Policy and Project Specialist Policy and Project Development Specialist

ABOUT US

Almost 1.2 million residents call York Region home making it one of the largest regions in Canada and the fastest growing with a population thats expected to grow to more than 2 million by 2041. Our geography which is comprised of about 1800 square kilometers over nine different municipalities is as beautiful interesting and diverse as our government is organized in a twotier structure and we work together with our local municipalities to provide residents and businesses access to a broad selection of services and resources.

WHAT WE OFFER

Consistently named one of Canadas Best Employers by Forbes we offer a collaborative progressive workplace that takes pride in our organizational culture and is committed to living The 13 Factors of Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace aligned with our vision to create strong caring and safe communities both within and outside our walls.

• Defined Benefit Pension Program With the Ontario Municipality Employees Retirement System (OMERS) defined benefit pension plan you can confidently retire knowing that you will have income for life. Eligibility from date of hire as a fulltime employee and includes employermatched contributions.
• Employer of Choice Recognized as the highestranking government employer in Canada and fourth overall among 300 organizations.
• Benefits and Wellness Employees and their loved ones have access to an employee health care spending account access to a 24/7 Employee and Family Assistance Programand corporate discounts and purchase plans for daytoday products and services. Casual employees are eligible to receive payment in lieu of benefits and/or vacation.
• Inclusive and Diverse Workforce Were committed to fostering an environment that celebrates all dimensions of diversity and ensures everyone can develop to their full potential participate freely in society and live with respect dignity and freedom from discrimination. Our robust Inclusion Diversity Equity and Accessibility program continues to grow and has been recognized by the United Nations and many other organizations for our leadership.

ABOUT THE ROLE

Reporting to Lead Strategic Initiatives and Performance is responsible for providing policy and communications support to the Commissioner and/or department management and staff; leading and executing program strategies to support Department projects associated with corporate and strategic planning; coordinates Department engagement in the corporate strategic plan; researching leading industry practices; developing stakeholder relationships that foster collaboration and innovation; and developing written and electronic information materials briefing notes and presentations.

WHAT YOULL BE DOING

Provides support and strategic analysis on corporate and strategic planning and performance measurements to the Commissioner or Department management and staff.
Leads and coordinates various projects and crossfunctional project teams; consults with internal management and external stakeholders and provides advice and recommendations to support project goals and objectives.
Develops and implements detailed work plans for projects and policy/program initiatives ensuring strong linkages with other internal and external stakeholders.
Gathers maintains and stores related literature and research material in accordance with the Regions Records and Information policies.
Gathers synthesizes analyzes and reviews complex data from multiple sources. Prepares and drafts specialized briefings briefing notes council reports and presentations on relevant policies processes programs and special projects for the senior management and staff.
Assists with writing editing and evaluating department communication materials.
Liaises with Department senior management and staff to provide advice briefings presentations etc. as required.
Prepares and coordinates briefing notes; council reports; and responses to issues from stakeholders with appropriate escalation when required.
Participates in focus groups workshops etc. and facilitates discussions on Department initiatives as directed.
Coordinates input strategies communications and information from local municipalities and other stakeholders as necessary.
Monitors departmental responses to public/political inquiries through Salesforce.
Ensures that services provided meet Regional customer service standards.
Manages information in accordance with legislation and corporate standards.

WHAT WERE LOOKING FOR

Successful completion of a University Degree in Business or Public Administration Planning or Environmental Sciences or related field or approved equivalent combination of education and experience.
Minimum three 3 years demonstrated experience in policy and planning and project management advisory experience leading multistakeholder projects and programs in a public sector environment.
Demonstrated knowldege of research and evaluation methods including experience interpreting and reporting statistical demographic and socioeconomic data and writing detailed reports and proposals.
Demonstrated project management knowledge and experience to lead and coordinate multiple project teams including internal and external stakeholders.
Experience conducting extensive literature reviews including the ability to summarize complex data into understandable userfriendly relevant explanations for a varied audience.
Knowledge corporate core competencies.
Strong interpersonal written and verbal communication skills to prepare presentations briefing notes and documents for senior management.
Demonstrated analytical skills to analyze synthesize and develop policy options interpret legislation and complex reports and develop recommendations for a range of business initiatives.
Computer literacy utilizing MS Office software and proficiency in word processing spreadsheet presentation MS Project and database software.
Strong ability to develop relationships and work in a welcoming and inclusive environment where diversity is celebrated and where everyone can develop to their full potential.
Demonstrated presentation project management conceptual analytical and reportwriting skills.