Senior Planner (Community Planning)

The Role

Leads complex regional planning initiatives to establish, plan, and achieve the Region’s long-term vision for growth and development. Manages projects in a multi-stakeholder environment internal and external to the organization. Provides independent professional planning recommendations and expertise on complex studies, Planning Act applications, and Regional Official Plan (ROP) amendments. Fulfils Regional and Provincial approval authority responsibilities under the Planning Act.
 

Duties/Responsibilities

• Coordinates and synthesizes information from multiple disciplines; reviews, assesses, and provides independent professional recommendations on a wide range of complex planning projects, such as land use and policy planning, housing, source water protection, transportation, brownfield development, and environmental stewardship.
• Leads pre-submission advisory services to prospective development applicants/consultants including identifying conditions of approval, policy requirements, environmental considerations, and technical issues.
• Undertakes and manages comprehensive studies and research projects relating to the immediate and long term planning of the development of land, facilities, and services, including the study of demographic, socio-economic, physical, and environmental factors.
• Leads and manages the review of development applications in accordance with the Planning Act to assess conformity (e.g., Provincial plans, policies and legislation, Regional and area municipal official plans, and generally accepted planning policies and principles); identify knowledge gaps, errors, omissions and inconsistencies; determine feasibility and defensibility, and long- and short-term impacts; and ensure that Regional and Provincial interests will be satisfied. Identifies and documents submission inadequacies, defines additional studies required, and provides independent professional planning recommendation. 
• Prepares briefings advising senior management and elected officials on high profile planning related matters. Prepares reports for Committee and Council and attends Committee and Council meetings, making presentations as required.
• Leads the development review process to identify the Region’s interest and coordinates the circulation of applications, draft policies, and other planning documents to regional staff, external agencies (e.g., area municipalities, provincial ministries, conservation authority) and other appropriate stakeholders for comment. Analyses and synthesizes comments received, and prepares post-circulation reports; assists in drafting legal agreements; liaises with regional staff and appropriate stakeholders to identify and balance competing interests through negotiation or mediation; and coordinates clearance of conditions permitting granting of final approvals. Makes professional planning recommendations on development applications to the Commissioner, Council, area municipalities, and Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT). 
• Acts as an expert witness at OLT hearings and other proceedings to ensure the Region’s interests are represented. Works closely with Legal staff to prepare for hearings, including the preparation of witness statements, mediation, and settlement negotiations.
• Prepares for and conducts stakeholder consultation (e.g., public meetings, open houses, workshops) representing the Region. Incorporates key findings into ongoing work and future communications with Council and the public.
• Builds, maintains, and strengthens relationships with area municipal staff, the public, development community, and other stakeholders.
• Contributes as a regional liaison for area municipalities on initiatives, studies, and projects. Coordinates initiatives in partnership with area municipalities that harmonize planning policy and practice. 
• Acts as project manager for planning projects, including project design, work planning, resourcing, and evaluating projects. Prepares project work plans, policy documents, and background reports, terms of reference, and RFPs for consideration by management. Assists in the evaluation and selection of outside consultants/contractors, and acts as a liaison between consultants and regional staff on specific projects, including updates to Council.

Additional Duties/Responsibilities

• Represents the Division on committees, working groups, and advisory bodies to provide and receive planning-related feedback on interdepartmental and inter-municipal initiatives. Occasionally represents management at internal and external meetings. Provides staff support to advisory committees.
• Guides future growth and development in the Region by undertaking comprehensive reviews and updates to the ROP. Reviews provincial and area municipal planning policy initiatives and provides recommendations to Council. Prepares and recommends amendments to the ROP for consideration by Council. Develops and recommends policies and procedures for new programs, initiatives, and ongoing collaboration, and participates in the formulation and evaluation of planning policy, including providing input on recommendations to Committee and Council. 
• Creates and maintains files that become part of the public record and could be evidence at OLT hearings or other proceedings. Verifies collection of application fees per the in effect fee by-law. Ensures implementation of financing, capital, and legal conditions and requirements in approvals. 
• Administers budgets for projects and programs and writes grant proposals.
• Leads and manages the implementation and review of the brownfield financial incentive program in coordination with management, Finance / Legal, and area municipal staff, including determining eligibility, evaluation of cost estimates for remediation, administering and reviewing payments.
• Creates and maintains housing policies, plans, and strategies, and other affordable housing programs. Conducts research and analysis of the local housing environment to determine gaps and recommend policy, programming, and development. Administers planning-related housing programs. Assists to plan and organize housing events attended by staff and the public. 
• Carries out technical review of environmental planning reports. Coordinates and implements environmental stewardship initiatives related to matters such as regional forests, trails, and community environmental fund projects. Oversees development, approval, and implementation of operating and management plans for individual forests. Provides technical input on implementation of Regional Woodland Conservation By-law. 
• Performs related duties as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Knowledge of planning theory, research methods, and planning-related legislation, acquired through a Master’s degree or 4-year Bachelor’s degree in Planning or related discipline, plus 5 years of directly related experience. 
• Membership or eligibility for membership in the Canadian Institute of Planners/Ontario Professional Planners Institute as a Registered Professional Planner. 
• Knowledge of the Planning Act and other planning-related legislation, regulations, policy statements, and guidelines in a public sector environment, and the ROP. Knowledge of other related legislation (e.g., Clean Water Act, Housing Services Act), area municipal official plan policies, implementation guidelines, zoning by-laws, and procedures. 
• Critical thinking, problem solving, and analytical skills, using a balance of technical skill, creativity, and reasonability. 
• Ability to exercise political sensitivity and judgment consistent with professional standards. 
• Knowledge of statistical analysis techniques. 
• Ability to manage multi-stakeholder projects to successful completion, and plan and prioritize work in response to conflicting demands. 
• Communication, human relations, facilitation, negotiation, mediation, and conflict resolution skills to work effectively with stakeholders with competing interests (e.g., developers, engineers, lawyers, area municipalities, members of the public); deal with angry, emotional, and frustrated stakeholders on controversial decisions, and resolve actual and perceived issues; communicate effectively with all levels of staff, councillors, and the public; and participate as an effective team member.
• Ability to write concise, audience appropriate correspondence; prepare responses to legal inquiries (e.g., compliance requests); prepare formal reports/letters indicating Provincial and Regional planning policies and technical conditions for approval; convey issues and concepts effectively; make presentations and explain planning issues, information, and procedures in a manner appropriate for various audiences, and in OLT, Council, and Committee settings.
• Ability to read, interpret, synthesize, and apply complex technical policy, and legal information (e.g., reports, documents, records, file information, maps, plans, drawings).
• Computer skills using software such as MS Office, databases, GIS, and data management programs. 
• May be occasionally required to alter schedule to attend evening meetings.
• Ability to travel within Waterloo Region.
• Ability to support and demonstrate the Region’s values.