perform at your best (including an alternate method submission of the application), please call Rania El Boustani on 02 9354 1626 or via Rania.ElBoustani2@dcj.nsw.gov.au

Visit Recruitment adjustments on the DCJ website to learn more.

Inclusion and Diversity lies at the heart of how we recruit

We continue to hire great people with a wide variety of skills, experience and backgrounds. This includes people with disability, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People, women, people identifying as LGBTIQ+, culturally and linguistically diverse people, carers and other diversity groups.

To find out what DCJ are doing to build an inclusive and diverse workforce, visit Inclusion and diversity on the DCJ website.

Other Information

A talent pool may be created for future ongoing and temporary roles and is valid for a period of up to 18 months.

For more information visit Applying for DCJ jobs on the DCJ website.

Thank you for your interest in this role. We look forward to receiving your application.

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The Welcome Experience Thinking about moving to regional NSW? Get free, personalised support with housing, schools, jobs, and settling in. Learn more: www.nsw.gov.au/welcomeexperience 

The careers site currently promotes this service on the ‘Discover roles with DCJ in regional NSW’ page.