Executive General Manager, Customer, Operations & Place

Navigate the intersection of strategy, service design, place-making & community impact for high speed rail.

About the High Speed Rail Authority 

The Australian Government is planning a future high speed rail network to connect Brisbane, Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne and regional communities across the east coast of Australia. 

The High Speed Rail Authority (the Authority) is an independent corporate Commonwealth entity governed by an independent board, established to lead the development and delivery of high speed rail.

 High Speed Rail – Line 1 connects Newcastle to Sydney in around one hour on a dedicated high speed railway. From the Central Coast it will take around 30 minutes to get to Newcastle or to Sydney. With funding now committed to progress Line 1, HSRA are forming an executive team to develop and deliver this generational program.

High speed rail will contribute to key Australian Government priorities, including increased economic productivity, new housing options, regional economic and tourism development and contributing to net zero. 

About the role 

This role supports the Development phase of the high-speed rail project by leading project delivery technical design and planning approval. It enables successful delivery by effectively managing partnerships, procurement, and governance, ensuring alignment with strategic objectives and the achievement of outcomes on time, within budget, and to quality standards.

The role also provides technical leadership to develop high-quality designs, and the expertise required to execute this groundbreaking, mega infrastructure project

What you'll lead 

• Customer & Service Design - Own the development of product requirements and transport service planning, introducing innovative passenger features and overseeing patronage and revenue studies to ensure the network meets genuine customer demand from day one.

• National Network Planning - Lead the development of the National High Speed Rail Blueprint and drive engagement with all States and Territories to confirm corridor alignment between Brisbane and Melbourne, including statutory corridor preservation measures.

• Operations Readiness - Lead rail operations planning and network readiness evaluation, ensuring systems, staff, procedures and operational safety protocols are fully prepared for service commencement.

• Place, Precinct & Housing - Spearhead regional economic development initiatives, lead relationships with local councils and state governments on station precinct planning, and drive the NSW HSR Housing Plan to realise the project's transformative housing benefits.

• Property Acquisition - Oversee the large-scale identification, negotiation and acquisition of properties required for project delivery, ensuring consistent valuation, due diligence and alignment with program timelines.

About you 

You are a senior executive who thinks equally fluently about customers, communities and complex systems. You bring the rare ability to connect long-term strategic vision with the operational discipline needed to turn a once-in-a-generation infrastructure program into a world-class passenger experience.

• A proven leader in large-scale transport, infrastructure or service delivery, with a track record of designing and delivering customer-facing products and services that drive patronage, satisfaction and long-term value.

• Experienced in navigating complex, multi-jurisdictional stakeholder environments — with the political acuity to engage productively with state and territory governments, local councils and community organisations.

• A strategic thinker on place and urban development, with a genuine understanding of how major transport investment can unlock housing supply, regional economic growth and vibrant community precincts.

• Skilled in operational planning and readiness — able to build the systems, procedures and safety frameworks required to take a new railway from the development phase into safe, reliable live service.

• Commercially astute and delivery-focused, with experience managing large-scale property or land acquisition programs, including negotiation, due diligence and portfolio prioritisation at pace and scale.

Eligibility 

Employment with the Authority is subject to the conditions prescribed within the Public Service Act 1999. To be eligible, you must: 

• Be an Australian citizen & hold a degree or equivalent working experience. 

• Hold or be able to obtain a Baseline security clearance & satisfy a National Police check (mandatory pre-employment screening). 

Next Steps

Applications close on Thursday 28th May at 5pm AEST.

To apply, please submit your CV together with a suitability statement to our recruitment partners, Robert Walters, via email to HSRAExecutive@robertwalters.com.au

A full position description is available to download on www.robertwalters.com.au/hsra.html or via request at HSRAExecutive@robertwalters.com.au

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples are encouraged to apply.
To apply please click apply or call Jane Lowney on (07) 3032 2252 for a confidential discussion.