City of New Westminster

DEPARTMENT: Climate Action, Planning and Development

STATUS: Full Time

NO. OF POSITIONS: One

UNION: CUPE, Local 387

HOURS OF WORK: 35 hours per week 

SALARY: $50.13 to $59.23 per hour (2024 rates) plus benefits

There has never been a more exciting time to be a housing planner for the City of New Westminster. Urban planning and housing policy decisions are at the confluence of complex issues that will shape the community for generations to come. The need for creative and innovative housing solutions has never been greater. As a compact urban city, implementing housing policy and facilitating redevelopment comes with added opportunities and challenges. Equitable access to housing and community amenities for all is vital. Housing policy decisions need to evolve to support the development of a resilient and adaptive community. 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. 

If you are hired, 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 Housing Planner, you will implement new Provincial Housing Legislation, such as the Small Scale Multi-Unit Housing Program. Your responsibilities will include:

• Supporting, formulating, modifying, and implementing housing policy, practices, and regulations at all levels of complexity, including:
  • collecting and analyzing data
  • designing and facilitating community consultation
  • liaising with other City departments and stakeholders
  • drafting reports and making presentations to community groups, City committees and Council
  • writing policy documents
  • creating guides, web content and other related material.
• Liaising with internal and external contacts on matters related to your work on housing 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 housing, community planning, economic development, 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 minimal 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 housing or other related policy including land use and financial growth policies.
• Ability to express ideas effectively verbally, visually, and in writing to various audiences.
• Understanding of best practices and tools applicable to the creation of housing policy for complex urban areas, including considerations for 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.
• Knowledge of the municipal development review process.
• 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.
• 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 a team to support you along with the diversity and variety of work to be challenged and growing every day. We offer 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, we would love to hear from you!  Submit your cover letter and resume in one PDF document. 

Apply by sending your cover letter and resume in one document at www.newwestcity.ca/employment.

Applications for this exciting opportunity will be open until March 14, 2024.

To support a workforce that reflects the diversity of our community; women, Indigenous Peoples, racialized individuals, persons of diverse sexual orientation, gender identity or expression (LGBTQ2S+), persons with disabilities, and others who may contribute to diversity of our workforce, are encouraged to express their interest.

New Westminster is on the unceded and unsurrendered land of the Halq'eméylem-speaking peoples.  It is acknowledged by the City that colonialism has made invisible their histories and connections to the land. We are learning and building relationships with the people whose lands we are on.

We thank all applicants for their interest and advise that only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

 This position is only open to those legally entitled to work in Canada.