Manager, Development Planning

Overview

The City of New Westminster has earned a proud reputation for civic leadership, service delivery and outstanding employee relations. We offer our employees great work-life balance; competitive salaries and benefit plans (including pension); education and training opportunities; and challenging and rewarding work. As a central hub in the Metro Vancouver area, the City of New Westminster delivers a broad spectrum of urban services to over 92,000 residents. It is a city rich in history with a viable and thriving economy, a population representative of the diversity of the region, and is staffed by talented and dedicated employees who work together to achieve its strategic vision.

We are looking for a Manager of Development Planning to help lead the fast-paced, innovative, and evolving work of the Development Planning group within the Planning Division. Reporting to the Deputy Director of Planning, the Manager position is part of the Department’s leadership team and provides support and direction to the Development Planning group of the Planning division; oversees the review and processing of development applications; and assists with the delivery of policy, regulatory and procedural formulation of the division, and a number of strategic departmental and / or corporate initiatives.

The Manager works in partnership with the Deputy Director to provide clear vision and support to the Planning division as a whole and is accountable for achieving divisional outcomes and managing the processing of development applications aimed at facilitating the delivery of housing units, child care spaces, employment uses, institutional and key community services and amenities across a broad set of priorities related to Official Community Plans; Neighbourhood Plans; Housing Policy, Regulations, Targets and Reporting; Heritage Policy; Financing Growth; and, Affordable Housing Capital Projects. This position will be assigning, reviewing, supervising, and evaluating the work of professional staff, with a focus on the Development Planning group’s financial management and people.

The Development Planning Manager will

• Manages the operations of the Development Planning group, including development applications of all levels of complexity, and the formulation and implementation of policy, regulations, procedures, programs, initiatives, and strategic plans related to the work; directly manages development files of the highest complexity / political sensitivity.
• Aligns outcomes with City and Department objectives, the Department’s operating and capital budgets, and legislated requirements and authorities.
• Represents the Development Planning group to Council, inter-Departmental management teams, and to the local community.
• Participates in a wide range of Department, City, inter-jurisdictional, and community interest meetings or committees.
• Prepares reports and delivers presentations, making recommendations for appropriate action based on sound decision analysis.
• Oversees the group’s development planning functions; collaborates with departmental and inter-Departmental technical staff and management to seek input on programs, projects and issues to ensure alignment with the work of other City departments.
• Liaises with landowners, developers, consultants and other agents, to communicate City objectives, regulations, and policies.
• Leads and / or participates in departmental and inter-departmental initiatives related to the work; identifies, performs review and analysis, and makes recommendations on work of the highest complexity and sensitivity; and provides leadership and professional expertise to corporate initiatives related to or impacted by the work.
• Prepares and manages an annual work plan and budget to carry out related work of the Development Planning group, for input into the annual Departmental budgeting process.
• Reviews, prioritizes and assigns work as directed or requested; determining staffing and financial resources required.
• Manages a team of planners and other professional staff, including scheduling, assigning and reviewing work, coaching and developing, performance management, recruitment and retention activity, and other people management practices.
• Provides direction and advice to other City staff for areas relating to accountability and oversees the work of outside consultants.
• Responds to requests for information or concerns from members of the public and representatives of community groups.
• Performs related duties in keeping with the purpose and accountabilities of the job.
• Performs all aspects of the role consistent with the City’s principles on equity, diversity and inclusion.

Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills and Abilities for the position

What we offer

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