Assistant Manager, Business Planning & Development (Placemaking)

[What the role is]

Assistant Manager, Business Planning & Development (Placemaking)

You will be part of SLA's Business Planning Department, responsible for transforming State land and properties into meaningful spaces that serve communities, driving placemaking initiatives across SLA's portfolio of State properties to drive vibrancy and enhance visitors’ experience, encourage partnerships and community participation.

You will work across the full placemaking lifecycle — from concept development and stakeholder engagement to programme execution and evaluation — collaborating with state property tenants, government agencies, community groups, and private partners.

[What you will be working on]

Placemaking & Programming

• Formulating policies and regulations to realise place-making and place management objectives
• Identify the gaps and opportunities for programming; Develop and implement placemaking initiatives and programmes for selected State properties and precincts.
• Engage and partner with public agencies, state property tenants and industry players to co-create ideas for placemaking through arts, culture, heritage, wellness, markets, workshops, pop-ups, community programmes and other creative uses.
• Research local and international placemaking trends and identify good practices and innovative concepts that can be adapted to SLA's properties.

• Develop a network of placemaking, creative and community partners that can contribute programmes and ideas across SLA properties.

Project & Activation Management

• Manage placemaking projects and activations from conceptualisation to implementation and post-event evaluation. Provide on-ground support during programmes and events, including outside normal working hours when required.
• Coordinate project schedules, budgets and operational requirements. Manage placemaking consultants, event organisers and other service providers.

Performance & Continuous Improvement

• Monitor placemaking deliverables by SLA’s tenants’ to ensure full compliance.
• Use appropriate indicators to evaluate placemaking outcomes for both SLA tenants’ efforts and SLA’s in-house programming , including footfall, participation, engagement, stakeholder feedback and repeat visitation, where applicable.
• Maintain an overview of placemaking programmes and commitments across the assigned portfolio.
• Prepare management reports and post-activation evaluations and recommend improvements to subsequent programmes.

[What we are looking for]

• Qualification in Urban Planning, Architecture, Landscape Architecture, Social Sciences, Arts Management, Real Estate or a related field
• Minimum 2 years experience in placemaking or organising events
• An interest in placemaking and the ability to think creatively about how spaces can be activated and experienced in meaningful ways.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multi-stakeholder projects with competing priorities
• Creative thinker with an eye for spatial quality and community relevance
• Experience with project and budget management
• A collaborative, ground-up mindset with the ability to work across public, private, and people sectors
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to work independently and collaborate effectively across teams and with diverse stakeholders.