Director, Planning and Community Services

Lamont County is located less than 45 minutes east of Edmonton and is part of Alberta’s Industrial Heartland. With a population of approx. 4,000 and a service area of over 9,500 residents, we contribute to over 40 major industrial companies and investments of over $45B. The county is adjacent to Strathcona County & the City of Fort Saskatchewan, as well as many important municipalities in the region. Lamont County is a great place to work!

We are the Cradle of Ukrainian Settlement in Canada, including the honour of having the first Ukrainian settlers in Canada, and over 40 historical churches—the county is designated the Church Capital of North America.

Lamont County is seeking experienced and highly motivated individuals to join our team. We are looking for a Director of Planning and Community Services as part of the leadership team.

The Director is responsible for leadership of the Planning and Community Services department and participation as part of the Senior Administration Team (SAT), contributing to the development of Lamont County Council’s strategic direction and priorities and Business Plan Initiatives. The Director contributes towards organizational success while executing on Planning and Community Services commitments. The Director leads this team through an anticipated period of rapid growth.
 

JOB DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:  

• Advises and supports the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) and Council in strategic and business planning, budget development and financial analysis in the areas of economic development, land use/permitting and community services-based projects and services.  
• Recommends and executes appropriate long and short-term direction in alignment with strategy.
• Directs and provides coaching, mentoring, support and advice to up to seven (7) direct reporting staff.  
• Ensures the efficient use of resources to address community needs, by analyzing and synthesizing a broad range of qualitative and quantitative information.  
• Responsible for reviewing and recommending matters related to land use and providing professional planning advice and consultation to stakeholders.
• Directs, coordinates and plans appropriately for activities in areas of responsibility to achieve the annual strategic   outcomes and operational deliverables.
• Requires a good understanding of local government, provincial and local political climates, and the role and responsibilities of most County departments. This includes a comprehensive knowledge base of legislation directly affecting and related to a municipal organization.
• Communicates effectively with the investment/development community on a wide range of planning matters.
• Manages the Planning and Development department, performing day-to-day planning activities, such as subdivision authority, municipal planning commission, appeals, and all planning policy document reviews related to current, long term and regional planning.
• Prepares, recommends, monitors and controls the Planning and Development department’s budget and overview and direction for FCSS, CALC and Economic Development budgets.
• Reviews and recommends annual operating and capital budgets from a corporate perspective, ensuring responsible and appropriate use of municipal funds.  
• Community Services: provides oversight and strategic leadership for CALC and FCSS to aligning community needs with Lamont County’s vision to deliver effective programs to residents:  
• Planning and Development: oversees planning and development activities for the organization in the following service areas:
• Regional and long-range planning – develops and interprets long-term policy related to County changes and growth and leads inter-municipal planning initiatives.  
• Development Services – reviews and approves services in the areas of development and subdivision.
• Development Engineering – oversees consultants and internal staff addressing development infrastructure.
• Responsible for development compliance and land use bylaw enforcement.  
• Economic Development: focuses on growing a diverse employment base through investment attraction, business retention, and expansion activities.  
• Participates and provides advice to the CAO and County’s Board Member at meetings of the Alberta Industrial Heartland Association (AIHA).
• Also manages the Safety Codes contract and is responsible for the administration and enforcement of the Safety Codes Act on behalf of the County.
• Periodically undertakes the Acting CAO role in the absence of the CAO (when delegated).  
• Guides and manages consultants working on behalf of the County (as relevant).
• Periodic interaction with Alberta Ministries of Environment; Transportation and Municipal Affairs.
• Attends and participates in regional inter-municipal and inter-governmental meetings and support inter-municipal partnership initiatives and related agreements.
• Collaborates and coordinates with numerous internal departments and external organizations, consultants and legal counsel.  
• Develops and executes special projects and assignments, as directed.
• Supports department staff in the strategic planning of department goals and objectives; delegates responsibilities appropriately, and provides guidance and motivation to achieve outcomes.  
• Provide general project managing of engineering for infrastructure development or upgrades to such development, as needed.  
• Maintains courteous business-like relations with the public, contactors, Council and coworkers.
• Work is often subject to short deadlines with frequent interruptions, and must be performed in an objective and confidential manner.

QUALIFICATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS: 

• A minimum of 10 years’ leadership experience in a supervisory role with municipal planning functions, including management experience.
• Designation such as Certified Local Government Manager (CLGM), a recognized Land Use designation, or degree in commerce, planning, engineering, or related discipline.
• Must have a strong knowledge of the functional area of Planning and Development, Economic Development, and Community and Social Services such as Family and Community Support Services (FCSS), Community Adult Learning Council (CALC) and Libraries.  
• Must have the ability to deal effectively with elected officials and the public; and be sensitive to business/political and social-economic environments.  
• Must be a team player, able to work within and develop team environments and should be a strong decision maker.
• Self-motivated team player who enjoys working with the public, including public speaking skills and project management with the ability to maintain a high degree of professionalism and integrity.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications.  
• Physical job requirements may include occasional heavy lifting of 60 pounds, frequent squatting, bending, twisting, and climbing.  
• Exceptional communication skills (both written and verbal) for internal and external County communications.
• Global understanding of municipal government operations.