Director, Network and Land Use Planning

Responsibilities

Provides strategic leadership for long‑range transportation network and regional growth management/land use planning, major corridor and infrastructure studies, with a primary focus on shaping and advancing major transportation investments from concepts through business cases. Leads a multi‑disciplinary team to undertake strategic network planning and studies for investments on the Major Transit Network and Regional Road Network, including defining investment rationale, options, benefits, costs, risks and delivery considerations. Applies TransLink’s business case framework and structured decision framework to complex and high‑risk planning initiatives. Ensures a consistent, comprehensive, and evidence‑based approach to investment evaluation and land use integration, including supportive policy agreements that enable project outcomes and help shape future land use patterns to support transportation performance. Builds strong partnerships with First Nations, municipalities, provincial agencies, and other key partners, and represents TransLink at senior levels internally and externally.

Key Accountabilities

• Leads longer‑term (10‑30+ year) strategy for network and land use planning, major studies, and the transit‑oriented communities’ program, defining critical paths that integrate technical requirements, consultation processes, political considerations, and interdependent initiatives.
• Ensures planning and investment work is aligned to enterprise objectives through an integrated, cross‑divisional approach, while maintaining clear boundaries between major investment planning/business cases and ongoing service planning and system standards functions.
• Directs project scoping, options development, and business case preparation for major transportation investments, working collaboratively with other enterprise divisions and external partners, including First Nations, municipalities, Metro Vancouver, and the Ministry of Transportation and Transit.
• Provides expert advice to TransLink Board, Mayors’ Council, municipalities, Metro Vancouver Regional District on land use and growth decisions that will align with major transportation investment and advance transit‑oriented communities, consistent with the Regional Transportation Strategy and other policy guidance.
• Defines effective governance, decision‑making structures, analytical frameworks, and evaluation processes to support project planning and implementation.
• Provides strategic direction across assigned portfolios (long‑range network planning, major studies, TOC, and investment business cases), establishing clear objectives, roles, and decision points, and ensuring coordination with complementary enterprise functions to enable timely, coherent recommendations.
• Drives rigorous performance management by establishing, monitoring, and recalibrating targets for budgets, timelines, resource deployment, customer impact and risk mitigation, proactively adopting plans to address evolving business needs and challenges.
• Provides strategic guidance to senior leadership and project stakeholders, including delivering presentations to the Executive Team and Board, participating in committees, and maintaining continuous consultation.
• Assists the VP, Transportation Planning & Policy, in integrating strategic goals into operational plans, setting targets and metrics, and providing regular progress updates.
• Develops and manages critical relationships with key stakeholders, senior industry peers, and government officials, managing expectations and overseeing actions taken on complex and politically sensitive project issues.
• Leads cross‑functional matrix‑teams from multiple agencies and departments, coordinating resources and managing risks to achieve project milestones on schedule and within budget.
• Seeks to understand the lived experience and transportation needs of Metro Vancouver’s diverse residents and businesses, particularly equity‑deserving and marginalized groups, and applies these perspectives to initiatives.
• Provides leadership for reporting staff across all reporting areas, including selection, training, coaching, development, performance management and other people‑management practices.

Qualifications

Provides graduate degree (or commensurate experience) in planning, engineering or a related discipline. Minimum ten (10) years of progressive management experience in transportation or planning agencies, with a proven track record of leading complex projects.

Other Requirements

• Deep expertise in transportation, public policy, and urban planning, with specialized knowledge in transit, transportation infrastructure, and project development.
• Advanced business acumen, including strategic planning, policy development, organisation culture transformation, change management, and fostering innovation.
• Thorough understanding of TransLink’s vision, mission and values, long‑term and strategic priorities, with experience aligning organisational structure and processes to support these goals.
• Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to provide expert guidance, influence stakeholders, and lead high‑profile external engagements.
• Strong critical and integrated thinking skills, with a capacity for complex problem‑solving and decision‑making in dynamic environments.
• Commitment to reconciliation, equity, diversity and inclusion, with experience integrating these principles into transportation planning and team leadership.

Compensation and Benefits

The salary for this position ranges from $149,680 to $224,520 per annum, based on education, experience, skills and qualifications. Additional compensation includes extended health, dental, transit pass, enrollment in the Public Service Pension Plan and other benefits.

Equal Employment Opportunity

TransLink is committed to employment equity and building a diverse workforce, representative of the customers we serve and the many communities in the Metro Vancouver region. We welcome and encourage Indigenous applicants, people of colour, all genders, 2SLGBTQ+ and persons with disabilities to apply. Accommodations are available on request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the selection process.

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