Municipality of North Cowichan

The Municipality of North Cowichan (population 31,990) is located in the beautiful Cowichan Valley on Southern Vancouver Island, between Nanaimo and Victoria. Our communities of Chemainus, Crofton, Maple Bay and the South End are home to a multitude of artistic, cultural, and outdoor recreational activities. The Municipality provides a stable and varied work environment, competitive pay, and benefits.

We are inviting applications from candidates with the proven qualifications, skills and abilities for the position of Development Planner. The Municipality is seeking a forward-thinking, highly motivated and creative individual who is passionate about development planning to join our busy Planning and Building Department team.  If you are self-motivated, looking to take on a new challenge where you can make a difference, enjoy both responsibility and accountability with one of British Columbia’s most inclusive and environmentally conscious municipalities, we look forward to receiving your application! 

Reporting to the Manager of Development Planning, this is an exciting professional opportunity for an individual who has excellent oral and written communication skills, high-level public relations and customer service skills, and a practical problem-solving ability. The Development Planner should also be able to work well as a team and be able to build and maintain relationships with internal and external stakeholders. Other requirements include the ability to manage complex land use and development applications and to prepare planning reports with an attention to detail.

Primary responsibilities for this position will include reviewing and processing all types of land use and development applications, providing planning advice to developers, other members of the public and Municipal staff and committees, and responding to planning and development enquiries. The successful candidate may also be involved in other planning projects and initiatives on an as-needed basis. 

Required Skills, Qualifications and Abilities: 

1. A CIP-accredited degree in planning (urban, regional, community, natural resource/environmental) or a degree in a related discipline (e.g. geography, urban studies).
2. Membership or eligibility for membership in PIBC and CIP (candidate or full member).
3. Possession and maintenance of a valid Class 5 B.C. Driver's Licence; a satisfactory current driver's abstract will be required.
4. Experience required includes processing the full range of land use and development applications, including subdivisions, Agricultural Land Reserve proposals, temporary use permits, development permits, development variance permits and  OCP and zoning bylaw amendments.
5. An in-depth understanding of planning principles, practices and processes in British Columbia, including applicable planning legislation.
6. An ability to gather, interpret and compile complex planning, environmental, economic, engineering and design data in technical reports.

7. An ability to communicate in a clear, concise and considerate manner (e.g. emails and other correspondence to the public, committee and Council reports, reports to internal and external departments, answering enquiries, and presenting planning reports).

    

Experience in the use of GIS and other design and technical software will be considered an asset (e.g. ArcGIS, InDesign, Google Sketch-Up, and AutoCAD).

This is a unionized position (CUPE Local 358) and the collective agreement may be viewed on our website. 

Candidates being considered will be required to undergo a comprehensive evaluation of skills, qualifications, and abilities. The successful candidate will be required to undergo a police information check.