Director of Planning and Building Services

Director of Planning and Building Services

The Corporation of the City of St. Catharines

 

St. Catharines is the largest city in Canada’s Niagara Region and the sixth largest urban area in Ontario. St. Catharines carries the official nickname ‘The Garden City’ and is located between

the Greater Toronto Area, Hamilton Area and the Fort Erie/Buffalo Border. With a population of 133,000 residents, the city is strategically located in the heart of the Niagara Peninsula and offers excellent access to the major markets of both Canada and the United States.

 

St. Catharines lies on one of the main telecommunications backbones between Canada and the

United States, and as a result, numerous call centers operate in the City. St. Catharines is a city that unites its vibrant future with its rich past, boasting over 1,000 acres of parkland and trails, including the scenic Welland Canal, encouraging residents to develop a healthy and active lifestyle. The City’s quality of life is enhanced by year-round events, cultural attractions, and a wealth of sporting opportunities for people of all ages.

 

Growth in Niagara and the City of St. Catharines

 

As the thriving commercial hub of the Niagara Region, our city has seen a flurry of economic

activity in recent years. Cranes have been a regular feature of our skyline, today they have been

superseded by impressive, state-of-the art public sector investments in infrastructure and arts and culture peaking at more than $1B serving as a catalyst for private sector investments that are driving the prosperity of our great city. Home to one of Canada’s newest hospitals, the city is

quickly becoming one of Ontario’s most promising urban growth centres and the location of your

next great career move. St. Catharines is enjoying an exciting period of economic renewal and

urban revitalization. Recent developments including the following have changed the face of our

community for generations to come:

 

  • $50 million investment in the Meridian Centre Arena and Entertainment Complex.
  • $60 million investment in the First Ontario Performing Arts Centre.
  • $42 million in the building of the downtown campus of the Brock University Marilyn I. Walker
  • School of Fine and Performing Arts.
  • $900 million investment in a new St. Catharines hospital.
  • $111 million for the Cairns Family Health and Bioscience Research Complex at Brock University.

 

A progressive and dedicated Mayor and Council have helped refocus attention on growing the

economy. City Council has developed a new Strategic Plan that will continue to build on these

investments to achieve our bold vision to be the most dynamic, innovative, sustainable and livable city in North America. This will be achieved through the following actions:

 

  • Updated Official Plan and comprehensive and aggressive zoning by-law that embraces the challenge to grow inwardly, targeting the downtown urban core for intensified growth;
  • Dynamic and tailored downtown master plan focused on attracting creative industries to the core
  • New secondary plans that address matters including heritage conservation, built form, public space, transportation (GO Train), and parking management
  • New Housing Action Plan that addresses the need for more affordable housing
  • Employment Land Needs assessment aimed at determining the future workforce of our community.

 

Many opportunities in St. Catharines have converged to create a development environment that is ready to respond and embrace a more vibrant, sustainable, compassionate and inclusive community.

 

To support and lead this growth, the City of St. Catharines requires a self-motivated, dynamic,

change agent that is also a strategic and collaborative leader with strong political acumen as our Director of Planning and Building Services. The successful candidate will possess exceptional

interpersonal and problem-solving skills, with the ability to support collaborative teams, as well as foster strong relationships with the Mayor, Council, Staff and all stakeholders within the

community.

 

Reporting directly to the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) and as a key member of the Senior

Management Team (SMT) the successful candidate will be responsible for designing the strategy and managing the administration of the Planning and Building Services Department including staffing, budgets and all key functions. You will be accountable for the department's line responsibilities of initiating and processing recommendations on all matters pertaining to growth, development and physical change of the City.

 

The successful candidate will have a Bachelor’s Degree in Planning, Architecture or Engineering, and ideally possess a Registered Professional Planner (RPP) designation. As well, you will have a minimum of 10 years of experience as a Senior Municipal/ Broader Public Sector Executive with extensive knowledge of planning, building and zoning.

 

You will also have sound knowledge of relevant legislation at the municipal, provincial and federal level including extensive knowledge of the Ontario Building Code.

 

The successful candidate will have exceptional communication skills, well-developed interpersonal skills and proven customer service skills that have earned them a reputation for developing and supporting a positive, accountable work culture, as well as building and leading strong teams.

 

It is anticipated the shortlisting of candidates for interviews will take place around the second week of August and interviews will be conducted in late August. If you are interested in exploring this further, and to request a complete Position Profile, please contact Kartik Kumar, Managing Director at Legacy Executive Search Partners at 416-271-4397 or kartik.kumar@lesp.ca. Deadline for applications is by August 3, 2018.

 

The City of St. Catharines is an equal opportunity employer committed to inclusive, barrier-free

recruitment and selection processes and work environments. We will accommodate the needs of applicants under the Ontario Human Rights Code and the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) throughout all stages of the recruitment and selection process. Please advise the Human Resources Division to ensure your accessibility needs are accommodated throughout this process.