Director of Planning & Growth Management

Position Details

• Location: The Blue Mountains
• Department: Planning & Growth Management
• Employment Type: Full-time
• Contract Type: Permanent
• Engagement Type: Permanent
• Work Location: On-Site
• Category: Planning & Development
• Subcategory: Development & Growth Management
• Job Level: Senior Manager

Located within the traditional land of the Anishnaabek, Haudenosaunee and Wendat-Wyandot-Wyandotte peoples, the Town of The Blue Mountains is a four-season community with stunning natural features, including the Niagara Escarpment, Beaver Valley and the Georgian Bay shoreline. Internationally recognized as a four-season tourism destination, The Blue Mountains offers a high-quality lifestyle that caters to families looking to build a solid foundation, adventurers looking to go off the beaten path and relaxation seekers taking in and experiencing the very best the area has to offer. The Town is looking for people with a shared commitment to building a sustainable community, as well as shared values of Accountability & Transparency, Leadership, Stewardship, Respect and Collaboration. Come gain a unique experience in the 2nd fastest growing municipality in Canada!

Position Summary

Reporting to the Chief Administrative Officer, the Director of Planning & Growth Management is a member of the Senior Management Team and Emergency Management Control Group. The Director provides strategic leadership and oversight for the Town's planning, growth management, engineering, and building services functions, ensuring alignment with the municipality's strategic priorities and long-term growth objectives. The Director is accountable for all activities within the Planning & Growth Management Department, including land use planning, engineering, growth-related infrastructure planning, development approvals, building services, and the integration of development requirements with municipal servicing strategies, infrastructure planning, and long-range capital planning. The Director ensures that growth and development are managed in a fiscally responsible, sustainable, and coordinated manner while maintaining delegated authorities provided by Council and compliance with applicable legislation.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

• Provide overall leadership, management, and representation of the Planning & Growth Management Department, ensuring alignment with the Town’s strategic priorities, growth objectives, and service delivery goals.
• Provide strategic planning and growth management advice to the CAO, Council, and Senior Management Team to support informed decision-making and corporate priorities.
• Contribute as an active member of the Senior Management Team, supporting corporate initiatives, program reviews, continuous improvement efforts, and cross-departmental collaboration.
• Lead and/or participate in corporate projects and strategic initiatives, ensuring alignment between growth management, infrastructure planning, and municipal priorities.
• Champion the Town’s mission, vision, and values, fostering a high-performing, customer-focused, and collaborative culture.
• Provide leadership, direction, and oversight to departmental staff, including workforce planning, performance management, training and development, succession planning, and employee engagement.
• Assess staffing requirements and recommend organizational design changes to support evolving departmental and corporate needs.
• Participate in recruitment and selection processes and authorize hiring recommendations in accordance with corporate policies.
• Foster a culture of accountability, innovation, collaboration, and continuous improvement while ensuring compliance with Occupational Health and Safety requirements and corporate policies.
• Oversee all planning, engineering, and building services functions, ensuring compliance with applicable legislation, municipal policies, and Council direction.
• Oversee the delivery of timely and coordinated engineering and planning comments, for matters such as official plan amendments, plans of subdivision, condominium applications, site plans, easements, and road allowance acquisitions to ensure sustainable and coordinated growth.
• Administer Development Agreements for subdivision, condominium, and site plan developments, including agreement preparation, construction drawing approvals, construction monitoring, security reductions, milestone certifications, and municipal assumption recommendations.
• Ensure long-term planning and coordination of land use planning, engineering and infrastructure planning functions, including oversight of technical studies, servicing reviews, growth forecasts, staff reports, development agreements, and planning initiatives that support sustainable community development.
• Provide strategic oversight and direction for growth-related infrastructure planning activities, ensuring development approvals are aligned with municipal servicing capacity, infrastructure priorities, and long-range planning objectives.
• Oversee the integration of engineering requirements into municipal capital planning, servicing strategies, infrastructure studies, asset management planning, and development charge initiatives.
• Ensure compliance with the Building Code Act, Ontario Building Code, applicable provincial legislation, regulations, and Town by-laws.
• Develop, maintain, and standardize departmental policies, procedures, service levels, and standards to support effective service delivery and sustainable growth.
• Lead the preparation, review, and implementation of annual operating and capital budgets, forecasts, and funding strategies.
• Monitor and administer approved departmental budgets, ensuring effective financial management, accountability, and reporting.
• Collaborate with the Director of Finance and Corporate Services/Treasurer to support sustainable growth planning, development forecasting, development charge planning, infrastructure funding strategies, and long-range financial planning associated with growth.
• Authorize expenditures and payments in accordance with corporate policies and delegated authority.
• Negotiate planning and development related agreements and conditions.