Social Planner III

Requisition ID: 42768

Organization

Located on the traditional, ancestral and unceded lands of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Peoples, Vancouver has a commitment to becoming a City of Reconciliation. Vancouver consistently ranks as one of the world's most liveable and environmentally sustainable cities. Named among Canada's Top 100 Employers, BC's Top Employers, and Canada's Greenest Employers, the City of Vancouver seeks colleagues who can help shape and embody our core commitments to sustainability, reconciliation, equity and outstanding quality of life for all residents.

Consider joining our committed team of staff and being part of an innovative, inclusive and rewarding workplace.

Main Purpose and Function

The Social Planner III provides strategic leadership to advance cultural redress, equity, and reconciliation initiatives across work programs in Cultural Services. This work includes policy development and implementation and contributes to strategic initiatives that are interdepartmental in nature. The work is grounded in the City's culture plan, Reconciliation Framework, UNDRIP Strategy, Equity Framework, Accessibility Strategy and other key City directions, policies, and projects. This position brings substantive expertise and creativity to a range of complex cultural and social issues and works towards creating systems change.

The position reports to the Assistant Director of Cultural Services, and is responsible for leading a small team. This role is situated within Cultural Services, and works closely with staff who have similar work programs in Social Policy, as well as in Planning, Urban Design, and Sustainability (PDS), and other departments across the City.

Key contacts include residents, cultural, community, and heritage organizations, business owners, property owners, partners in the non-profit, private, and academic sectors, and diverse stakeholders in equity-denied communities.

Specific Duties/Responsibilities

• Leads the development and integration of policy and initiatives related to cultural redress, equity and reconciliation. This includes initiatives that attempt to repair the harms of systemic exclusion, colonial dispossession, and discrimination.
• Leads work that supports the perseveration of stories, restoration of cultural sites and supports the stewardship of intangible cultural assets and vibrant living cultures.
• Leads the development and integration of policy and initiatives related to commemoration.
• Leads work that relates to cultural heritage, including City by-laws, land use and regulatory work, policies, guidelines, standards, and processes. This includes, but is not limited to, changes to land use and heritage policies, economic development and anti-displacement initiatives, cultural amenities, and policy work such as Cultural Districts and Commemoration.
• Establishes collaborative working relationships across internal City teams and departments to identify and integrate cultural redress and equity-related priorities into various work programs.
• Leads the implementation of the Chinatown Cultural Heritage Asset Management Plan in collaboration with other staff, in particular as it relates to cultural heritage, arts and culture operations and programming, and cultural infrastructure.
• Provides oversight on community engagement including community forums, workshops and meetings (including weekday evenings and after hours on weekends);
• Collaborates, coordinates, and implements projects in conjunction with community stakeholders, arts and culture and heritage organizations, businesses, residents, and Council-appointed advisories.
• Supports responding to sensitive enquiries and correspondences with the public and other departments on matters related to projects and policies.
• Manages consultancies and project budgets.
• Writes reports, including Council reports, and present material to various internal and external groups.
• Provides leadership and management to a staff team.
• Other duties/responsibilities as assigned.

Minimum Qualification Requirements

Education and Experience:

University degree at a Master's level in Community Planning, or a related field with extensive and progressive experience at a professional level or an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.

Considerable current, related, direct and indirect experience in arts & culture, heritage, cultural infrastructure, and community development.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Considerable knowledge of and experience with the City's culture and heritage policies, land use by-laws, area planning processes, rezoning and development processes, Official Development Plans and Policies plus a broad knowledge of City services, programs, and processes.
• Considerable knowledge of the City's policies and practices related to Equity, Accessibility and Reconciliation and demonstrated experiencing centering these lenses in management practices as well as policy/program development.
• Thorough knowledge of the arts and culture and heritage sectors in Vancouver.
• Considerable knowledge of arts and culture operations, programming, cultural infrastructure design and implementation, and application of cultural heritage in existing City policies and by-laws.
• Knowledge of community development and capacity-building approaches, in particular those involving equity-denied communities.
• Ability to collaborate with significant urban planning, arts & culture, and cultural heritage projects, and their relationship to arts and culture and cultural heritage spaces.
• Ability to develop and implement a range of engagement processes, particularly with equity-deserving communities, the arts and culture and heritage sectors, and other ethno cultural minority and language groups.
• Strong relationships and experience working with Indigenous communities, including local Host Nations xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) and urban Indigenous peoples.
• Ability to clearly communicate and achieve goals across departments and service units with competing priorities.
• Ability to demonstrate initiative and independent judgment in dealing with a variety of people and situations.
• Anti-oppressive leadership practices that centre people and their well-being.
• Ability to advance work in organized, strategic and effective ways that results in deep impact.
• Ability to meet transportation requirements

Where operationally appropriate and subject to change, the City of Vancouver has a Flexible Work Program. This program allows staff to work remotely 1 - 4 days a week from locations that are a daily commutable distance from their work at a City worksite. At this time this position is eligible to be part of the Flexible Work Program.

Business Unit/Department: Arts, Culture and Community Services (1200)

Affiliation: CUPE 15 Non Pks

Employment Type: Temporary Full Time

Position Start Date: February 2025

Position End Date: February 2026

Salary Information: Pay Grade GR-034: $63.84 to $75.51 per hour

Application Close: January 17 2025

At the City of Vancouver, we are committed to recruiting a diverse workforce that represents the community we so proudly serve. Indigenous peoples, people of colour, 2SLGBTQ+ persons including all genders and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply. Accommodations will be provided upon request during the selection process. Learn more about our commitment to diversity and inclusion.

Before you click Apply now

Once you start your application you can save your work and leave the applications page, however please remember to submit your profile to the specific job requisition before the posting closing date.

In addition to uploading your cover letter and resume, part of the application process may include answering application questions related to the preferred requirements of the role which may take approx. 5-10 minutes. Cover letters should express interest and highlight additional information relevant to the position and resumes should include a summary of skills and experience related to the position.