Associate Director, Regulatory Services

Date: 5 Jun 2026

Location: Adelaide, SA, AU, 5000

Company: City of Adelaide

• Oversee and drive the City Development and City Safety Programs
• Lead a team of 4 direct reports & a team of approx. 80 FTE
• Full time, 5-year fixed term opportunity.

About the Opportunity

This is a rare opportunity to lead one of the City of Adelaide's most diverse and impactful portfolios. As a trusted strategic partner to the Director City Community, you will play a key role in translating the Strategic Plan 2024-2028 into meaningful outcomes, providing leadership across the portfolio and ensuring priorities remain aligned with organisational objectives, political direction and community expectations. You will be a leader who can think strategically while remaining connected to the operational realities of the business, considering current operational contexts when shaping direction and priorities. Equally comfortable moving between big-picture planning and hands-on problem solving, you will bring strong attention to detail while leading a team of highly skilled professionals.

As the Associate Director, Regulatory Services, you will provide strategic leadership across a broad range of services that help shape how people live, work, invest in and experience our city. From development assessment and city planning through to community safety, environmental health, building compliance, permit management and parking services, your leadership will influence outcomes that are visible across Adelaide every day.

Leading a team of experienced professionals, you will be responsible for setting the strategic direction of the program, driving organisational performance and fostering a culture focused on customer experience, innovation and continuous improvement.

This is a role for a leader who can see both the bigger picture and the operational realities that sit beneath it. You'll identify emerging trends, challenges and opportunities across the city, translating insights into strategies, priorities and initiatives that support Council's strategic objectives while delivering meaningful outcomes for the community.

Working closely with senior leaders, Elected Members, government agencies, developers, businesses and community stakeholders, you will navigate complex and often competing interests to achieve balanced and sustainable outcomes. Whether guiding major development opportunities, overseeing regulatory compliance frameworks, enhancing public safety initiatives or improving customer experiences, you'll bring a collaborative and solutions-focused approach to leadership.

Success in this role will come from your ability to lead leaders, build high-performing teams and create an environment where people are empowered to deliver their best work. You'll combine strategic thinking with sound commercial and operational judgement, ensuring the program is well positioned to respond to changing community needs, legislative requirements and future city priorities.

If you're motivated by complexity, thrive in a highly visible leadership role and enjoy influencing outcomes that have a lasting impact on a capital city, this is an opportunity to make a genuine difference.

About You

To be successful in this role you will have:

• Proven ability to build positive relationships and consult, negotiate and communicate with all levels of management and staff, government agencies, stakeholders and the community, both verbally and in writing.
• Proven ability to provide effective leadership for a multi-disciplinary team which continually enhances human capacity.
• Proven understanding of regulatory services management processes associated with safety planning, environmental health and safety highly regarded.
• Proven understanding of current and emerging policy directions of the Australian and State governments in regulatory services, environmental health and safety.
• Highly developed project management skills which underpin the timely development of strategies, projects and programs and assist in cross functional collaboration.
• Proven ability to recognise and resolve conflict; manage the process of negotiation and mediation with industry, government agencies at a local, state and commonwealth level and other stakeholders.

Located in the geographic heart of Kaurna Country, the City of Adelaide celebrates its cultural heritage, unique natural surrounds and structures its footprint in a way that allows it to adapt to the changing needs of the community and a dynamic global landscape. Our focus is on our community’s wellbeing and quality of life - investing in city improvements and on future planning, so we continue to design a liveable city where future generations can continue to live authentic and meaningful lives. This is an exciting opportunity to join our team and be a bigger part of our amazing city!

The City Community Portfolio strives to deliver exceptional experiences for our community and customers, providing opportunities for creativity, recreation and wellbeing in a city that is safe, accessible and supportive of all our communities.

At the City of Adelaide, we thrive in an environment that is welcoming, inclusive and safe, and celebrates difference. We value and embrace our diverse perspectives and recognise the value diversity has in fuelling innovation and enabling brilliant experiences for our diverse community.

For Further Enquiries & How to Apply

All enquiries regarding this position will remain private and confidential and can be directed to Sahara Smith on 08 8203 7499.

Please submit a Resume and a Cover Letter expressing the skills, experience and qualities you can bring to this position addressed to Jo Podoliak, Director, City Community.

Please review the position description prior to submitting an application by following the prompts to apply.

Applications close at 11.59pm, 21 June 2026.

Please be advised this is a full-time, 5-year contract opportunity with a total remuneration package in the range of $215,000 - $225,000 per annum including superannuation. In addition to this, you will receive a car park and a professional development allowance.

As part of the recruitment process candidates will be required to undertake a National Police Check.

We continue to work hard to ensure our recruitment process is safe for people of diverse backgrounds.

Please note, applications received via the email address below will not be considered. We are committed to making reasonable adjustments to provide a positive, barrier-free recruitment process and supportive workplace. Our commitment to inclusivity means we welcome applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, people with disabilities, and candidates with a range of lived experiences. If you require assistance with our recruitment process, you are more than welcome to connect with our People Services team on (08) 8203 7333 ***email_hidden***