Policy Analyst

at  The City of Vancouver

QUALIFICATIONS

Education and Experience:

• A university degree in Social Sciences, or related studies, preferably at the post-graduate level, combined with considerable experience in and commitment to developing cultural and social infrastructure in municipal contexts, preferably supplemented by supervisory experience, or an equivalent combination of education, training and experience.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Considerable knowledge of the City’s services, policies, principles, and regulations governing departmental activities including culture and heritage policies, area planning processes, rezoning and development, as well as City’s policies related to Equity, Anti-Racism and Reconciliation.
• Thorough knowledge of the City of Vancouver’s planning and development departmental functions, roles, practices, tools and processes and the interface with cultural and social policies.
• Considerable knowledge of project management philosophies and practices, including project scope, budgeting, scheduling and coordination of team activities to facilitate complex projects and competing interests.
• Thorough knowledge of the non-profit, community-based culture and social service sectors in Vancouver including government and private funding sources
• Knowledge of community development approaches and principles including social, economic, political, demographic trends, factors and issues related to cultural and social infrastructure, planning and development, and community economic development
• Considerable experience with spreadsheets, presentation and database software
• Ability to communicate effectively in written, oral and graphic form to conduct presentations and effectively communicate complex information.
• Ability to exercise time-management, discretion, and diplomacy skills to work autonomously with leaders from other departments independently and collaboratively.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with representatives of various community groups, stakeholders, the general public, Council and other external and internal contacts of varying levels.
• Ability to prepare complex reports and information to Council and present complex material to City staff, senior management, external agencies, the public
• Ability to provide working guidance and expertise to professional and technical staff assigned to various projects and direct the work of consultants engaged on planning projects
• Ability to perform planning research and assess option feasibility through financial and policy analysis
• Ability to deal with sensitive issues with diplomacy and tact
• Ability to adjust to a complex organizational structure with shifting priorities on highly politicized issues
• 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: Regular Full Time
Position Start Date: October, 2024
Salary Information: Pay Grade GR-029: $51.70 to $61.13 per hour

MAIN PURPOSE & FUNCTION

The Policy Analyst in Arts, Culture, and Tourism is responsible for working with interdepartmental partners to support the delivery of City-wide and Provincial policy initiatives. The position plays an important role in coordinating, planning and implementing a variety of programs and project specific work related to area planning, regulatory and Provincial legislative reform, and process improvement. The position brings expertise and leadership to work with interdepartmental leadership on a range of complex issues, undertaking rigorous analytical and research activities to support critical decisions, partnerships, projects, plans and strategies. The work requires significant collaboration and cooperation across City departments.
This position reports to the Deputy General manager of Arts, Culture, and Tourism, as well as receiving direction and support from a Senior Planner in the Projects & Emerging Priorities team. The incumbent works with other City departments. The position provides work guidance and expertise to City employees and external consultants, as required.

SPECIFIC DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

• Leads the development and implementation of inter-departmental partnerships across various departments (e.g. Planning & Development Services, Real Estate and Facilities Management, Development, Buildings & Licensing, Finance, Law); includes working with Senior Planners, Managers, and Directors to identify partnership priorities, scope process improvement projects, resource staff assignments to interdepartmental projects (tech teams, working groups, etc), evaluate project outcomes, and recommend further process improvements to senior leadership within ACCS.
• Liaises with senior planners, managers, and directors to develop, review and implement PDS and interdepartmental partnerships on land use, heritage, and area planning initiatives to ensure appropriate representation of cultural infrastructure, social infrastructure, childcare, public art, and the cultural redress, accessibility, reconciliation, and equity teams on tech teams and working groups aimed at preserving, renewing, replacing, and expanding the presence of arts, culture, and social assets within planning projects.
• Provides coordination, planning, research, and analysis related to the improvement of interdepartmental processes.
• Liaises with key external stakeholders on land use planning engagement activities, and others as required. Provides oversight on process improvement work to ensure more effective and efficient ACCS responses to rezoning conditions in Council reports and community amenities contributions assessments.
• Provides input and implements city-wide policies such as community and neighbourhood plans (e.g. VancouverPlan, Broadway Plan, Master Plans) through partnerships, including the Villages plan initiatives.
• Prepares and manages work programs, including supervising other professional and technical staff and external consultants.
• Writes report material, including context, analysis, and recommendations for Council reports and presents complex material to staff and senior management across departments.
• Develops and leads collaborative and robust approaches to engagement and communication with internal partners that include designing, attending and facilitating internal engagement and knowledge exchange processes.
• Coordinates the delivery of data collection, management, and analysis utilizing a diverse range of qualitative and qualitative analytical techniques – including economic analysis and review of land use policies – to enable effective implementation of work across cultural and social infrastructure portfolios.
• Provides leadership on ongoing work to support interdepartmental process improvement projects (Permit Improvement Project).
• Other duties as assigned