Senior Planner

Job Summary

Reporting to the Manager, Regional Development Review, the Senior Planner leads a team that manages and coordinates all aspects of the Region’s review of land use planning policy initiatives and development applications circulated by the local municipality. This entails circulating proposals to internal stakeholders, preparing comments, recommendations and conditions, clearing requirements and resolving issues and conflicts.  

The Senior Planner works closely with local municipal staff and internal staff, applicants and other stakeholders to ensure the Region provides a thorough and timely review on all matters and to support a streamlined approvals process.  
 

Duties & Responsibilities

•    Leads and manages the day-to-day activities of one of our four planning teams in the review of planning policy initiatives and development applications.  Each team is geographically focused on the planning policy and development application review from one of the four local municipalities in Halton. 

•     A further Senior Planner position is focused on the management of high profile/priority applications in particular along the 401/Steeles Corridor.  

•    Manages the overall team workload and ensures consistency in Regional comments and approach.   Responsible for the overall efficient and timely review of planning policy initiatives and development applications, resolution of issues and clearance of requirements and conditions by the RDR team.
•    Prepares staff reports/memos on complex planning matters for senior management and Regional Council.
•    Leads the end-to-end review and file management of planning policy initiatives and complex development applications.
•    Uses expertise in land use planning to advise internal groups such as infrastructure planning, capital projects and operations groups on the land development process; to assist in developing appropriate responses to planning policy initiatives and development applications; and, to assist in the co-ordination between capital projects and development applications
•    Coordinates, monitors and resolves conflicts and problems on Regional matters related to planning policy initiatives and development applications with internal departments and groups, local municipalities, applicants/owners, consultants, other agencies, the Province, and other stakeholders including the public. 
•    Supports the Manager-RDR, in implementing and administering key change initiatives to streamline reviews and use new technology to enhance the review process. Identifies opportunities for improvements to processes.
•    Responds to inquiries regarding the status of planning policy review and development applications from a broad range of stakeholders, including applicants, consultants, other Regional and approval agency staff, and from the general public. 
•    Ensures Regional interests are protected for matters appealed to the Ontario Land Tribunal.  May be required to provide expert evidence and planning opinion at the Ontario Land Tribunal and other tribunals or judicial bodies.
•    Coordinates and facilitates meetings with Regional staff, Local Municipal staff, and various stakeholders including the public (working meetings and public meetings, as required).
•    Is highly organized, detailed oriented, with strong critical thinking capabilities and solutions-based approaches. Possesses a general knowledge of the various technical disciplines that are often involved in planning policy initiatives and development review (e.g. transportation, servicing and related disciplines).

Skills & Qualifications

•    University Degree in urban and regional planning or a related field of study.
•    Minimum of seven (7) years of experience in land use (development review/policy) planning. 
•    Comprehensive knowledge of the Planning Act, Provincial Planning Statement (and precursors), Greenbelt Plan, Niagara Escarpment Plan, Parkway Belt West Plan, and their application to regional interests and local planning matters.
•    Experience in leading either a staff or project team, with preference to direct supervisory experience of staff.  
•    Excellent communication skills and computer literacy, ability to negotiate with internal and external stakeholders, and political acuity.
•    The ability to work in a fast-paced and supportive team environment. 
•    The ability to organize both self and team, critically analyze and interpret policies/plans/issues, and communicate effectively verbally, written and in graphic form. 
•    Membership or eligibility for membership in the Ontario Professional Planners Institute.
 

Working/ Employment Conditions

Working Conditions

• Travel will be required.   Incumbent must provide their own transportation and a copy of their driver's license prior to their first day of employment. 
• Flexibility to work outside of core business hours including evenings, weekends and holidays is required.
• Hybrid workplace:  The divisional requirement is for a minimum in-office attendance of two days per week, with supervisor positions in-office 50%.