Principal Planner

**Our Story**:
Committed to fostering opportunities for current and future generations, the Region of Waterloo is an inclusive, thriving and sustainable region of connected rural and urban communities with global reach. Our mission is to serve, engage and inspire, by delivering quality services to a diverse population of 630,000+, while creating a healthy, collaborative environment of learning, respect and innovation.

This is a place where employees are valued and recognized for their talents and contributions to our success. Our employees take pride in making a difference in people's lives through the work that we do. We are looking for people like you to help make it happen.

**The Role**:
**Duties & Responsibilities**:

- Performs professional work on a range of complex projects related to housing, land use, and policy planning.
- Creates and maintains housing policies, plans, and strategies as well as other affordable housing programs. Conducts research and analysis of the local housing environment to determine gaps and recommend policy, programming, and development. Administers planning related housing programs. Assists to plan and organize housing events and public consultations attended by staff and the public.
- Implements, monitors, and reports on the progress of the Affordable Housing Strategy, and Community Action Plan for Housing.
- Provides pre-submission advisory services to prospective development applicants/consultants related to housing (e.g., conditions of approval, policy requirements, technical issues).
- and short-term impacts; and ensure that Regional and Provincial interests will be satisfied. Identifies and documents submission inadequacies, defines additional studies required, and determines/recommends conditions of approval or refusal.
- Circulates draft plans and policies, and other planning documents to Regional staff, external agencies (e.g., area municipalities, provincial ministries, other stakeholders) for comment. Analyses and synthesizes comments received, and prepares post-circulation reports; assists in drafting revisions to plans and policies; liaises with Regional staff and stakeholders to identify and balance competing interests.
- Participates in OMB hearings and other proceedings as an expert witness for the Region. Prepares, coordinates and provides evidence-in-chief in advance of same.
- Prepares for and conducts stakeholder consultation (e.g., public meetings, open houses, workshops), representing the Region. Builds and maintains relationships with area municipal staff, the public, development community, housing providers, and other stakeholders.
- Acts as a Regional liaison for area municipalities on initiatives, studies, and projects. Coordinates initiatives in partnership with area municipalities that harmonize planning practice, policy and strategies.
- Collaborates in project management, including project design, work planning, resourcing, and evaluations. Prepares project work plans, policy documents, background reports, terms of reference, and RFPs related to same for consideration by management. Assists in the evaluation and selection of consultants/contractors, and acts as a liaison between consultants and Regional staff on specific projects, including updates to Council.
- Represents the division on committees, working groups, and advisory bodies to provide and receive planning-related feedback on interdepartmental and inter-municipal initiatives. Occasionally represents management at internal and external meetings.
- Undertakes comprehensive reviews and updates to the Community Action Plan for Housing and Affordable Housing Strategy. Participates in comprehensive reviews and updates of the Regional Official Plan. Reviews Provincial and area municipal planning policy initiatives and provides recommendations to Council. Prepares and recommends updates and amendments to the Community Action Plan for Housing and Affordable Housing Strategy for consideration of Council. Develops and recommends policies and procedures for new programs, initiatives, and ongoing collaboration, and participates in the formulation and evaluation of planning policy, including providing input on recommendations to Committee and Council.
- Performs related duties as assigned

**Knowledge, Skills & Abilities Required**:

- Knowledge of planning theory, research methods, and planning-related legislation, acquired through a 4-year Bachelor’s degree in Planning or related discipline, plus 3 years of directly related experience.
- Membership or eligibility for membership in the Canadian Institute of Planners/Ontario Professional Planners Institute as a Registered Professional Planner.
- Knowledge of the Planning Act, Housing Services Act, Residential Tenancies Act, and other related legislation, regulations, policy statements, and guidelines in a public sector environment, and the Regional Official Plan, Affordable Housing Strategy, and Community Action Plan for Housing. Knowledge of