Director Infrastructure

Cook Shire Council | Executive Contract | Cooktown, QLD
A Rare Executive Leadership Opportunity in Remote Regional Infrastructure

• Lead one of Queensland’s most complex infrastructure portfolios across Cape York
• Drive disciplined delivery across DRFA, water, roads and capital programs
• Lift leadership maturity, systems, safety and long-term asset planning

Cook Shire Council is seeking an experienced, grounded and people-centred Director Infrastructure to lead one of the most critical portfolios in the organisation.

Reporting directly to the Chief Executive Officer, this is a senior executive leadership role with responsibility for the full breadth of Council’s infrastructure services across a geographically vast, climatically challenging and highly regulated environment.

Cook Shire Council serves one of the largest and most diverse local government areas in Queensland, spanning approximately 106,000 km² across remote communities, townships and essential transport and service corridors. Infrastructure is central to Council’s role — underpinning disaster resilience, economic participation, essential services and community confidence.

The Directorate operates at significant scale and complexity, with an annual operating budget of approximately $85 million, often managing a $60 million+ DRFA program, following events, alongside a $7.5 million capital works program.

The portfolio includes:

• 2,934 km of roads, with more than 2,000 km unsealed
• 4 water treatment plants, including a committed $8 million Coen upgrade
• 3 sewerage treatment plants, with a fourth currently in design
• Waste infrastructure, including transfer stations and landfill
• 4 aerodromes, depots, fleet and heavy plant
• Significant parks, reserves and heritage-listed Botanic Gardens assets

This appointment comes at a time of renewal and uplift, where stronger planning discipline, project governance and leadership maturity are required to meet growing operational demands and long-term sustainability expectations.

What Success Will Look Like
In the first 12–18 months, success in this role will be reflected through strong executive presence, improved organisational confidence, and measurable uplift in infrastructure discipline and delivery performance.

You will have:

• Built strong credibility across operational and professional teams, lifting accountability and leadership standards.
• Introduced clearer infrastructure planning, prioritisation and governance frameworks to reduce reactive decision-making.
• Strengthened project and financial management discipline across both capital and operational programs.
• Improved DRFA compliance confidence and delivery efficiency through structured oversight and reporting.
• Established trusted working relationships with Councillors, funding bodies, regulators and delivery partners.
• Driven a visible shift toward more sustainable, planned infrastructure operations across the Shire.

Together, these outcomes will demonstrate an infrastructure function operating with greater control, consistency and strategic intent.

About You
You will bring senior leadership experience in local government or a similarly regulated, asset-intensive environment, with strong capability across infrastructure delivery, asset management, water and wastewater, capital works and disaster recovery programs.

You will also be a calm, resilient and practical executive leader — someone who can balance authority with approachability and deliver outcomes in a demanding, high-stakes regional setting.

Engineering or business qualifications, with RPEQ or equivalent, will be highly regarded.

Council-supported accommodation, generous leave and attractive executive benefits are available.

For further information, please review the Applicant Pack for this role.

How to Apply
Council has engaged Leading Roles to manage recruitment of this role. 
For a confidential conversation, please contact Mark Ogsten, Chief Executive of Leading Roles on 0407 674 412, or email mark.ogsten@leadingroles.com.au

Applications close: 5:00 pm AEST Friday 13 March 2026