šŸ›£ļø The Road to Moree: Meet Kushal Jain šŸ›£ļø

Support OfficerA career in finance was always something Kushal Jain saw in his future. But with his inquisitive personality combined with his sense of adventure, Kushal longed for a role in finance that would truly allow him to understand the story behind the numbers. šŸ”¢
With seven job offers across Australia lined upā€”in Victoria, Queensland and Tasmaniaā€” Kushal was most intrigued about an opportunity to join Moree Plains Shire Council as a Project Accountant in Flood and Infrastructure Grants.
ā€œThe role stood out to me with Council because I could use my skills in finance while exploring a new area and growing my knowledge in project delivery and specialised servicesā€, said Kushal.
ā€œMy position at Council is a multifaceted role that has provided me with more opportunities than I ever would have thought of. This has included how to manage the operations of multi-million dollar projects like their development, how we secure them and how we deliver themā€, said Kushal.
Some of the projects Kushal has worked on include the Flood Recovery and Fixing Local Roads, which include the maintenance of the Shireā€™s bridges, curves and intersections. Heā€™s also involved with the Local Road and Community Infrastructure (LRCI) program that Council received $3.6 million received in the last financial year from the Australian Government for. The LRCI project is the gravel re-sheeting program for six of the Shireā€™s roads which span a total length of 32 kmsšŸ˜².
In the Engineering team, Kushal goes above and beyond his grant application responsibilities. Heā€™s teaching himself to understand more by learning about the full development process of roads; the different types of roads, gravel and sealing available and how to read geographic information system data.
Obsessed with ā€œall things roadsā€ at work, Kushal even reads books in his free time to learn more, like the eight-part manual Guide to Pavement Technology by transport agency Austroads.
Since joining Council, Kushal has also discovered a passion for regional living.
ā€œMoree has a lot to offer for everyone. Being a small town, I assumed there wouldnā€™t be a lot going on and that everything would be focused on agriculture but that isnā€™t the caseā€, said Kushal.
ā€œThere are four beautiful galleries, plenty of sports teams, fun events like Moree on a Plate, theatre companies and culture information centres. You can never get bored here.ā€ šŸ˜Š
Kushal has been volunteering with a number of community-focused groups since he was 14 years old and said Moree is a place full of fantastic volunteering opportunities where you can meet plenty of people.
ā€œIt feels like a home away from home living here šŸ . The warm community feel, similar weather, and the fact they grow cotton and wheat is the same as where I am from in India. Moving here is like reliving a sweet memoryā€, reminisced Kushal šŸ„°.

If you would like to join Kushal in the Flood Recovery team then check out the Support Officer ā€“ Engineering (Flood Recovery) position on our website šŸ‘‰https://www.mpsc.nsw.gov.au/want-a-job/positions-vacant#CV