Vancouver Fraser Port Authority

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Career Opportunity:  Strategic Planner

Want to work in an exciting environment with some of the most talented people in Canada?  Join our team and connect with your potential.

The Port of Vancouver is Canada’s largest and most diversified port, stretching along 360 kilometres of shoreline and waterways, bordering on 16 municipalities and intersecting with traditional territories and treaty lands of several Coast Salish First Nations. Annually $200 billion in goods with more than 170 world economies are traded through the port. The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority manages port lands at the Port of Vancouver, and leads the efficient and reliable movement of cargo and passengers.

Reporting to the Manager of Development, the Strategic Planner is responsible for the preparation of land use and development strategies and plans with an emphasis on the port’s major business sectors. The Strategic Planner evaluates terminal capacity in relation to anticipated demand, assessing when terminal expansion is required, identifying potential opportunities for such expansion, and preparing development concepts and scenarios for port properties. Related duties include research, strategy and policy development, stakeholder engagement, market analysis, preliminary financial analysis, consultant management, and preparation of reports and communication materials. The Strategic Planner is also responsible to lead internal multi-disciplinary teams in their review of a range of complex project proposals.   Specific duties will include:

• Undertake strategic planning and policy development initiatives related to the use and development of port properties.
• Undertake, or lead the preparation of, analysis of development alternatives and scenarios for port properties, including coordinating internal dialogue, consultant studies, liaison with potential tenants/applications, and making recommendations to management on study findings and preferred options to optimize the use of VFPA property.
• Facilitate port authority’s preliminary assessments of development proposals for port properties, including coordinating internal reviews, liaison with senior representatives of proponents, and drafting recommendations to management.
• Maintain an understanding of commodities handled at the port, the environmental, social, and economic implications associated with each commodity, their development implications, and their relative impacts on the port’s mandate.
• Monitor long-range commodity forecasts and compare with terminal capacities including proposed productivity improvements to assess future terminal capacity requirements to meet anticipated demand.
• Conduct research on related topics including industry trends with potential to impact demand at the port; development proposals and activity in competing markets; business sector trends and outlooks; and technologies and trends that support efficient utilization of port industrial lands.
• Prepare procurement documents, coordinate internal processes for the approval of budgets, and track budgets to ensure costs are controlled.
• Lead meetings with project proponents and draft agendas, meeting notes, follow-up correspondence.
• Liaise with terminal operators to maintain a database of current terminal capacities.
• Represent the port as liaison with industry, governments, and other stakeholders.
• Oversee the activities of professional consultants (e.g. planning, engineering, business strategy) to carry out technical work to inform preparation of development strategies.
• Prepare and deliver communication materials including presentations, briefing notes and reports in different forums to internal and external audiences.
• Assist in administering port authority’s Project and Environmental Review Process on an as-needed basis.

As the successful candidate, you have a university degree in planning, urban geography, engineering or business, along with a minimum of four years related experience in complex land and/or marine development projects including regulatory processes for development review and approvals. Previous experience working in a government, port authority, consulting firm or similar entity would be an asset.  Must have experience in preparing or coordinating the preparation of land development concepts, plans and strategies. Experience in stakeholder engagement, public consultation and the use of project management tools and processes will also be an asset. Strong technical writing skills and proficiency in the use of current office productivity software is required. This is an excellent opportunity for a business-oriented individual with outstanding interpersonal and communication skills. 

The port authority offers a competitive compensation and benefits package including an Earned Time Off program.

If we have accurately captured your profile above, please apply on-line by visiting http://www.portvancouver.com/careers/

Vancouver Fraser Port Authority is dedicated to employment equity and a workplace reflective of the diversity of our community.