Senior Manager, Business Services and Strategic Compliance

Main Purpose and Function

The Senior Manager, Business Services and Strategic Compliance role is a strategic cross-departmental position aimed at supporting common services across Permitting, Licensing, Inspections and Bylaw Services. The position aims to deliver operational efficiency and innovation by providing consistent shared services across all teams in DBL.

The Senior Manager, Business Services and Strategic Compliance also represents the General Manager, Development, Buildings and Licensing in complex business relationship matters and is responsible for facilitating cross-functional teams to achieve outcome-based results in collaboration with City departments, developers, landowners, community groups, and government agencies.

By ensuring issues resolution, negotiations, and implementation strategies are conducted in partnership with senior leaders in the DBL department and across the organization, the Senior Manager, Business Services and Strategic Compliance enables service delivery and innovation within DBL to support the achievement of the City's overall objectives.

Key Responsibilities

• Provides leadership and oversight for major DBL support services as a shared service group across the entire DBL Team.
• Provides direction, guidance, and advice on proposed regulatory approaches, strategies, and/or changes.
• Oversees the development of by-laws, policies, and practices to address enforcement matters as well as other work carried out by the branch.
• Serves as liaison for DBL business relationships and oversees stakeholder issues and complaints management with developers, landowners, government agencies, and other public and private sector organizations.
• Works with fellow SLT members to identify and implement operational efficiencies and innovative improvements in shared service areas.
• Provides recommendations to the Director, Departmental Corporate Services and Program Management, and contributes to DBL strategic planning process.
• Consults with Director, Departmental Corporate Services and Program Management to ensure all proposed projects, negotiations, agreements, and services are prioritized according to value to the organization.
• Supports the Director, Departmental Corporate Services and Program Management in monitoring the quality of operational service delivery via the delivery of a new quality assurance program.
• Collaborates with DBL senior leaders and managers of various City Operations areas to resolve issues, solve problems, gain consensus, and execute in service delivery.
• Ensures that the DBL Risk Management plan is regularly refreshed and that the high-priority items have clear risk mitigation and management plans.
• Develops and maintains a DBL business continuity plan that interfaces with other occupants as appropriate. Ensures that DBL processes are aligned with those of City Clerks, 3-1-1, and other departments as appropriate.
• Supports business improvement efforts to improve operational efficiencies, service effectiveness, and service excellence.
• Provides direction, coaching, and mentoring to the by-law compliance and administration team.
• Reviews reports and metrics aimed at measuring the effectiveness of service delivery.
• Prepares, develops, and analyzes statistical reports related to the effectiveness of by-law enforcement.
• Collaborates with other SLT members to develop payments and refund strategies and provide input to fee models.
• Ensures consistent and documented records management practices department-wide as the Departmental Records Officer (DRO).

Continuous Improvement and Quality Assurance

• Works with DBL senior leaders and process owners to explore new and innovative ways of delivering services and to identify and recommend changes to core business processes or service delivery methodologies which may have significant operational and financial implications.
• Leads or supports business improvement efforts to improve operational efficiencies, service effectiveness, and service excellence.
• Establishes and maintains a Quality Assurance Program.

Employee Engagement & Internal Communications

• Reviews and approves integrated DBL engagement strategies and annual communications plan to build a culture that fosters employee engagement and commitment and supports achievement of the DBL business objectives while complimenting the broader CoV Engagement plan. Ensure plans and results are communicated broadly to the DBL Senior Management Team.
• Partners with managers across DBL to assess engagement levels, capture employee feedback and suggestions, and supports managers to develop and implement specific employee engagement plans relevant to their particular operational context.
• Responsible for the implementation of communication programs, strategies, and initiatives for DBL.
• Provides advice to and support for senior leaders around key messages to strengthen internal communications.

Administrative Support Services

• Provides direction, coaching, and mentoring to the administrative team.
• Ensures effective coordination with DBL managers and City of Vancouver administrative policy and procedures, such as ensuring that recruitment and on-boarding are completed effectively and efficiently for all new employees.
• Reviews reports, presentations, and other materials for Council to ensure submission in a timely and effective manner.
• Reviews and updates DBL long-term office space plan and budgeting; oversees inter-office moves and space planning issues.
• Other duties/responsibilities as assigned.

Qualifications

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Commerce, or related field, and a minimum of seven years of experience in a management role and in an environment that balances public policy and business objectives or with local government issues; or an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.
• Experience in making recommendations within the broad corporate context taking into consideration interdependencies among policies and initiatives.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Thorough knowledge of the principles, practices, and tools of city planning in general, and a thorough understanding of the City of Vancouver's Zoning and Development By-laws, Guidelines, and Rezoning policies and processes.
• Knowledge of public policy practices, and local government issues.
• Knowledge in human resources practices, collective agreements, and goals of the City, with a specific focus on labour relations, recruitment, and leading and managing employees.
• Ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing, having experience in both internal and external communications issues.
• Ability in facilitating interest-based conflict resolution and influencing multiple stakeholders at senior levels within the City and the community.
• Ability to strategically address complex, multi-faceted business problems through data analysis, research, scenario modeling.
• Ability to prepare and deliver clear and concise reports on complex technical and policy issues, suitable to a variety of audiences from major community, business groups to City Council.
• Ability to exercise substantial discretion and deal with sensitive and confidential material in support of senior management, internal audit, and other sensitive areas of City business.
• Ability to act as a business advisor of senior management.
• Ability to work collaboratively and persuasively and to promote a supportive, respectful, and safe work environment.
• Ability to manage a changing workload, determine priorities, and meet goals in a timely manner.
• Ability to work effectively as a team member and promote productive and coordinated teams both within and between work groups.
• Ability to create a vision with clear expectations for staff and to provide the leadership necessary to set performance goals and coach employees to achieve desired results.
• Ability to plan, organize, and manage highly varied work staff and provide training where necessary.

Where operationally appropriate and subject to change, the City of Vancouver has a Flexible Work Program. This program allows staff to work remotely 1 – 4 days a week from locations that are a daily commutable distance from their work at a City worksite. At this time, this position is eligible to be part of the Flexible Work Program.