Manager, Community and Affordable Housing

Why Guelph

When you join the City of Guelph, you join a team of over 2000 employees who deliver services the community relies on every day. Together, we are bringing to life Guelph's vision of an inclusive, connected, and prosperous city where we look after each other and our environment. As a single tier municipality, we offer a variety of occupations and career specialities within our organization. Guided by the goals and objectives of the Future Guelph: Strategic Plan and committed to the Corporate Values of integrity, service, inclusion, wellness and learning, the candidate will aid in the achievement of the Community Vision for an inclusive, connected, prosperous city.

What we offer

- Paid vacation days, increasing with years of service
- Paid personal days
- Hybrid and flexible work arrangements
- Defined benefit pension plan with OMERS, including 100-per-cent employer matching
- Extended health and dental benefits, including Health Care Spending Account
- Employee and Family Assistance Program
- Parental leave top up program
- Learning and development opportunities including tuition assistance
- Employee recognition programs

Position Overview

Resumes are being accepted for a visionary leader to join our team as the Manager of Community and Affordable Housing. This is a unique opportunity to lead a newly established division dedicated to enhancing community and affordable housing initiatives. The successful candidate will play a crucial role in shaping the City's approach to affordable housing, working collaboratively with a diverse range of stakeholders, including government bodies and subject matter experts.

In this role, you will have the chance to leave a legacy by positively impacting the lives of Guelph's residents. Your efforts will directly contribute to creating safe, secure, and affordable housing options that meet the diverse needs of our community. By building and maintaining strategic alliances, coalitions, networks, and partnerships, you will help address the City's community and affordable housing requirements and improve the quality of life for countless individuals. Reporting to the General Manager of Strategic Initiatives and Intergovernmental Services, you will manage relationships and identify opportunities to enhance housing equity, security, and affordability.

Key duties and responsibilities

- Responsible for leading the City's 10-year Housing Affordability Strategy, including exploring new housing options within Guelph over the next decade.
- Ensuring strategic advancement of the City's Housing Accelerator Fund Action Plan to achieve the Housing Growth Supply targets for affordable units and other unit target commitments.
- Provide leadership, vision, and strategic direction for the Community and Affordable Housing division which drives and supports positive changes along the housing continuum.
- Manage capital projects and partnerships that include the development of community and affordable housing, potentially incorporating other mixed uses (recreation, community service hubs, retail, etc.), while managing risk on behalf of the City.
- Conduct complex multi-stakeholder negotiations and approve complex financial mechanisms (capital grants, fee waivers and exemptions, low-cost financing), leveraging funding from multiple sources with specific guidelines and program rules.
- Work in partnership with Wellington County, the City of Guelph's Consolidated Municipal Services Manager for Social Services, and other key stakeholders to increase housing supply and availability with a focus on affordable housing.
- Manage, evaluate, and improve corporate strategic programs, services, projects, partnerships, and relationships, including related action plans, policies, guidelines, systems, processes, and procedures related to community and affordable housing to enhance the City's ability to plan for and respond to the housing needs of the community.
- Work in partnership with the City's strategic property team and Planning and Building Services department to develop a land strategy that unlocks opportunities for community and affordable housing.
- Manage financial and human resources, including contracted services for the division.

Qualifications and requirements

- Experience related to the duties listed above, normally acquired through post-secondary education in Planning, Health or Human Services, Public Administration, Economic Development or closely related discipline, and considerable experience in affordable housing development. Candidates with an equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered.
- Demonstrated relationship building experience with public and private sector partners, community stakeholders and not for profit groups related to affordable housing development.
- Experience working in land development, not-for-profit housing, and other community development initiatives.
- Negotiation, collaboration and conflict resolution skills with the ability to analyse problems, identify alternatives and make recommendations.
- Highly developed analytical and business planning skills with a proven track record for long-term visioning and big picture thinking.
- Excellent interpersonal skills including the ability to effectively communicate with elected officials, government departments, all levels of management, staff and the public.
- Proven ability to lead and motivate high performing teams, clearly convey expectations and provide constructive feedback.
- Knowledge of policy frameworks, research methods and data analysis, consultation techniques and program planning and program evaluation models including the knowledge of best practices.
- An understanding of land use planning processes and experience with housing, housing targets, affordable housing policies and processes.
- Understanding of the role of Consolidated Municipal Service Managers in relation to housing in Ontario.
- Ability to work collaboratively as part of a larger multi-disciplinary, interdepartmental team and proven ability manage, coordinate and track diverse project-based teams.
- Excellent organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple assignments, set priorities, meet deadlines and budgets concurrently in a very demanding environment.
- Extensive computer experience in a Windows environment utilizing MS Office software.

Hours of Work: 35 hours per week

Pay/Salary: Non-union Grade: 8: $117,673.92 - $147,092.40

How to apply

Qualified applicants are invited to apply using our online application system by March 16, 2025. Please note all applicants must complete the online questionnaire specific to this position at the time they submit their resume and cover letter in order to be considered.

Please visit the job posting listed on our City of Guelph careers page and click on the "Apply for this job" button. Instructions will follow.

The City of Guelph is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive workplace where employees feel welcome, valued and engaged. Our employment policies strictly prohibit all forms of discrimination on any of the grounds in relevant laws. All employment practices are solely based on individual merit, qualifications, and organization's needs at the time. In keeping with the Ontario Human Rights Code and the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, we are committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodation for qualified individuals in our job application procedures. If you need an accommodation in order to participate in the hiring process, you may contact us to make your needs known in advance.

Personal information collected through the recruitment process will be used solely to determine eligibility for employment. We thank all candidates in advance; however, only those being considered for an interview will be contacted.

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