Manager, Planning

**Manager, Planning & Development Services**:
**Job Type**
Policy / Planning / Research

**Organization**
Sturgeon County

**Closing date**
**Jun 16, 2025**

**MANAGER, PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT SERVICES**

**THE OPPORTUNITY**
We have a fantastic opportunity for a Manager, Planning and Development Services to join an innovative and growing municipality. Reporting to the General Manager, Development & Economic Services, the Manager, Planning and Development Services provides professional leadership and management of the department, including its personnel, services (such as long-range and regional planning, current planning, development and safety codes), projects, plans, policies, and processes. The Manager serves as a key leader supporting the delivery of planning and development services within the community, helping to ensure resident and investor confidence and satisfaction with those services. The Manager also provides expert advice to senior Administration, Council, and the community, with a focus on risk mitigation and customer satisfaction. This position works closely with community, regional, and provincial stakeholders, other municipalities and governments, and various agencies to deliver services and advice that reflect best practices, legislative requirements, and local interests.

**THE ORGANIZATION**
Sturgeon County, a sprawling municipal district located north of Edmonton. It covers an expansive 2,146 square kilometers and serves a diverse population of 20,945 county residents. Sturgeon County is a vibrant municipality comprising farmland, world-class industrial development, and residential acreage developments.
Sturgeon County provides residents with a high standard of living and a wide range of services, including recreational programming, community events, protective and transportation services and utilities. It is the home of the Alberta Industrial Heartland, one of the world’s most attractive locations for chemical, petrochemical, oil, and gas investments. The county also hosts a rapidly growing regional airport and Canadian Forces Base Edmonton, contributing significantly to the area’s economic strength and community character.

**STURGEON COUNTY’S VISION**
Offering a rich tapestry of historical, cultural, and natural experiences, Sturgeon County is a municipality that honours its rural roots and cultivates desirable communities. Uniquely situated to provide world-class agricultural, energy, and business investment opportunities, the County prioritizes responsible stewardship and dreaming big.

**Direct Reports (4)**
- Financial & Administrative Coordinator
- Program Leads - Current Planning
- Program Leads - Development & Safety Codes
- Program Leads - Long Range and Regional Planning

**RESPONSIBILITIES**
**Leadership & Management (30%)**
- Act as a strategic advisor to other management and to leadership team to ensure that Council’s goals are met through effective land planning and development.
- Develops and reports on progress in relation to the annual departmental and corporate business plan, in alignment with Council’s Strategic Plan.
- Leads corporate initiatives, department projects, and strategic objectives by fostering engaged teams to successfully executive project deliverables, including championing a culture of collaboration and support to achieve high customer satisfaction.
- Provides leadership, vision, and direction to align with corporate strategies in order to maximize service delivery.
- Develops and manages operational plans and the longer-term direction for the function and activities of the department, as well as participates in the development of policies and standards, in accordance with the priorities of the organization. Sets annual and mid-term goals.
- Develops and prepares annual operating and capital budgets in accordance with the objectives and policies of Sturgeon County. Monitors and controls the expenditure of funds in accordance with the approved budgets.
- Undertakes process reviews, documents processes, and communicates processes with intent to achieve improved Operational Excellence. This includes:

- Customer service and customer experience assessment and improvements
- New or enhanced service delivery channels
- Process and policy development
- Best practice incorporation and environmental scanning
- Key performance indicators and measurement
- General service innovation opportunities
- Maintains effective public relations with public and presents a positive image.
- Ensures compliance with safety legislation and County Health and Safety Management System.
- Develops executive briefings, request for decisions, and presentations to leadership and Council.

**People Leadership (15%)**
- Acts as an internal role model for the desired organizational culture and provides direct leadership to department personnel.
- Creates an open, positive working environment to stimulate open discussion, which includes both in office, remote, or hybrid employees.
- Inv