Chief of Planning and Insights

• Full time, permanent role
• Hybrid flexible working arrangements, attractive paid leave provisions and professional development support offered
• Applications closing: Monday, 04 May 2026, 12:00pm AEST

Agency overview

Infrastructure Australia (IA) is an independent statutory body within the Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sports and the Arts portfolio. 

The general functions of Infrastructure Australia are detailed in the Infrastructure Australia Act 2008. Our mandate establishes us as the Australian Government’s independent advisor on nationally significant infrastructure investment planning and project prioritisation. We provide independent analysis and high-quality advice to all levels of government on Australia’s infrastructure needs and priorities. We are a high-performing organisation with an engaged, collaborative and flexible culture, and we are held in high regard by our peers and stakeholders.

Primary purpose of the role 

In collaboration with the CEO and Executive Leadership Team, the Chief of Planning and Insights contributes to the development of Infrastructure Australia’s strategy and leads its translation into a functional strategy and forward work program for the Planning and Insights function, ensuring alignment to Infrastructure Australia’s commitments to the Accountable Authority and other stakeholders. 

The role leads Infrastructure Australia’s strategic insight capability, applying policy judgement and experience to ensure the organisation’s analysis and advice is focused on the most critical infrastructure challenges and opportunities.

The role supports the CEO and Infrastructure Australia Commissioners by translating evidence into clear, decision-ready insights that inform government policy, investment priorities and reform agendas, contributing to Infrastructure Australia’s statutory function as an independent advisor on nationally significant infrastructure.

Key Responsibilities: 

• Contribute to the development of Infrastructure Australia’s strategy and lead its translation into clear priorities and a forward work program for the Planning and Insights function.
• Lead the generation of high-quality insights that translate data and analysis into clear, decision-ready advice aligned to Infrastructure Australia’s strategic objectives and statutory role.
• Set priorities for Infrastructure Australia’s analytical and policy effort, ensuring resources are focused on areas of greatest strategic importance and potential impact.
• Integrate analysis and advice across Infrastructure Australia to deliver coherent, whole-of-organisation insights to government, the Commissioners and stakeholders.
• Provide strategic, evidence-based and insight-led advice to governments to inform infrastructure policy, reform options and investment decisions, drawing on IA’s ongoing assessment, planning and analytical functions.
• Ensure Infrastructure Australia’s advice is forward-looking, timely and responsive to emerging national infrastructure challenges and opportunities.
• Oversee the delivery of Infrastructure Australia’s legislated outputs, including the Infrastructure Audit, Infrastructure Plan, inquiries, annual budget statements and market capacity insights, as well as other related products, ensuring outputs are strategically aligned, relevant and influential.
• Build and maintain trusted relationships with senior stakeholders, using insight and judgement to inform policy thinking and decision-making across jurisdictions.
• Lead and develop a high-performing team, fostering a culture of collaboration, accountability and continuous improvement.

Essential Requirements:

• Tertiary qualifications in a relevant discipline and/or significant experience in leading major Infrastructure policy and reform initiatives.
• Demonstrated previous experience in infrastructure-focused policy, planning and/or insights roles, or in closely related environments.
• Demonstrated ability to lead a team of professionals providing specialist advice and managing significant research and review projects.
• Exemplary program leadership skills, including a demonstrated ability to oversee consistent delivery of quality outcomes within tight deadlines across multiple concurrent program streams.
• Deep understanding of policy and insights development and government decision-making processes.
• Proven ability to build and maintain trusted relationships with senior stakeholders, including ministers, government officials, industry and community representatives.
• Demonstrated strategic communications skills, including the ability to advocate policy positions publicly and negotiate outcomes with stakeholders who have potentially competing interests.
• Strong existing networks of contacts within the Australian Infrastructure Sector and various levels of government (especially the Commonwealth Government).
• Demonstrated ability to translate organisational goals into functional strategies and collaborate across functions to achieve shared strategic goals.
• Ability to role model Infrastructure Australia’s values of being purposeful, connected and dynamic, alongside professionalism in all personal conduct and dealings with staff, peers, leaders and external stakeholders.
• Experience leading organisational change and fostering high-performing, collaborative cultures.

Benefits of working at Infrastructure Australia:

• We are committed to supporting employee health and wellbeing and offer a range of initiatives including genuine hybrid and flexible working arrangements to help you balance your professional and personal life.
• Attractive leave provisions including 20 days paid annual leave, 15 days of paid Personal Leave, 18 weeks of Parental Leave for parents at full pay or 36 weeks at half pay (for eligible employees) and up to 3 additional days of paid leave when our offices close over the Christmas period.
• Professional Development support offered through extensive in-house training and external training/education support.
• We have a positive, collaborative, respectful, innovative and inclusive culture evidenced by staff surveys which show that our employees feel empowered, autonomous and proud to work here.
• At IA we foster a safe an inclusive workplace where every individual can participate, learn and develop and be their authentic self, regardless of age, cultural background, First Nations status, disability, ethnicity, gender identity, marital or family status, religious belief or sexual orientation.
• IA is currently in the second phase, “Innovate” of our Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP), in this stage we are implementing systemic change in our organisation to support the mission of reconciliation for First Nations people. We are passionate about change and making progress towards better outcomes for First Nations people.

How to apply

• Please reach out to Jacob Young at careers@infrastructureaustralia.gov.au for the position description and any queries
• Upload ONE document (Covering letter + Resume) via LinkedIn Job Post
• Closing Date: Monday, 04 May 2026, 12:00pm AEST

We welcome and encourage applications from diverse backgrounds, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, LGBTQI+, people with disability, people with caring responsibilities, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

To find out more about our current and upcoming Job opportunities follow us on LinkedIn #InfrastructureAustralia