As a central hub in the Metro Vancouver area, the City of New Westminster delivers a broad spectrum of urban services to over 92,000 residents. New Westminster is rich in history with a viable and thriving economy and has a population representative of the diversity of the region. The City is staffed by talented and dedicated employees who work together to achieve its strategic vision. We have earned a proud reputation for civic leadership, service delivery, and outstanding employee relations.
This position involves administrative coordination of a technical nature which involves the facilitation of development projects through the initial concept stage and the review and approval processes. Working under the direction of senior planning staff (Supervisor, Strategic Projects & Implementation within the Planning and Development Department), you will help coordinate mid-to-high complexity and/or controversial development proposals from initial inquiry to post-occupancy review.
As the interdepartmental point of contact for assigned projects, you will work collaboratively with technical staff from various departments, act as the primary point of contact for applicants, and design professionals to resolve processing issues. This position reports to the Supervisor, Strategic Projects & Implementation and works closely with senior technical staff correlating to the project stage.
This position also involves administrative and technical planning work in coordinating and expediting legal requirements for implementation to facilitate the progression of development applications. Your responsibilities would include tracking of requirements for permits, permissions, easements, leases, covenants, agreements, purchase and sale agreement, as well as monitoring the progress of all other internal and external administrative details against the required manner and sequence, for approved development
You will be responsible for:
• Project Facilitation: Coordinates and tracks the review of multi-family, mixed-use, and commercial development applications through cross-functional teams.
• Timeline Monitoring: Establishes and monitors project timelines and milestones to support the efficient permit processing; identifies processing bottlenecks and elevates complex conflicts to senior staff.
• Workflow Support: Reviews internal workflows and assists senior staff in identifying optimization opportunities and process improvements to streamline development approvals.
• Meeting Coordination: Conducts and documents project meetings with applicants and internal departments to clarify project goals, submission requirements, flagging impacts.
• Interdepartmental Liaison: Mediates technical requirements between departments (Planning, Building, Engineering, Parks) and translates outstanding requirements of approval to applicants.
• Legal & Administrative Processing: Coordinates senior staff in the preparation and execution of legal agreements required for application approval, including Covenants, Housing Agreements, and Statutory Rights of Way.
• Research & Reporting: Prepares clear, concise technical reports, memos, and correspondence regarding development applications.
• Process Improvement: Assists senior staff in drafting new or improved templates, applications guides, and procedural updates to legislative changes.
• Legal Collaboration: Works with the City Solicitor’s office to execute standard legal templates and agreements for approved applications.
• Performing related work as required.
If you have the following characteristics and qualifications, we want to hear from you!
• Education: University degree in Urban Planning, Architecture, Engineering, Law, or a related discipline, plus considerable professional experience in multi-family and affordable housing, development review and municipal planning or an equivalent combination of training and experience.
• Knowledge Base: Considerable knowledge of the BC Local Government Act, municipal bylaws, zoning regulations, and the steps involved in development and permit processing including roles and responsibilities in the review and approval of projects. Considerable knowledge of project management principles and practices an asset. 5+ years of experience in building or planning with an emphasis on multi-family housing and affordable housing.
• Legal Literacy: Strong working knowledge of legal instruments used in development (covenants, easements, rights-of-way).
• Communication Skills: Demonstrated ability to facilitate technical discussions, coordinate team meetings, and communicate complex regulations clearly to developers, staff, and the public.
• Project Tracking: Proficiency with project tracking methods, spreadsheet management, and municipal software/permitting systems.
• Teamwork: Strong ability to work independently on standard applications and collaboratively as part of a multi-disciplinary team on highly complex files. Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with other employees, professionals and the public.
