Development Expeditor (Build Waterloo Region)

Job Number: 5038
Job Type: Temporary Full-Time
Vacancy Reason: Backfill
Temp Contract Length: 12 Months
Location: 150 Frederick St - Regional Admin Headquarters
Job Category: Administration
Number of Positions: 1
Department: Land Portfolio
Division: Planning, Development and Legislative Services
Hours of Work: 35
Work Schedule: Mon-Fri, 8:30 AM-4:30 PM, hybrid: 3 days in-office / 2 days remote
Grade: Management/Management Support Grade 09
Salary Range: $126,763.00 - $158,449.20 annually

About Us!

The Region of Waterloo is a thriving, diverse community committed to fostering opportunities for current and future generations. Waterloo Region is part of the Dish with One Spoon wampum, a treaty guiding our commitment to:

• Taking only what we need
• Leaving some for others
• Keeping the dish clean

This agreement underpins our vision, mission, and core value, and reinforces our dedication to meaningful reconciliation and equity.

Waterloo Region is home to over 674,000 residents and expected to grow to nearly one million by 2051. Guided by our 2023-2027 Strategic Plan, “Growing with Care,” we prioritize homes for all, climate aligned growth, equitable services and opportunities and a resilient and future ready organization. Our mission is to provide essential services that enhance the quality of life for all residents, while our core value emphasizes caring for people and the land we share. Join us and be part of a team dedicated to making a meaningful difference in our community.

The Role

Plans, designs, and manages large-scale, high-profile, politically sensitive projects consisting of affordable housing and commercial, institutional, and industrial land uses. Plans and leads strategic land development initiatives of the land readiness portfolio from inception to fruition while collaborating with senior government officials, municipalities, land developers, not-for-profits, and companies looking to invest in Waterloo Region.

Duties/Responsibilities

• Acting as the department's internal and external liaison, responds to land development leads and guides the client through all stages, including site analyses, site capacity, planning approval issues, environmental assessments, transportation impacts, valuation, site servicing requirements, staffing plans and community impacts through collaboration and solution-based engagement.
• Manages and seeks out development leads for property acquisition under a wide range of land uses. Prepares project assessments and project business plans for these potential lands, including funding requirements and sources, development pro formas, highest and best use, valuation and financial analysis before recommendation to the senior management team.
• Completes land visioning and due diligence for projects, including environmental conditions, site servicing, planning approvals, architectural concepts, alternative development options, and community impacts. Prepares projects for construction, market sale, or lease while emphasizing key Build Waterloo Region objectives, such as homes for all, climate-aligned growth, and other vital community goals.
• Through networking, market research and analysis, finds and recommends potential land acquisitions to further enhance the strategic land portfolio or complement strategic Build Waterloo Region projects. Maintains and provides updates to the strategic land portfolio.
• Champions sensitive negotiations with strategic investment partners looking to invest in Waterloo Region. Promotes and markets incentive programs while providing solutions to technical challenges ranging from site plan approval to construction feasibility.
• Creates and markets development opportunities on strategic Build Waterloo Region lands to private developers, joint partnerships, and non-profit entities.
• Provides recommendations and manages operational and capital budgets related to the strategic land portfolio.
• Monitors land market activity continuously and is proactive and reactive to opportunities in the market. Identifies development potential in lands that have previously been overlooked through the recommendation of land use changes.
• Negotiates and secures legal agreements required to execute on transactions with preferred proponents for the development of Build Waterloo Region strategic lands.
• Develops strategies and proposals that motivate unique and specific business sectors to locate within Waterloo Region by demonstrating the ease of development integration through detailed site-specific programs for transportation access and egress, municipal servicing, third-party utility availability, zoning compliance, environmental compliance, soil and grading management, and employee resourcing, financial incentives, among others.
• Manages high-profile, complex and politicized development projects from inception to fruition through all stages, including communication and collaboration, market and risk analysis, land acquisition (including dispositions, joint ventures and partnerships), planning and feasibility assessment, engineering design and architectural procurement, cost and scope control, quality control and assurance and disposal.
• Researches and develops innovative strategies for expediting strategic land initiatives related to industrial, housing, and regional development projects. Regularly reviews and revises strategies to adapt to local and global geopolitical trends.
• Assesses the local and global business climate, socioeconomic factors, trends, and other criteria to determine the probability of project success and manages cross-departmental and cross-disciplinary resource allocation while considering political implications at every step of the process.

Additional Duties/Responsibilities

• Organizes and leads multifaceted technical roundtables and provides forward-thinking solutions to technical barriers in planning, municipal infrastructure and transportation support related to strategic land parcels and clusters.
• Manages the development process, including planning components and technical review, and advises staff on timelines, expectations and roadblocks.
• Engages, develops and leads teams in a cross-collaboration environment while sensitive to competing priorities.
• Identifies and prepares business assessments for prospective investors by using solution-based delivery methodologies, tools, techniques, and trends and developing business cases related to specific land parcels and clusters.
• Supports the land readiness team through development approvals, including Draft Plans of Subdivisions, Official Plan Amendments, Permitting, Zoning Bylaw Amendments, Minor Variances, and Site Plan Agreements by working with internal and external project team members, multi-disciplined consultant teams and various external organizations.
• Provides innovative resolutions to complex technical and political obstacles that prevent investment or redevelopment of regional strategic lands.
• Reviews and consolidates comments on technical reports, drawings, and other consultant work products and coordinates application submissions.
• Reviews and guides proposed architectural, landscape, and engineering plans, as well as approvals, permits, and agreements for each project.
• Provides project management expertise through collaboration and engagement, achieving buy-in amongst multiple stakeholders at the organization's internal and external levels.
• Supports the development and management of the Region’s land portfolio and industrial land reserve for redevelopment opportunities with an emphasis on affordable housing, industrial uses, and strategic regional projects.
• Provides technical direction to staff on land development projects, project management, partnerships, report development, presentations, and briefings.
• Manages consultant contracts relating to technical work associated with land development projects.
• Presents briefing materials, reports, and information to Council and senior management relating to strategic land development projects, the Regional Land Portfolio, Affordable Housing, Industrial Land Reserve, and investment opportunities.
• Supports investment, site readiness, technical, and site visit meetings related to new investment opportunities in the Waterloo Region.
• Supports relationship management with the development and construction sectors to advance land in the portfolio towards disposition and/or the request for proposal process.
• Oversees design charrettes and public engagement processes relating to site densities, zoning, and official plan amendments.
• Chairs/conducts public meetings and consultations as the project lead. Responds to public complaints regarding high-profile/complex/politically sensitive projects.
• Leads studies and research initiatives by partnering with academic institutions or other organizations; liaises with researchers.
• Performs related duties as required.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Knowledge and skills are normally acquired through a degree in a related field such as engineering, economic development, or planning, plus progressively responsible related experience (Registered Professional Planner or Licensed Professional Engineer designation is an asset).
• Broad knowledge of current economic development, investment attraction, and planning issues in Waterloo Region and the surrounding areas. Ability to keep current on industry trends and best practices.
• Ability to facilitate discussions between multiple independent groups, both local and global, leading to solution-based conclusions.
• Experience managing high-profile, complex, and politicized projects that require engagement with all levels of government and critical stakeholders, including Hydro One, Metrolinx, Infrastructure Ontario, Federal Railways, etc.
• Capacity to effectively interchange between land development goals such as industrial and housing while managing competing interests.
• Advanced knowledge of land use planning and the land development processes gained through first-hand experience in administering these processes at the municipal level and/or on behalf of developers.
• Political acumen with the ability to collaborate and facilitate conversations with regional and local Councillors and staff, land developers, not-for-profits, residents, and relevant stakeholder groups.
• Adept at innovative thinking and diverging on new ideas to help remove barriers preventing the development of shovel-ready parcels and clusters.
• Considerable industry experience in business needs identification and assessment; solution delivery methodologies, tools, techniques and trends; and business case development.
• Knowledge of requirements related to developing employment lands, including infrastructure servicing, building permits, licensing and other approvals.
• Analytical and problem-solving capabilities with the ability to make and be held accountable for decisions.
• Ability to elicit cooperation from a wide variety of sources, including senior management, clients and stakeholders.
• Related experience working directly with business developers and investors to promote business attraction, retention and expansion.
• Knowledge of other processes and requirements related to developing employment lands, including infrastructure servicing, building permits, licensing and other approvals.
• Demonstrated ability to develop strong partnerships and client relationships.
• Demonstrated ability to build and manage internal/external stakeholder relationships.
• Negotiation, mediation and conflict resolution skills.
• Oral communication and presentation skills, including gaining the attention and involvement of the most sophisticated and challenging audiences (of varying sizes).

Additional Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Report writing skills, with emphasis on ability to succinctly analyze complex development and business challenges and expertly develop and implement appropriate resolutions and courses of action.
• Demonstrated ability to conduct strategic plan development and risk analysis.
• Demonstrated ability to monitor, manage, and successfully apply for eligible government funding (incentives).
• Demonstrated ability to respond appropriately to sensitive issues and subjects.
• Demonstrated ability to assess the impact of efforts through performance metrics.
• Knowledge of land development processes, detailed planning processes, development standards and practices, strategic land development, and technical analysis associated with land readiness.
• Knowledge and skills in urban design criteria and best practices.
• Knowledge of and ability to comply with policies, procedures, and legislation associated with planning, municipal land disposition processes, appraisal and land transfer processes.
• Knowledge of financial modelling approaches to support the development of proformas and business plans. Ability to conduct cost/benefit and return on investment analyses.
• Ability to travel within and outside of Waterloo Region.
• Ability to support and demonstrate the Region’s values.

Region of Waterloo is committed to building a workforce through fair, equitable, and accessible hiring practices that allow us to hire qualified staff who reflect the diversity of the community we serve and to promote a respectful, inclusive, and equitable workplace.

We invite all interested individuals to apply and actively encourage applications from members of groups with historical and/or current barriers to equity, including, but not limited to:

• First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples, and all other Indigenous peoples;
• members of groups that commonly experience discrimination due to race, ancestry, religion and/or spiritual beliefs, or place of origin;
• persons with visible and/or invisible (physical and/or mental) disabilities;
• persons who identify as women; and persons of marginalized sexual orientations, gender identities, and gender expressions

For questions or to request accommodations during your recruitment, onboarding or employment, please contact [email protected], or by calling our Service First Contact Centre at phone number (519) 575-4400.

Use of Artificial Intelligence in the Hiring Process: Region of Waterloo may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to enhance efficiency during the recruitment process. However, applications will also be reviewed by a member of our Talent Acquisition team to ensure a fair and thorough assessment. AI does not make final hiring decisions.

Please note: candidates will be provided an update on their application. Please check your spam or junk folder occasionally as some candidates have noticed our emails in those folders (Gmail and Hotmail in particular).