Manager, Development Planning

GENERAL DESCRIPTION:

The Manager, Development Planning, leads a team responsible for urban and rural planning for the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo. This area undertakes projects that inform and guide our region’s growth, including the Municipal Development Plan, Area Structure Plans, Outline Plans, and Land Use Bylaw. The incumbent is responsible for establishing, implementing, and monitoring service standards and quality measures of community needs and demands, bylaws, statutory plans, and land development. The Manager, Development Planning, collaborates with leadership to support corporate strategic planning, long-term infrastructure investment, and the advancement of region wide priorities.

As a leader, the incumbent upholds the Municipality’s organizational values and is accountable for fostering a healthy, safe, respectful, and inclusive workplace. Leading by example, the Manager promotes the Municipality’s cultural competencies of personal accountability, continuous improvement, effective communication, collaboration, excellence in customer service, and support for common goals. Primary responsibilities of this position include:

Departmental Management: Assists the Director with overall program service delivery in alignment with the divisional Business Plan.  Directly involved in daily operations, budgeting, strategic planning, and leadership of all department initiatives, while ensuring legislation, industry standards, and best practices are followed. Oversees preparation and sign-off of departmental reports, ensuring quality control and alignment with corporate reporting standards and legislative requirements. Guides the preparation and implementation of statutory planning documents (e.g., MDP, ASPs, Land Use Bylaws), ensuring they reflect Council’s strategic goals and support sustainable community development. Presents planning and infrastructure reports to Council, boards, and committees, providing strategic advice, policy recommendations, and guidance on key initiatives.

Involved in the process of off-site levies and associated development securities. Acts as Subdivision and Development Authority, providing formal planning decisions and approvals, as required. Manages Subdivision and Development Appeal Board appeals process. Coordinates complex and critical development approvals.

Leadership: Provides strategic leadership and direction for land use planning, development services, and related infrastructure initiatives, ensuring alignment with Council’s vision, the Municipal Development Plan, and the Municipality’s strategic growth objectives. The incumbent takes a lead role in developing and actioning innovative and practical approaches to branch and department initiatives to ensure all employees are working proficiently and effectively in a productive environment. Recruits, trains, and mentors staff. Leads staff in the delivery of advice, recommendations, and decision support. The incumbent develops and monitors performance measures that will provide clear objectives and goals to increase staff skills and knowledge in functional areas and build service potential. Fosters a culture of continuous improvement, leading performance reviews, and implementing feedback mechanisms to enhance service delivery and champion a high-performance culture, providing mentorship, coaching, and leadership to staff while promoting professional growth and succession planning.

Customer Service: Works closely with internal and external stakeholders to ensure that municipal objectives are in alignment with community needs, effective, and communicated clearly. Advises on engagement methods, appropriate communication, and optimal approaches to better facilitate investment, development, and responsible growth. This includes improving customer service by reducing red tape and barriers to better facilitate responsible property improvement, investment, and development.