This position is responsible for leading major planning, policy, special project, service improvement, and external regulatory initiatives in accordance with the County’s Land Use Bylaw, statutory plans, the Municipal Government Act, and other applicable legislation, policies, and professional practices.
The Development Planner provides professional planning analysis and coordinates technical review and implementation activities for complex industrial, commercial, urban, and other high-impact planning and development matters with minimal supervision.
The position also acts as the delegated Development Authority for a limited number of selected complex development permit applications to maintain direct operational integration between development review, planning policy, external regulatory participation, and service improvement initiatives. The position maintains a working understanding of how Safety Codes considerations may affect site design, development readiness, and project implementation.
This position is eligible for a hybrid work model, whereby employees can work both remotely and from a Sturgeon County office location. Specific in-office expectations will be discussed during the recruitment process.
KEY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Planning Policy, Special Projects, and Innovation (40%)
- Leads assigned special projects and supports broader corporate initiatives related to major-project planning, development process improvements and the use of technology in those improvements, Land Use Bylaw updates, development policy reviews, service standards, application requirements, and implementation of statutory planning direction.
- Undertakes research and prepares analysis on current and emerging planning, development, legislative, regulatory, technology, and service delivery matters affecting the County.
- Provides technical input on statutory plan amendments, land use bylaw amendments, planning studies, and development-related policy initiatives.
- Supports the implementation of strategic planning and development objectives by translating policy direction, legislative requirements, operational experience, and recurring development issues into practical development review and approval approaches.
- Develops project scopes, work plans, consultation approaches, implementation requirements, and supporting materials for assigned planning, policy, service improvement, and innovation initiatives.
- Coordinates cross-departmental input and implementation activities for assigned initiatives.
- Identifies, evaluates, and supports implementation of technology, workflow, data, and service delivery improvements, including electronic plan review, workflow automation, reporting dashboards, GIS-enabled review, document management, and responsible use of AI-assisted tools.
- Establishes objectives, service measures, testing requirements, and implementation approaches for approved improvement initiatives, and evaluates outcomes to determine whether intended improvements in timeliness, consistency, transparency, customer service, or staff capacity have been achieved.
- Recommends and supports implementation of improvements to procedures, templates, standards, application requirements, reporting, and internal processes to increase consistency, defensibility, customer service, efficiency, and alignment between development review and permit-readiness considerations.
External Regulatory Review and Participation (25%)
- Monitors external regulatory filings, notices, hearings, and project lists that may affect the County’s land use planning interests, infrastructure, operations, environment, economic development, or long-term growth objectives.
- Reviews applications under the jurisdiction of bodies such as the Alberta Utilities Commission, Alberta Energy Regulator, and other applicable provincial or federal authorities, and identifies matters where County participation, comment, monitoring, or intervention may be warranted.
- Coordinates and consolidates internal technical review and comments on external regulatory applications and processes, and prepares correspondence, submissions, statements of concern, technical comments, and briefing materials to represent or support the County’s position.
- Represents or supports the County in external regulatory proceedings, consultations, pre-hearing processes, hearings, and related forums as an observer, participant, or intervener, as directed.
- Tracks decisions, approval conditions, hearing outcomes, and emerging external projects, and provides analysis and advice on implications for County planning, servicing, infrastructure, and policy objectives.
- Coordinates the transfer of relevant external regulatory information, commitments, decisions, and approval conditions to the assigned Development Authority and other County departments where a project proceeds to municipal permitting or implementation.
Selected Complex Development Permit Applications (20%)
- Acts as the delegated Development Authority for a limited number of selected complex development permit applications, including major industrial, commercial, institutional, urban, and other significant proposals, in accordance with the Land Use Bylaw, statutory plans, and applicable legislation.
- Independently reviews, analyzes, coordinates, and renders decisions on assigned complex development applications involving significant technical, operational, environmental, financial, public, or political considerations.
- Determines application completeness, identifies key planning and development issues, coordinates internal and external technical review requirements, and establishes approval or refusal rationale and conditions.
- Interprets and applies the Municipal Government Act, Subdivision and Development Regulation, Land Use Bylaw, Municipal Development Plan, Area Structure Plans, intermunicipal planning documents, and related County policies to complex applications.
- Leads the review of assigned complex development applications by coordinating comments and requirements from internal departments, external agencies, utilities, and specialized consultants, and serves as the primary County contact for those assigned applications.
- Identifies risks, constraints, servicing implications, design issues, and regulatory considerations early in the review process, including where permit-readiness, life safety, or other technical considerations may materially affect development review or implementation.
- Chairs or facilitates pre-application meetings, technical review meetings, and applicant coordination meetings for complex development proposals.
- Reviews and determines the need for development agreements, encroachment agreements, memorandums of understanding, restrictive covenants, caveats, and related development instruments.
- Leads negotiations with applicants, landowners, consultants, and agencies to achieve compliant, defensible, and practical development outcomes that align with County objectives.
- Monitors file progress, decision milestones, condition clearance requirements, and follow-up matters associated with assigned complex permit files, including amendments, compliance certificates, and related approvals.
- Conducts site inspections as required to verify application details, assess context, confirm site constraints, and evaluate compliance with approved plans and conditions.
- Supports enforcement and compliance matters related to complex approvals, non-compliance issues, and interpretation disputes, in coordination with Development Compliance Officers and other County departments as required.
Hearings, Advisory Services, and Department Support (15%)
- Prepares reports, recommendations, briefing materials, and presentations for Council, committees, the Subdivision and Development Appeal Board, the Land and Property Rights Tribunal, and other bodies as required.
- Represents the County in meetings, appeal hearings, public engagement events, intermunicipal, discussions, industry forums, and external agency processes related to assigned development applications, planning, policy, or special project matters.
- Explains regulations, conditions, decisions, planning analysis, recommendations, project requirements, and development processes to applicants, consultants, landowners, the public, and elected officials in a clear, professional, and defensible manner.
- Provides technical advice, guidance, and mentorship to colleagues on complex files, interpretation issues, and best practices.
- Supports a collaborative, solutions-focused team environment through knowledge sharing, consistent interpretation of policy and regulation, and other related duties and special projects as required.
- Adheres to applicable responsibilities and accountabilities as outlined in the County’s Health and Safety Management System.
KNOWLEDGE, EDUCATION, QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS, ABILITIES, AND EXPERIENCE
The following are required in this position:
- Strong knowledge of Alberta’s municipal planning and development framework, including the Municipal Government Act, Subdivision and Development Regulation, and related provincial legislation and regulations.
- Strong knowledge of land use planning and development principles, development review practices, and the interpretation and application of statutory plans, land use bylaws, and development-related policy.
- Strong understanding of complex industrial, commercial, institutional, and high-impact development review considerations, including land use compatibility, infrastructure constraints, servicing, access, phasing, development conditions, and general permit-readiness considerations.
- Knowledge of development agreements, restrictive covenants, easements, caveats, and other instruments used to implement or secure development approvals.
- Working knowledge of appeal processes, administrative law principles, and defensible municipal decision-making.
- Working knowledge of external regulatory review processes affecting land use and development, including administrative tribunals, hearing processes, and external agency approvals.
- Working knowledge of how the Safety Codes Act, building permit processes, and the County’s Quality Management Plan relate to development planning, site design, and project implementation.
- Post-secondary bachelor’s degree in Land Use Planning, Urban and Regional Planning, or a related discipline.
- Eligible for membership in the Alberta Professional Planners Institute / Canadian Institute of Planners, or possess equivalent advanced municipal development review experience in a directly related field where acceptable to the Employer.
- Valid Class 5 Driver’s License.
- Ability to independently interpret and apply legislation, bylaws, statutory plans, technical studies, legal instruments, and development-related reports in complex and non-routine situations.
- Ability to exercise a high degree of professional judgment, discretion, and decision-making with minimal supervision.
- Demonstrated ability to manage large, complex, politically sensitive, or high-value development files with competing interests and tight timelines.
- Strong project management, coordination, organizational, negotiation, facilitation, conflict resolution, and stakeholder management skills.
- Demonstrated ability to lead or support planning, process improvement, service modernization, or technology implementation initiatives from research and scoping through implementation and evaluation.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to prepare clear, concise, and defensible reports, submissions, comments, and briefing materials, and to present recommendations to Council, boards, and other decision-making bodies.
- Ability to identify risks, develop practical solutions, and coordinate cross-departmental input on complex development and regulatory matters within tight timelines.
- Ability to recognize when building permit, safety code, life safety, or related technical considerations may affect the review, coordination, or conditions of approval of complex development applications and to engage the appropriate internal resources as required.
- Ability to work effectively both independently and collaboratively within a multidisciplinary environment.
- A minimum of 5 years of related municipal planning and/or development review experience, including significant experience managing complex development applications.
- Demonstrated experience independently processing and rendering decisions or recommendations on major development files.
- Demonstrated experience with complex industrial and/or large commercial development approvals, development conditions, applicant coordination, and review of development, infrastructure, utility, resource, or regulatory applications involving multiple stakeholders.
