Manager, Policy and Strategic Relations

**CreateTO**, established in January 2018, is a municipal government agency established to manage the City of Toronto’s real estate portfolio. CreateTO works collaboratively with City stakeholders, external partners and community members to create more livable, sustainable, and inclusive communities. The agency enables the City to adopt a strategic city-wide approach towards the delivery of real estate solutions to promote a balance of community and economic benefits.

The Client and Stakeholder Enablement (CSE) team at CreateTO works with individual divisions, agencies, and corporations (DACs) of the City of Toronto to establish and find solutions for their long-term real estate needs. The team aims to support DACs in enhancing their service delivery models and meeting Council directed policy priorities. This team works closely with the Portfolio and Asset Strategy team, the Development team, and the City’s Corporate Real Estate Management group to implement solutions.

**The Opportunity**

Reporting into the **Vice President, Client and Stakeholder Enablement**, this role provides oversight, coordination, and delivery of governance processes and corporate initiatives focused on delivering the mandate of CreateTO. This includes working in a highly collaborative, fast paced, action oriented corporate environment supporting senior leadership in delivering priority city building projects on behalf of the City of Toronto.

This role supports building external relationships with Councillor and City Staff to advance CreateTO’s mandate and the City’s centralized real estate model, including effectively tracking, monitoring, and program managing policy development, governance, and stakeholder engagement.

**Principal Functional Responsibilities**

Specifically, this position will be responsible for:

- **Monitoring Boards, Committees, and City Council** (i.e., forecast agenda items related to CreateTO and City real estate matters; regularly attend and closely monitor committee meetings as required; identify issues to be managed; liaise with the City Clerks Office and the Corporate Secretary of CreateTO on approval processes; summarize Council directions and support triage; support drafting of motions; etc.)
- **Stakeholder Relations** (i.e., actively builds relationships and collaborates with internal teams, City of Toronto staff, City Council, and other stakeholders; tracks requests, inquiries, and follow-ups such as briefing notes, presentations, and project reporting).
- **Support Policy and Processes to enable the City’s Real Estate Model** (i.e., input into City policy development; supports governance and coordination facilitation for programs and projects; identify and help address process issues in real estate service delivery and CreateTO’s services).

**Day to Day Duties**
- Builds a strong understanding of City governance and decision-making processes; the City-wide Real Estate Model; City priorities such as affordable housing; and leveraging relationships to help navigate projects forward.
- Develop relationships with City staff on agenda forecasts and support CreateTO’s senior leadership in planning and preparation of key files tracking to Council/Committee.
- Oversees and synthesizes research to inform decision-making and provide strategic advice.
- Informs policy and governance, identifies processes to be enhanced, implements initiatives as required.
- Supports the monitoring of City Council and Committees for CreateTO and real estate related items.
- Participates in project tracking for the organization to help ensure CreateTO delivers on its strategic priorities and Council-directed projects.
- Prepares and presents executive level reports, briefing notes, presentations, issues analyses, risk assessments and other materials on a wide range of matters (e.g., projects, programs and agency performance and corporate issues at both a strategic and operational level) for briefings, executive level meetings, CreateTO and Corporate Board meetings, meetings with external stakeholders, public communications and Toronto City Council.
- Liaises with City of Toronto, including elected and appointed officials, and external partners, including other levels of government, on key issues and areas of coordination.
- Builds and leverages relationships to influence decision-making and drive project outcomes.

**Position Profile And Qualifications**
- Post-secondary education, with a focus on business administration, public policy and administration, urban planning or equivalent combination of education and experience.
- 7 - 10 years of demonstrated experience in public sector strategy and policy with preference toward corporate real estate, urban planning, economic development, or public infrastructure delivery.
- Understanding of municipal public sector processes preferably the City of Toronto, structure and key contacts, and knowledge of City-wide services, governance and policies are considered strong