City of Duncan

The City of Duncan invites applications from candidates with the proven skills, qualifications, and abilities for the full-time permanent position of City Planner.

Duncan is small, in a Big way.  Just five hundred metres off the Highway (about 60 kilometres north of Victoria) you'll find 300 shops and services in a few beautiful, walkable, compact downtown blocks lined with 40 world renowned totem poles.  Within minutes of downtown are 5 golf courses, 15 wineries, lake and ocean waterfront, world class trails, cultural amenities, and all forms of indoor recreation.  This compact city of 5,000 people aims to be one of the most livable small cities in Canada, proudly serving as the economic and cultural heart of the Cowichan Valley.  Located in the traditional territory of Cowichan Tribes, Duncan seeks to be welcoming, diverse, creative, environmentally sustainable, and resilient.

Position:

Reporting to the Manager of Planning, the City Planner is responsible for assisting in the delivery of all planning services and functions of the City, including community planning, development planning, and land use services. This is an exciting professional opportunity for an experienced, progressive, and talented City Planner to help guide the Duncan on its path to be a truly livable city.  This includes assisting with the ongoing Official Community Plan update as it nears completion, updates to the City’s zoning and development bylaws, and review of significant infill development proposals throughout the community.  The primary responsibilities of this position are as follows:

• Acting as a primary point of contact for initial enquiries about the City’s land use regulations and associated policies, development application requirements, and review of property files;
• Receiving and processing of all types of development applications and preparing reports for Council or staff consideration on applications and other planning initiatives;
• Assisting with research, policy development, community engagement, and regulatory implementation;
• Assisting with developing, reviewing, maintaining, and updating various City plans, strategies, bylaws, policies, website content, guidance materials and internal procedures;
• Preparing background information and visual communication tools for reports on various planning matters;
• Completing or assisting with the preparation of grant applications for City projects;
• Participating in development review team meetings, and other inter-departmental meetings; and
• Coordinating public hearings and other public meetings, including preparation of notices as required by applicable statutes, regulations, and bylaws.

Necessary skills and qualifications include:

• The ideal candidate will have a bachelor’s degree in a relevant city planning field (e.g. planning, urban design, geography) and at least four years of related work experience in city planning.  Preference will be given to candidates with local government experience.  Candidates with equivalent training and experience will be considered;
• A strong working knowledge of BC legislation, regulations, legal frameworks, and procedures that regulate planning, development, and subdivision;
• Membership, or eligibility for membership, in the Planning Institute of British Columbia; and
• Ability to exercise a high degree of independence and sound professional judgement, as well as active participation in a multi-disciplinary team environment.

A cover letter and complete resume of experience, qualifications, and three references will be accepted until 3:00 p.m. Monday, November 14, 2022 and should be submitted to the attention of Human Resources at HR@duncan.ca. Shortlisted candidates may be required to undergo testing to assess planning knowledge and abilities and provide samples of relevant work.

This is a permanent full time CUPE bargaining unit position with an hourly rate ranging from $42.23 to $47.44 (2022 rates), depending on the number of years of experience.  A detailed job description and required qualifications are available on the City of Duncan website (www.duncan.ca).
We thank all applicants, but only those being considered for testing or interviews will be contacted.