Planning Specialist

Start Date: TBD

12 months per year, 35 hours/week

Pay Band - $$32.24 to $$35.82 /hour

We offer eligible employees a comprehensive employee pension (OMERS) and benefit package upon start date, a commitment to ongoing learning, and an exceptional work environment.

The Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board (KPR) offers a world-class education for approximately 34,000 students in 87 schools. Spanning over 7,000 square kilometers, across diverse rural and urban communities in southeastern Ontario, KPR serves the Municipality of Clarington, Northumberland and Peterborough Counties, and City of Quinte West/Murray Ward.

The Board is situated on the traditional territory of the Michi Saagiig Anishinaabeg people, serving three vibrant First Nation communities which include Alderville First Nation, Curve Lake First Nation and Hiawatha First Nation. Today, this gathering place is home to many First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples and we acknowledge the contributions and accomplishments of all Indigenous people across Turtle Island, current and through history.

All positions in the Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board support the school’s priority of student achievement and the Boards mission to educate our students to excel in learning, to succeed in life and to enrich our communities. Employees demonstrate empathy and respect in all interactions, are committed to service excellence, and embrace change through innovation.

As part of our strategy to provide on-going support for our schools, the Board is now accepting resumes from qualified applicants for the full-time position of Planning Specialist .

The purpose of the Planning Specialist position is to support the Planning Services Department with school accommodation and enrolment planning, including assisting the Manager, Planning Services with student enrolment projections, site acquisition, school boundary adjustments, tracking of residential development, etc.

This position reports to the Manager, Planning Services.

Main Responsibilities:

Supports the development of the Board’s short-term and long-term accommodation plans, which may include, but is not limited to:

Develop and maintain summaries and reports on matters related to planning including capital requirements, accommodation reviews and enrolment.

Update and analyze data which supports the preparation of the short and long-term enrolment projections, and projection reporting to the Ministry of Education.

Support the annual review of the Board’s Long Term Accommodation Plan.

Prepares analysis, reports and presentations related to school accommodation and attendance area reviews.

Supports the Finance Department in the preparation of enrolment forecasts for budgetary and staffing purposes.

Works with the Planning GIS Technician to manage the annual review of portable classroom accommodation requirements.

Complete analysis and prepare information for the Ministry of Education’s Capital Priorities business case submissions.

Review of municipal official plans, secondary plans, and development applications (i.e., draft plan of subdivisions) to determine the impact on the Board’s facility requirements.

Review and comment on municipal planning applications (i.e., official plan and zoning by-law amendments, site plan applications, draft plan of subdivision).

Analyze student yield rates and phasing assumptions of new residential development applications to generate enrolment projections.Support the Planning GIS Technician in maintaining an up-to-date database of student yields from new residential development.

Develop and maintain summaries and reports for Planning Services, Senior Management, Ministry of Education, external partners, school communities and the public on matters related to accommodation planning.

Attend and present information related to Board planning matters at public meetings, municipal council meetings, Board meetings, etc.

Liaise with area municipalities, the counties of Peterborough and Northumberland, private consultants, and the coterminous school Boards.

Provide support, when required, to Facilities Services with site plan and building permit submission.

Mentor and support the Planning GIS Technician position:

Ensure regular updates made to boundary maps, school assignments, and information uploaded into the enrolment projection software (e.g., Baragar Systems),

In collaboration with the Planning GIS Technician, develop and maintain department databases,

Monitor workload and assist with priorities of Planning GIS Technician.

Respond to inquiries from the public, school communities, municipalities, and staff.

Maintain professional and technical knowledge through participation in ongoing development opportunities.

Assist in the development of policies and procedures to guide departmental activities in support of the achievement of KPRs strategic priorities.

Plan and support the development of individual team members to effectively achieve goals.

Provide team members with timely, appropriate feedback on performance.

Other duties as assigned.

Supervision:

Plans, monitors and assigns work for the Planning GIS Analyst.

Education & Experience:

Post-secondary degree in Planning, Geography, or related field.

Membership with one or more of the following is an asset, Ontario Professional Planners Institute (OPPI), Canadian Institute of Planners (CIP), and/or Ontario Association of School Board Officials (OASBO)

Minimum three to five years of related working experience.

A demonstrated commitment to ongoing education and learning in planning and school business operations.

Specialized Skills:

Knowledge of GIS applications.

Advanced level computer skills and experience in word processing, spreadsheets, databases, and other job-related software programs.

Excellent working knowledge of the Planning Act, Provincial Policy/Plans and municipal development processes.

A commitment to service excellence.

Contributes solutions to complex situations.

Effective coaching, mentoring, conflict resolution and relationship management skills.

Excellent research, analytical, problem solving and project management skills including timely delivery of results.

Superior written, presentation and verbal skills.

Valid driver’s license and use of own vehicle.

A police records check, with a Vulnerable Sector Search and Pardoned Sexual Offenders Database Search , dated within 6 months prior to the date of hire , is a requirement for employment with this Board. Please note that there have been reports that it has taken some candidates up to 6 weeks to obtain a police check. With that in mind, we strongly recommend that you go about obtaining this search at your earliest convenience.

KPRDSB is committed to a qualified workforce that is representative of the diversity of the people of Ontario and across the communities we serve. We welcome applications from candidates with diverse background and lived experiences as a member of a marginalized group, including but not limited to:

• First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples, and all other Indigenous peoples;

• members of groups that commonly experience discrimination due to race, ancestry, colour, religion and/or spiritual beliefs, or place of origin;

• persons with visible and/or invisible (physical and/or mental) disabilities;

• persons who identify as women; and

• persons of marginalized sexual orientations, gender identities, and gender expressions.

KPRDSB is committed to providing barrier-free and accessible employment practices in compliance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). Should you require accommodation through any stage of the recruitment process please make them known when contacted and we will work with you to meet your needs.

Only those selected for an interview will be contacted.