As a central hub in the Metro Vancouver area, the City of New Westminster delivers a broad spectrum of urban services to over 85,000 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.
The City of New Westminster is seeking a Planning Analyst to join the Planning and Development Systems team. The successful candidate will leverage advanced knowledge and skills to research, collect, analyze, and interpret complex information and data related to planning and building processes and policies. This role involves conducting in-depth research, data analysis, and developing materials to support projects within the Planning and Development department, with a focus on the City's Development Application Process Review.
The ideal candidate will possess a deep passion for developing and delivering innovative, data-driven approaches and solutions in planning and development systems. Collaboration with team members to streamline procedures, develop training materials, and enhance efficiency in planning and building permit processes will be key responsibilities.
Key Responsibilities:
• Providing support to the development approvals process review, including:
• Collecting and analyzing qualitative and quantitative data, such as current planning and development processes, best-practices research, and precedents;
• Liaising with other City departments and external agencies;
• Making recommendations for streamlining processes, with a focus on optimization, automation, and digitization
• Writing reports and making presentations to City committees and;
• Drafting policy and bylaw documents.
• Identify the design and production needs for information materials to improve transparency in the development approvals process.
• Support the development and implementation of systems which assist and streamline planning and development processes.
• Utilize GIS platforms to support the development of digital twins for various planning and development purposes.
• Other duties/responsibilities as assigned.
Requirements:
• Undergraduate degree or degree in planning or related discipline, with sound, related, work experience, or an equivalent combination of training and experience.
• Knowledge of municipal development review processes and best practices.
• Knowledge of the principles, procedures, and legislation applicable to municipal planning and building departments.
• Demonstrated ability to collect, analyze, and interpret information from various sources and present conclusions and recommendations clearly.
• Experience in online and in-person community engagement facilitation, logistics, and public information material creation.
• Strong organizational skills, problem-solving abilities, and the capacity to manage multiple tasks effectively.
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision and collaboratively as a team member.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with internal and external contacts.
• Effective verbal, visual, and written communication skills for diverse audiences.
• Ability to effectively use planning systems such as GIS and/or CAD experience.
• Ability to effectively use the Microsoft Office Suite of products (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams and Outlook), graphics software (InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, Canva), as well as Tempest.
