City of Coquitlam

PLANNER 1 (SOCIAL PLANNER) – COMMUNITY PLANNING

Regular Full Time

About Us

One of BC’s Top Employers, the City of Coquitlam offers meaningful career opportunities to make a difference within the local community.  As the sixth largest city in BC, we are home to more than 150,000 residents. Our diverse municipality is a great place to work as it continues to grow through innovative urban design, inspiring arts, culture and recreation programs, and state-of-the-art transportation systems. Our brand is built on managing our resources in a responsible and sustainable manner, while supporting a vibrant, growing regional urban centre.  We envision a bright future in Coquitlam that we hope includes you!

About You / What We Are Looking For

As part of the Community Planning team, you will work with a wide range of individuals, interdepartmental teams and organizations in helping to plan for and respond to shifts in a rapidly growing community. The position will support development, coordination and implementation of social planning policies, programs, events and projects. You will be responsible for the implementation of the City’s Childcare Partnership Strategy and how to achieve new childcare spaces throughout the city. You will undertake technical review and provide comment on development applications that involve childcare.  The position will also be responsible for supporting the Tri-Cities’ response to homelessness and work closely with other City departments engaged in supporting the unhoused.  You will also engage and work with other levels of government and their agencies, community service providers, faith-based organizations, non-profit housing providers and others who support the needs of vulnerable and at risk populations. As well, our successful candidate will be involved in the development of land use, zoning, design and related policies that respond to a wide range of community issues and are completed within tight timelines. The role also prepares bylaw amendments and Council reports and as such, requires a proven ability to assemble and draft correspondence for senior management and/or Council with minimal direction.

Minimum Qualifications

Ideally, you have 3 to 5 years’ progressive experience in the field, including experience within municipal government and have will have a broad range of planning experience (i.e. housing affordability, homelessness response, child care and other social issues).  You possess a University graduation (graduate degree preferable) in Community or Regional Planning, Urban Studies, or Community Development. 

Membership or eligibility for membership in the BC or Canadian Institute of Planners is required. 

Excellent verbal and written communication skills, the proven ability to work with a diverse group of stakeholders, and the ability to establish effective working relationships with other employees, consultants and the general public are keys to success of this position.

A valid Class 5 Driver’s License for BC is required.

Preferred Qualifications

Proven policy development and implementation experience in these fields will be considered an asset:

• Child care, housing and social issues policy development;
• Development planning;
• Official Community Plan and Neighbourhood Plan reviews;
• Working with community advisory committees; and
• Public participation and community engagement.

What We Offer:

This CUPE position has an hourly rate range of $50.12 - $59.22 per hour (2024 rates). The rate of pay is based on a variety of factors including qualifications, knowledge, experience and skills. 

You will have the chance to join a rapidly growing and diverse team dedicated to supporting the local community, and be able to engage in variety of learning and development opportunities. Additionally, there is an opportunity to participate in an earned day off program. This position is based in Coquitlam with some flexible, hybrid work options available. The City offers an attractive vacation and extended benefits package, including the ability to contribute to the Municipal Pension Plan.

Accessibility / Equal Opportunity Employer 

The City of Coquitlam is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer working towards enhancing equitable practices in our recruitment and retention processes. As an organization we are committed to creating an inclusive work environment to support our growing and diverse work force. To learn more about what equity, diversity, and inclusion means, and the City’s efforts in support of these principles, please visit coquitlam.ca/edi for more information.

If at any time during the application or recruitment process you require additional assistance or an accommodation, please contact our team for confidential support. Staff can also provide in-person support if required. 

Applicants under consideration may be required to undergo a police information check and vulnerable sector check (with no adverse reports). 

Good people make Coquitlam great, sign up for career alerts through our recruitment portal to stay up to date about opportunities within our team, or follow us on LinkedIn to learn more about how #YouCouldWorkHere too!

Please apply online at www.coquitlam.ca/careers by 11:55 pm on June 17, 2024.

We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.