City of Vancouver

Requisition ID: 15239 

Company

The City of Vancouver is striving to become the greenest city in the world, and a city powered entirely by renewable energy before 2050. We are proud to be one of BC's Top Employers, Canada's Best Diversity Employers, and one of Canada's Greenest Employers. With employees that have helped Vancouver consistently rank as one of the world's most livable cities, the City values a diverse workforce which represents the vibrant community we so proudly serve.

Consider joining our committed team of staff and being part of an innovative, inclusive and rewarding workplace.

 

Main Purpose and Function

The City Design Studio is a multi-disciplinary urban design group within the Department of Planning, Urban Design and Sustainability that provides direction, guidance and support in the physical design of Vancouver’s built environments.

 

This is a complex professional urban design position that will be responsible for leading, contributing and working collaboratively on large scale, multi-disciplinary urban design projects from the area plan to the city scale. The successful applicant will contribute to: the development, analysis, visualization and evaluation of area plan options, and future city scenarios.  The role will coordinate, support, develop and implement urban design projects; plan and provide support to PDS programs; and consult with and advise other civic departments, external agencies, and proponents.  The position will lead built form and public realm studies and projects as well as on-going research and innovation related to the built environment.

 

The successful candidate will play a key role in advancing the work of the City Design Studio in developing and applying data analytic tools to assist in scenario modelling and evaluation of urban design alternatives across a holistic spectrum of indicators and metrics.   The position will lead and direct research and application of best practice regarding key indicators and metrics in collaboration with other city divisions and department s, as well as external experts and advisors.  The successful candidate will demonstrate exceptional ability to communicate and frame complex relationships between research, data driven analysis and urban design principles.  This role includes supervision of junior staff. 

  

Specific Duties and Responsibilities

• Conceptualize, develop, test and refine structure plan concepts, urban design approaches and city-wide systems plans, including exploration/testing of building and public realm/right-of-way typologies at an area level.
• Document and present complex urban design themes and analysis,  including: illustrative work, report writing, meeting facilitation, and presentations to other staff, management, Council and stakeholders
• Provide professional urban design input and advice for selected major projects and area plans, as well as expertise on special projects involving physical city-building issues or projects of particular public interest, including the Broadway Plan and the Vancouver Plan.
• Work collaboratively and in an integrated way with other members of the City Design Studio, the Vancouver Plan, the Planning, Urban Design and Sustainability Department, and other City Departments
• Advance development of resilient neighbourhood design performance metrics and indicators, working collaboratively with multiple City departments to incorporate current best practice related to  data-based design strategies, and developing and building partnerships to integrate with the research and work of external agencies such as UBC.
• Supervise professional, technical, and clerical staff engaged in the work
• Support and facilitate public consultations including community events, workshops and meetings (including weekday evenings and weekends)

 

Qualifications

Education

• A University graduate degree in Planning Urban Design, Architecture or Landscape Architecture
• Membership or eligibility for membership in the Planning Institute of British Columbia

 

Experience

• Extensive professional experience in urban design (minimum 5 years preferred) including experience in the private sector,  or an equivalent combination of University education and experience.
• Experience working in a design capacity, from concept through to detailed design, on a range of project scales.
• Experience integrating various layers of urban design (including built form, land use, open space, transportation and infrastructure) and working across scales from building typologies, to area plans, neighbourhood and city-wide analysis and evolution.
• Experience working with and developing urban design  data-driven analysis and scenario planning, creating and building decision making frameworks, criteria and performance metrics at the neighbourhood and city scale.
• Experience providing review, advice and comment on urban design and architecture proposals and applications desired.  

 

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Demonstrated design ability through a range of scales
• Demonstrated experience in conceptualizing, modeling, analyzing and visualizing urban design concepts
• Superior 3D modelling and data analytic skills particularly at the district scale.
• Strong graphic visualization and representation capabilities in a variety of mediums
• Considerable knowledge of public consultation, land use issues, site planning, urban design, transportation, and sustainable design practices is essential.
• Strong interpersonal, public engagement and communications skills while engaging with other planning staff and members of the community
• Considerable skill in collaborative decision making, negotiation, conflict resolution, and interest-based problem solving.
• Ability to lead and collaborate on project teams and be accountable for developing work plans and completing deliverables on time in a  high pressure environment.
• Ability to supervise staff assigned to various projects and direct the work of consultants engaged on planning projects
• Ability to develop planning policies, regulations and guidelines
• Ability to facilitate public consultation processes
• Ability to clearly communicate complex issues through Council reports and presentations, or comparable documentation and presentations.
• Full working knowledge of GIS, AutoCAD, Sketchup, and the Adobe Creative Suite is desirable.  Experience in Revit, Dynamo, Rhino and Grasshopper is an asset.

 

Business Unit/Department: Planning, Urban Design & Sustainability (1275) 

Affiliation: CUPE 15 Non Pks 

Employment Type: Temporary Full Time 

Position Start Date: January, 2020 

Position End Date: January, 2021 

Salary Information: Pay Grade GR-031: $48.78 to $57.7 per hour

 

Application Close: December 15, 2019

Please APPLY here: https://jobs.vancouver.ca/job/Vancouver-Urban-Designer-Planner-II-City-Design-Studio-Brit/613627900/?locale=en_US.

 

At the City of Vancouver, we are committed to recruiting a diverse workforce that represents the community we so proudly serve. We encourage applicants from diverse backgrounds, including Indigenous applicants, all genders, nationalities and persons with disabilities. 

We thank all applicants for their interest. However, only those selected for an interview will be contacted. Learn more about our commitment to diversity and inclusion.