Program Approvals, Environment & Heritage Senior Advisor

Perth Airport is Australia’s Western Hub connecting the people, businesses and communities of Western Australia with the rest of Australia and the world. Operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week throughout the year, Perth Airport plays a significant role in providing economic, social and cultural benefits to West Australians. 

Perth Airport is investing more than $5 billion in new infrastructure so we can support our airline partners to grow, offering more services to new destinations and an improved customer experience. 

Over the coming decade we will expand T1 International, and build new domestic terminal facilities, a parallel runway, two multi-storey carparks and our first airport hotel. This will deliver one airport for the people of Western Australia which will host all flight services in a central location giving passengers a seamless, world-class travel experience. 

The Perth Airport estate is spread over 2100 hectares and has developed a $1.5 billion portfolio of existing industrial premises and significant vacant land holdings. 

We service a truly diverse community and play an important role in strengthening cultural, family and social bonds while supporting business, tourism and leisure travel. 

About the role 

Perth Airport is seeking an experienced Program Approvals, Environment & Heritage Senior Advisor to join the integrated management team. In this role, you will sit at the intersection of planning, design and delivery, ensuring environmental and heritage commitments are embedded in the way projects are scoped, designed, procured and constructed. You will lead the day-to-day approvals pathway for your assigned program/area, translate legislative requirements into practical project controls, and provide clear, timely advice that enables delivery while meeting Perth Airport’s statutory obligations. 

Success in this role will be demonstrated through approvals delivered to schedule, project teams with a clear understanding of what ‘good’ looks like, and construction activities that consistently align with permit conditions and Perth Airport’s environmental and heritage standards, without unnecessary rework or delay. Your main responsibilities will include, but are not limited to, the following: 

• Own and progress project approvals from early planning through to construction close-out, coordinating inputs and managing timelines for submissions, assessments, conditions and reporting.
• Embed approvals, environment and heritage requirements into project documentation (e.g., design briefs/criteria, technical specifications, construction methodology, program and staging, tenders and contracts) so expectations are clear, auditable and deliverable.
• Provide technical leadership on legislative approvals and compliance obligations under the Airports Act 1996 and associated Regulations, the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act), and the Aboriginal Heritage Act 1972 (WA).
• Partner with engineering, construction, procurement, contracts, project controls and document control to ensure approvals requirements are understood, appropriately allocated, and reflected in governance and delivery processes.
• Support the efficient delivery of the Airport Master Plan by identifying compliance risks early, advising pragmatic mitigation strategies, and guiding project teams through regulatory decision points.
• Build constructive working relationships with regulators, consultants, contractors, tenants and internal stakeholders to achieve timely approvals outcomes and high-quality environmental and heritage performance.

About You 

You are a practical, delivery-minded approvals professional who enjoys partnering with project teams to find clear pathways through complex requirements. You bring sound judgement, communicate simply and confidently, and build trusted relationships that support timely approvals and strong environmental and heritage outcomes. 

To be successful in this role, you will have: 

• Bachelor’s degree in environmental science (or related discipline) with substantial relevant experience (typically 10+ years) in approvals, environmental management systems and construction compliance for major infrastructure.
• You’re an experienced approvals and compliance advisor for major infrastructure/construction, able to translate legislation into practical project requirements and influence outcomes across diverse stakeholders.
• Proven track record embedding environmental and heritage requirements into design, tender and contract documentation.
• Strong knowledge of approvals/reporting under the Airports Act 1996, EPBC Act and Aboriginal Heritage Act 1972 (WA).
• Ability to coordinate approvals submissions end-to-end, including managing consultants and quality-checking deliverables.
• Practical construction compliance experience (site support, inspections/audits, and clear advice on conditions and commitments).
• Confident communicator who can influence and challenge constructively to manage risk and keep delivery moving.

About Us 

We offer a dynamic and supportive team culture, a contemporary workplace with great facilities and a modern approach to work/life integration. Our competitive remuneration package comes with additional company benefits including free parking.

Grow your career with mentoring, development and project exposure. 

Perth Airport is an Equal Opportunities Employer. We are committed to building an equitable and diverse workforce representative of the community we serve. We encourage and welcome applications from all communities and backgrounds. 

Doing the right thing by the planet and future generations is important to us. At PAPL we place a strong emphasis on embedding sustainability throughout our business strategy and operations. We remain steadfast in our commitment to driving ESPG (Environmental, Social, People, Governance) performance across our value chain and areas that have material environmental and social impact. 

If this sounds like you, please get in touch.