Senior Partnership Strategist

at  City of Edmonton

Job Number: 51501
Do you have a passion for building collaborative relationships and driving positive social change? Do you thrive in complex environments and enjoy bringing diverse voices together to achieve shared goals? Are you passionate about utilizing your expertise to support the development of a better tomorrow? Are you ready to contribute to the City of Edmonton’s vision of becoming a safe, equitable and inclusive city? If so, then this opportunity is for you! The Community Services Department is a front-line partner with Edmontonians and communities committed to creating a safe, healthy and vibrant city. On any given day, this department manages hundreds of activities in its commitment to serving the people of Edmonton and making a difference, every day.
Situated within the Department Strategy Section of Community Services, this role is crucial in fostering strong stakeholder relationships and ensuring the Department’s strategic initiatives are responsive to diverse needs, both internally and within the community. A key aspect of this position involves collaborating closely with stakeholders to advance the City’s Community Safety and Well-Being (CSWB) Strategy. The CSWB Strategy is a city-wide plan with a vision for a safer, more inclusive Edmonton. It’s grounded in the principles of reconciliation, anti-racism, and equity, balancing immediate safety concerns with addressing the root causes of complex social issues. This role will involve co-creating solutions, researching best practices, developing frameworks, and promoting innovation within the Department to effectively implement the CSWB Strategy. Strong communication, collaboration, and critical thinking skills are essential for success in this leadership position.

SKILLS REQUIRED FOR SUCCESS:

• Exceptional facilitation and communication skills, including the ability to build consensus, navigate complex multi-stakeholder environments, and translate technical information for diverse audiences
• Demonstrated ability to lead productive discussions and workshops
• Demonstrated experience in facilitating collaborative processes and building consensus among diverse stakeholders, including community organizations, government agencies, and internal City departments
• Proven ability to navigate complex multi-stakeholder environments and effectively manage competing interests
• Experience designing and delivering training and capacity-building programs on partnership principles and approaches
• Strong negotiation and conflict resolution skills, with the ability to resolve disputes and build consensus among diverse stakeholders
• Experience developing and implementing partnership agreements and protocols
• A comprehensive understanding of partnership principles and best practices, with demonstrated experience in developing and implementing successful collaborations in the public sector
• Strong analytical and strategic thinking abilities, with experience in conducting research, developing evidence-based recommendations, and evaluating partnership effectiveness
• A diverse background supporting the delivery of projects with a focus on partnership theory and practice, and customer experience
• Ability and desire to co-create (with clients and internal teams), and experience facilitating this type of collaboration. A commitment to equity and inclusion in partnership development and implementation
• Strong strategic planning and project management skills including an understanding of project management methods and techniques
• Demonstrated skill and expertise leading integrated and multi-disciplinary teams
• Change agent, with strong interpersonal skills and attitude, with a willingness to try new things
• Proven planning, organizational and problem solving skills
• Ability to understand and execute oral and written instructions of an advanced nature and ability to express complex ideas and concepts effectively and persuasively, verbally and in written format
• Experience developing and implementing public/stakeholder engagement processes
• Alignment to our Cultural Commitments and Leadership Competencies (https://bit.ly/4brRrXm)
• Embracing a culture of equity, diversity, reconciliation, and inclusion
• Applicants may be tested.

Qualifications:

• A University Degree (or Diploma) in Business Administration, Public Administration, Political Sciences, Social Sciences or a discipline as required by area of specialization
• A minimum of five (5) years of progressively responsible experience in a combination of:
• Project management working on complex, multi-stakeholder projects in the public sector with a social and policy focus strategic and operational business planning, working with service design or continuous improvement methodologies and leadership or project management within a public secto

• Implement and oversee comprehensive interactive approaches to understand the needs, concerns and priorities of communities and partners in order to inform strategic decisions
• Use a range of collaborative approaches and tools to map relationships and build trust with various stakeholders and partners. Tools should come from a range of fields, including partnership brokering, human-centered design, change management, facilitation and engagement
• Apply knowledge of performance measurement and partnership assessment tools and best practices to uncover actionable insights to improve partner experience
• Develop strategic plans and evaluation frameworks for the programs and services delivered by partnerships
• Establish and facilitate effective governance structures, partnership types/models, and partnership foundations for key department and branch initiatives, including common agenda/shared vision, public value, partner identification, and documentation such as MOUs, TOR, etc.
• Conduct research and environmental scanning activities such as researching partnership industry best practices and leading edge service delivery methods across municipalities and relevant industries
• Facilitate scoping and planning, relationship and trust building, visioning and implementation, dispute resolution and issues management, scaling or closure
• Provide facilitation design, facilitation, and lead event planning on CSWB Strategy topics and opportunities with a broad range of stakeholders
• Build and maintain strong relationships across the corporation and with key community partners and stakeholders as required for project implementation
• Lead Working Group to deliver on various aspects of the Community Safety and Well-Being (CSWB) Strategy, including community collaboration partnership development and stakeholder engagement
• Work closely with department staff and stakeholders to ensure integrated efforts and alignment with broader city strategies
• Use project management best practices to manage multiple priorities and deliverables
• Represent the section in various initiatives, providing expert advice and recommendations to stakeholders across the city
• Other duties as assigned

Qualifications:

• A University Degree (or Diploma) in Business Administration, Public Administration, Political Sciences, Social Sciences or a discipline as required by area of specialization
• A minimum of five (5) years of progressively responsible experience in a combination of:
• Project management working on complex, multi-stakeholder projects in the public sector with a social and policy focus strategic and operational business planning, working with service design or continuous improvement methodologies and leadership or project management within a public sector