Director of Planning and Development
City of Williams Lake
Come for the role as a valued member of the leadership team! And stay for the attractive mix of high-quality lifestyle and surrounding pristine wilderness playground that Williams Lake offers!
The City of Williams Lake is pleased to announce they are searching for a skilled Director of Planning and Development to join their dedicated team.
The City of Williams Lake
Williams Lake offers a unique combination of breathtaking natural scenery and urban living. A regional centre with all major amenities and an affordable range of residential opportunities from modern subdivisions and townhouses to large rural properties, Williams Lake is a great place to live, work, play, and raise a family.
Williams Lake has year-round opportunities for outdoor enthusiasts. In the winter, the Cariboo offers snowmobiling opportunities and excellent cross-country ski trails, as well as snowshoeing and ice fishing. We are also a short drive to excellent downhill ski hills. Williams Lake truly is the Shangri-La of mountain biking, boasting the largest bike park in British Columbia’s interior. The lake city is a great base for hiking, camping, four-wheeling, waterskiing, swimming, and sport fishing as well. Explore our many trails and take advantage of our beautiful parks, including the Nature Center and walking bridge at Scout Island. Our indoor recreation facilities are top-notch, and recent upgrades to the Cariboo Memorial Recreational Complex include a water slide and training lanes, as well as a lazy river and beautiful fitness centre, in addition to two ice rinks.
Williams Lake’s downtown core offers a wide variety of shopping, dining, and service opportunities. We have a vibrant arts community, music scene and theatre company, and are proud to host a variety of arts and culture activities throughout the year.
From the world-famous Williams Lake Stampede to weekly summer concerts and farmers markets to an impressive variety of recreation opportunities, Williams Lake offers excitement, relaxation, and a strong sense of community and belonging. We hope you will join us! Visit www.williamslake.ca for more information.
The Director of Planning and Development
Reporting to the Chief Administrative Officer you will provide administrative oversight for the department as well as leadership and guidance to your team members. Maintaining effective working relationships with the entire staff and leadership team at the City as well as Council is essential in this position.
You bring high quality professional standards and practices with your experience in planning and development. You also bring management experience to this position on the collaborative leadership team of the City. As a creative leader and strong communicator, you take responsibility for long-term planning, current planning, and community development. You will also manage the Development Services department (Planning, Engineering, and Business Licences) and the role acts as the Approving Officer for the City. You will have overall responsibility for the design and development of capital and other projects as well as ensure the updating, revision, and maintenance of all master files, plans and construction records of the department. You will ensure compliance by contractors and developers with all statutes and bylaws relating to building construction and alterations on all public or private projects within the City and with respect to the licensing of businesses, animal and parking control and responding to public complaints in an efficient and timely manner.
What Skills, Competencies and Experience Does the Director of Planning and Development Possess?
You are a solution focused and organized leader with the ability to manage a multi-function department. You bring a thorough knowledge of the principles and methods of community planning, and engineering administration as well as the ability to plan, organize and direct the activities of your team. You also bring an ability to plan, direct and integrate broad, comprehensive public works programs and activities.
You have the ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with politicians, senior staff, employees, other agencies and the public. You enjoy leading teams and can navigate the collective agreement rules consistently and fairly. You bring excellent interpersonal skills, presentation, facilitation, decision making, and general management skills. You have proven skills in problem resolution with public, employees and other agencies and have the ability to deal effectively with representatives of government, business, consultants, developers, the general public, City staff and Council members. You bring the ability to effectively prepare and present reports to Council.
You have a minimum of five years of progressive professional planning experience. You have a professional designation as a Registered Professional Planner in BC and a University Degree in Community/Regional Planning or related field supplemented by certificates or courses in one or more of the following areas: Local Government Management, Public Administration, Subdivision Approval, Urban Design, or GIS. A Master’s degree in planning would be an asset (or working towards one).
How do I apply?
If you possess a strong mentoring orientation, political acuity, and have an exceptional understanding of planning and development, we’d like to hear from you. This is a fantastic opportunity to serve the population, be engaged in meaningful work, and live in a spectacular community with abundant natural beauty, outdoor activities, and community services. The City of Williams Lake offers competitive compensation that is currently under review and will be adjusted to reflect 2022 rates. They offer the option of upward to a $10,000 relocation allowance as well as a $5,000 moving allowance. Exceptional benefits including a Health Spending Account are provided, as is a compressed work week, if desired. The City of Williams Lake is dedicated to the continuation of Professional Development and is supportive of Employee Wellness initiatives.
If this sounds like the position for you, we would love to hear from you. Please respond with a résumé and covering letter outlining why you are interested in this position to: hello@praxisrecruitment.ca no later than 4:00 pm on July 25, 2022.
Praxis Recruitment is a Recruitment Firm located on the Sunshine Coast (the traditional and unceded homelands of the shíshálh and Skwxwú7mesh Nations) in beautiful British Columbia. We provide exceptional customer service and operate with the highest level of respect to our clients and applicants.
