GM, Planning & Development Services

As the largest city in the Fraser Valley, the City of Abbotsford serves 175,000 residents and counting, located on the traditional territories of the Semá:th, Mathxwí and Leq’á:mel First Peoples.

Abbotsford is a vibrant, cultural and economic hub, home to the Abbotsford Canucks and Abbotsford International Airport. As we continue to grow, we are committed to building strong partnerships and innovating urban design.

At the City of Abbotsford, our people are our greatest asset. While maintaining a work-life balance we offer varied and meaningful career opportunities that make a difference in the community.

Be part of the story. Join our team today.
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Abbotsford is one of British Columbia’s fastest evolving communities and an exciting place to help shape the future of city building. With a newly updated Official Community Plan establishing a long-term vision for growth, the City is looking for an accomplished municipal leader to join its Strategic Leadership Team as General Manager, Planning & Development Services.

Reporting to the City Manager, the General Manager provides executive strategic leadership and overall direction for Planning & Development Services and is responsible for advancing Abbotsford's growth management, housing, land use planning and development objectives.

As a member of the City’s Strategic Leadership Team, the General Manager will play a significant corporate leadership role, working closely with the City Manager, Council, colleagues across the organization, other levels of government, the development community and community partners. The successful candidate will bring a strategic and collaborative approach to complex land-use and development matters, support continuous improvement and responsive, customer-focused service, and help translate Council’s vision and priorities into effective policy, regulation and service delivery.

Major Accountabilities

• Lead implementation of City growth and housing objectives, including provincial housing legislation and regulatory requirements.
• Build and maintain productive relationships with Indigenous communities, regional partners, senior governments, development industry representatives and community stakeholders.
• Champion modernization of development review, permitting and regulatory services through process improvement, digital transformation and performance measurement.
• Align growth planning with transportation, infrastructure, parks, amenities, environmental objectives, and long-term financial sustainability.
• Advance climate resilience, environmental stewardship and sustainable community development through policy leadership and cross-functional collaboration.
• Develop leadership capacity, succession planning and organizational effectiveness across the department.
• Serve as an enterprise leader on the Strategic Leadership Team, contributing to corporate strategy, financial sustainability, organizational effectiveness and major city-wide initiatives beyond the departmental portfolio.
  
  Qualifications
• Degree in Planning, Urban Studies, Public Administration, Business Administration, Engineering or related discipline.
• Registered Professional Planner (RPP/MCIP), Professional Engineer (P.Eng.), or other relevant professional designation considered an asset.
• Minimum 15 years of progressive senior leadership experience.
• Executive leadership experience within municipal government, regional government or another complex public-sector environment.
• Experience advising elected officials and executive leadership teams on sensitive and high-profile matters.
• Experience with growth management, housing strategy, major development projects and infrastructure planning.
• Demonstrated success leading organizational change, service modernization and business transformation initiatives.

At the City of Abbotsford, our people are our greatest asset. We are committed to an inclusive workplace where diverse perspectives are valued, and employees are supported to do meaningful work in service to the community. If you are energized by the opportunity to help shape one of British Columbia’s growing communities and lead a talented team through an important period of change and opportunity, we would like to hear from you.

Salary: $237,928.60 - $280,753.20 annually

*Please note, applications will be reviewed upon submission. The posting will remain open until the position is filled.

Please note: You should receive a confirmation email once you have successfully applied for this position. If you do not, please contact the Njoyn Help Desk at [email protected] or 1-877-427-7717 Monday - Friday 8am - 8pm (EST).