Community Planner

**New Westminster, British Columbia**:
**Number of Openings**: 1
**Hours per Week**: 35 hours per week.
**Employee Group**: CUPE, Local 387
**Location**: City Hall: 511 Royal Ave
**Competition #**: 410
**Additional Details**:
There has never been a more exciting time to be a community planner for the City of New Westminster. Planning policy decisions are at the confluence of complex issues that will shape the community for generations to come. The need for creative and innovative planning solutions has never been greater. New Westminster is facing multiple complex and inter-related crises, including homelessness, housing affordability, mental health, substance use and more recently, food insecurity. Equitable access to housing and community amenities for all is vital. In addition, New Westminster City Council proclaimed A Year of Truth and we are learning how to respect and honour the generations who came before us including those who have lived and cared for these lands from time immemorial. This is a challenging list for sure, but we absolutely believe that there are creative solutions and that we have the responsibility and ability to create a better community for the future. Council is also committed to tackling these issues head on with unprecedented growth in staffing the Planning Department.

You will be joining a team of committed and passionate professionals who care deeply about the community they serve; who thrive on variety and enjoy the challenge that comes with emergent and sometimes chaotic work. Working closely with a Senior Community Planner, you will be engaged in a variety of initiatives such as implementing the Crises Response Pilot Project and the Homelessness Action Strategy, developing a new Food Security Action Plan and Poverty Reduction Strategy, and preparing a new Child Care Needs Assessment and Strategy. Your responsibilities will include:

- Supporting formulation, modification and implementation of community policy, practices and regulations, and lead moderately complex policy projects, including:

- collecting and analyzing data;
- designing and facilitating community consultation;
- liaising with other City departments and stakeholders;
- drafting reports and making presentations to Council, City committees and community groups;
- writing planning and policy documents; and
- creating guides, web content and other related material.
- Liaising with internal and external contacts on matters related to your work on community planning.
- Helping to ensure all housing policy and processes are consistent with Council’s strategic priorities and the City’s overall objectives, including those related to community belonging, housing, climate action, equity, and reconciliation.

**If you have many of these attributes, we would like to hear from you**:

- Undergraduate degree in urban planning or a related discipline.
- Three years of related work experience in policy planning.
- Eligible for membership with the Canadian Institute of Planners.
- Ability to work independently with mínimal supervision and effectively as a team member.
- Knowledge of the principles, practices, techniques, methods, procedures, and legislation applicable to municipal planning.
- Experience in the timely development and implementation of effective community planning related policy (e.g. child care, food security, homelessness, poverty reduction and settlement).
- Ability to express ideas effectively verbally, visually, and in writing to various audiences.
- Understanding of best practices and tools applicable to the creation of community planning related policy for complex urban areas, including related to growth, climate action, and equity.
- Knowledge of fields related to planning, such as land use, urban design, social science, law, economics, and municipal finance.
- Strong interpersonal, communication, and conflict resolution skills.
- Political acumen as demonstrated by participating in Council or committee meetings.
- Strong organizational skills, proven ability to problem solve, and the ability to manage multiple tasks and deliver results.
- Cultural awareness of Indigenous and diverse communities.
- Experience in data collection, analysis, and reporting.
- Experience in public engagement and facilitation.
- Experience with online public engagement tools such as Bang the Table and social media software.
- Knowledge of the municipal development review process is an asset.
- Experience with Creative Cloud programs such as InDesign and Illustrator.

New Westminster is at the “sweet spot” when it comes to employer size - you will have the resources and team to support you along with the diversity and variety of work to be challenged and growing every day. We offer flexible remote work options, a compressed work week, and a fun and rewarding culture where staff take their work seriously but not themselves.

If this opportunity appeals to you and you possess many of the attributes and skills outlined