Job Summary

This is your opportunity to join a dynamic and exciting team that supports the development and implementation of policy and land use plans for the City. Collectively, our staff plays an important role in influencing the City’s cultural vibrancy, social well-being, environmental resiliency, built form, and economic prosperity of the City. If you enjoy working collaboratively to help create innovative city building strategies, we would love to meet you!

In this role, you will be responsible for the planning, design and execution of community engagement strategies for long-term planning and strategic projects. You will implement the City’s Community Engagement Strategy and advise senior leadership on recommended engagement approaches. You will deliver online virtual and in-person community meetings and act as facilitator during community meetings. This role also provides additional community engagement training and support to other divisions throughout the City.
This position is a hybrid work arrangement (work from home and some work in the office). Our offices are located at Mississauga City Hall, 300 City Centre Drive, Mississauga.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Plan, design and deliver public events (in-person meetings, online virtual meetings, workshops, open houses, charrettes etc.) to integrate public participation into the planning process, create an informed public and obtain feedback to shape planning policy and regulations
• Investigate and implement new and innovative approaches to community engagement tools and processes
• Communicate and coordinate with stakeholders before, during and after engagement events
• Advise project teams, project managers, senior management and Councillors on public engagement approaches and practices that will be acceptable to stakeholders and City Council while also being consistent with the legislative requirements of the Planning Act for community consultation
• Research and develop policy advice on strategic engagement best practices, as well as monitor government and non-government initiatives
• Provide statistics to annual/periodic community engagement reports and undertake data and trend analysis as required
• Undertake the role of Facilitator/Host during public engagement events
• Write, edit, publish and maintain online content on the City’s digital engagement platform to ensure content is appropriate for the community engagement program, user focused and consistent with corporate standards for accessibility, content management, and style guides
• Integrate equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) best practices in the design of engagement meetings, processes and resources, including engagement with Indigenous Peoples
• Make recommendations on what data, information and public comments to use, how it is to be stored, maintained and summarized and how it is to be conveyed to the public and Council
• Develop resources to support staff in community engagement, monitoring of community engagement programs, initiate training and awareness activities for clients to guide standards, practices for public engagement staff, project managers and external public engagement consultants
  

Skills and Qualifications

• University degree in urban or regional planning, urban geography or a related discipline with demonstrated progressive experience on policy planning matters and public engagement
• Membership or eligibility for membership with the Ontario Professional Planners Institute and Canadian Institute of Planners is considered an asset
• International Association of Public Participation (IAP2) certificate(s) program in Public Participation is considered an asset
• Training and certification in facilitation is preferred
• Excellent communication skills to facilitate community meetings
• Specialized knowledge, training and experience in urban planning, public participation and facilitation
• Ability to handle difficult conversations with community groups with tact and communicate issues effectively
• Specific technical knowledge of urban planning legislation, practices, principles, processes and policy
• Knowledge and experience in urban planning processes, legislation (e.g. public participation requirements in the Planning Act) and provincial policy
• Knowledge of the Freedom of Information Act
• Understanding of and working with staff and leadership across multiple business units across the City