Principal Urban Planner
RPS
Date: 15 hours ago
City: Cairns, Queensland
Contract type: Full time
Sea Change. Career Growth. Diverse Projects.
Ready for a lifestyle upgrade without sacrificing your career? Join RPS in Cairns, where reef and rainforest meet professional excellence. We are seeking a Principal Town Planner to play a key role in delivering a wide-ranging portfolio of impactful projects - all while enjoying the relaxed pace and natural beauty of Far North Queensland.
This is a rare opportunity to combine complex planning work across multiple sectors with the unmatched lifestyle of tropical Queensland.
Why RPS Cairns?
As a Principal Planner, You Will Be Asked To
Located in Far North Queensland, Cairns offers a rare blend of vibrant city life, tight-knit community and stunning natural beauty. It is the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef and Wet Tropics Rainforest and offers a lifestyle unmatched in balance and beauty.
Lifestyle & Climate
What’s On Offer
RPS is a global team of consultants, planners, designers, and technical experts delivering solutions that matter. With over 5,600 people across 125 countries, we bring global insight and local knowledge to every project. In Cairns, our Place & Environment team is known for collaboration, versatility and making a meaningful impact in the communities we serve.
Apply Now
Ready for your next professional challenge in paradise?Apply now or get in touch with Henrietta Cheshire in The Talent Acquisition team for an informal conversation about the role and moving to Cairns. [email protected]
We welcome candidates from across Australia and offer relocation support to help you get started.
Our Approach
Our people live our purpose, deliver our promise, and demonstrate our behaviours every day. Our behaviours define who we are. Developed by our people, they underpin everything that we do. They create the memorable experiences we are known for and make RPS a great place to do great work.
Stronger together is one of our five core behaviours and it is key to building a collaborative workplace. We encourage everyone to bring their best and to support others to do the same. By sharing knowledge, challenging each other to think differently, and fostering an environment of trust and respect, our people can learn, grow and thrive – and share in our success.
Recruitment Agencies
We have a Preferred Supplier List of trusted partners to assist us when required and do not acknowledge any speculative CVs or unsolicited candidate introductions from agencies not on this list. Please refer to the careers page on our website if you require any further information.
Ready for a lifestyle upgrade without sacrificing your career? Join RPS in Cairns, where reef and rainforest meet professional excellence. We are seeking a Principal Town Planner to play a key role in delivering a wide-ranging portfolio of impactful projects - all while enjoying the relaxed pace and natural beauty of Far North Queensland.
This is a rare opportunity to combine complex planning work across multiple sectors with the unmatched lifestyle of tropical Queensland.
Why RPS Cairns?
- Relocation bonus to support your move north
- Enjoy a diverse project portfolio spanning infrastructure, environment, residential, tourism, defence and community planning
- Be part of a collaborative and experienced team
- Flexible hybrid work options in a supportive, people-first culture
- Opportunities for continuous learning, leadership development and advancement
As a Principal Planner, You Will Be Asked To
- Lead, manage and deliver multidisciplinary projects from inception to completion
- Build strong relationships with clients, stakeholders and community partners
- Provide high-quality planning advice and documentation that meets legislative requirements
- Contribute to business development and project bidding across all sectors
- Support and mentor junior planners and contribute to team capability across locations
- Collaborate closely with technical and environmental specialists within RPS
- Tertiary qualifications in Town Planning or equivalent
- 10 years of planning experience (statutory or strategic)
- Background in either government or private consulting - we value both
- Confident in client-facing roles, stakeholder engagement and project delivery
- Understanding of Queensland’s planning system
- Proven experience managing projects, budgets and risk
- Strong communication, mentoring and leadership skills
Located in Far North Queensland, Cairns offers a rare blend of vibrant city life, tight-knit community and stunning natural beauty. It is the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef and Wet Tropics Rainforest and offers a lifestyle unmatched in balance and beauty.
Lifestyle & Climate
- Tropical climate with warm winters and balmy summers
- Coastal living with beaches, rainforests and mountains just minutes away
- Strong work-life balance and short commutes
- Regional hub of 150,000+ with city amenities and small-town charm
- Excellent education, health care, dining, and cultural offerings
- Diverse, welcoming population with strong Indigenous heritage
- Strategic centre for tourism, infrastructure, environmental, and regional planning
- Active investment in regional growth and urban development
- Direct flights to major Australian cities and international destinations from Cairns International Airport
What’s On Offer
- Generous relocation packages to ease your move
- Competitive salary package with performance incentives
- Work on a diverse range of high-impact regional and state-significant projects
- Pathways for career growth in a global consultancy
- The tropical lifestyle of Cairns: weekends on the reef, rainforest adventures and no long commutes
RPS is a global team of consultants, planners, designers, and technical experts delivering solutions that matter. With over 5,600 people across 125 countries, we bring global insight and local knowledge to every project. In Cairns, our Place & Environment team is known for collaboration, versatility and making a meaningful impact in the communities we serve.
Apply Now
Ready for your next professional challenge in paradise?Apply now or get in touch with Henrietta Cheshire in The Talent Acquisition team for an informal conversation about the role and moving to Cairns. [email protected]
We welcome candidates from across Australia and offer relocation support to help you get started.
Our Approach
Our people live our purpose, deliver our promise, and demonstrate our behaviours every day. Our behaviours define who we are. Developed by our people, they underpin everything that we do. They create the memorable experiences we are known for and make RPS a great place to do great work.
Stronger together is one of our five core behaviours and it is key to building a collaborative workplace. We encourage everyone to bring their best and to support others to do the same. By sharing knowledge, challenging each other to think differently, and fostering an environment of trust and respect, our people can learn, grow and thrive – and share in our success.
Recruitment Agencies
We have a Preferred Supplier List of trusted partners to assist us when required and do not acknowledge any speculative CVs or unsolicited candidate introductions from agencies not on this list. Please refer to the careers page on our website if you require any further information.
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