Advisor, Investment Services

Industrial Asset Management Council, Inc; Vaughan; Hybrid; CAD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading organization in Vaughan is seeking an Advisor for Investment Services to support major non-residential development projects. This role involves collaboration with stakeholders, managing applications, and promoting economic growth. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in urban planning or economic development, excellent communication skills, and the ability to work independently and within teams. This contract position offers a family-focused benefits package and a hybrid work model.

Benefits

Family-focused benefits package

Hybrid work model

Qualifications

• Minimum of five years in land use planning or municipal economic development.
• Demonstrated experience creating programs for positive results.

Responsibilities

• Acts as the City’s point of contact for major economic investment projects.
• Leads review process for priority application support.
• Prepares and presents reports for City Council.

Skills

Communication

Collaboration

Analytical

Creative Thinking

Critical Thinking

Education

University Degree in Geography

University Degree in Urban Planning

University Degree in Business Administration

University Degree in Public Administration

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Position Overview
The Advisor, Investment Services position is responsible for providing priority support to major non-residential development projects that generate significant economic impact in order to support local and international firms achieve their growth potential in Vaughan. With a commitment to collaboration, the Advisor, Investment Services will lead strategic application oversight and work with investors and their intermediaries expanding or relocating in Vaughan, from proposal to occupancy. The Advisor will also work manage internal and external coordination through the development process to advance economic development.

This position will champion and support the Corporate Service Excellence mandate.

This contract position includes a family-focused benefits package. At employee request, this position is eligible to take part in our hybrid work model as outlined in the City's Alternative Work Arrangement Policy.

Responsibilities
Strategic Investment Support
• Acts as the City’s central point of contact for companies, developers, and key stakeholders undertaking major economic investment projects in Vaughan.
• Manages intake process for program through website applications and internal/external referrals.
• Leads review process for priority application support, including recommendations for acceptances
• Leads needs assessment, establishment of project timelines and responsibilities, and ongoing monitoring and evaluation of accepted projects.
• Conveys complex, technical information to key project stakeholders and ensures understanding to support informed decision-making.
• Mediates and resolves escalated file issues and engages multi-disciplinary teams to facilitate resolution.
• Provides subject matter expertise on Vaughan’s competitive and comparative advantages
• Provides leadership and policy support to Economic Development in developing and implementing initiatives
• Works collaboratively with other Economic Development Officers to promote program for strategic investments.
• Develops targets criteria to measure the effectiveness and success of programs and projects.
• Highlights business success stories and industry developments to be communicated to key clients via various marketing initiatives.
• Tracks, reviews and provides comments on development and planning related matters

Effective Service Delivery
• Generates, fulfills, tracks and monitors the status of leads using CRM application.
• Remains current with industry sector and cluster trends globally, nationally, regionally and in Vaughan.
• Coordinates and facilitates the development of solutions to address challenges they face with respect to incoming investment or expansion.
• Benchmarks the city’s performance and competitiveness against international, Canadian and Toronto region competitor cities.

Interactions with Others
• Leads collaboration with internal departments and external review agencies to explore identification of alternative solutions and strategies, and a commitment solutions-oriented outcome.
• Leads creation of memorandums of understanding (MOUs) or service level agreements (SLAs) with internal or external partners to support advancement of the role’s objectives.
• Manages relationships with internal departmental and other stakeholders to ensure alignment, leverage solutions, and avoid duplication of efforts. Seeks opportunities for greater collaboration between departments.
• Represents the City at investment-related events to elevate Vaughan’s profile.

Promotion, Marketing and Provision of Information
• Ensures all marketing and communications activities support corporate standards.
• Develops and maintains active contact with other business and economic development organizations and government agencies in order to stay abreast of current programs, services and opportunities.
• Maintains an awareness of regional, provincial and federal economic planning programs and activities.
• Attends community meetings to provide information and updates to the public at large.
• Develops an effective working relationship with staff in order to maximize economic development benefit.
• Ensures integration of the City and economic development marketing/brand in all activities.
• Undertakes business engagement sessions to build the brand and increase awareness of program through meetings and events.
• Identifies strategic partners to promote Vaughan through collaborative marketing.

Reports and Presentations
• Prepares and presents reports for consideration by City Council and its Standing Committees, Advisory Committees, Roundtables and Task Forces.
• Prepares briefing notes, presentations, speaking notes and other communications for delivery by Mayor, Councillors, City Manager, Deputy City Managers and other senior leadership.

Qualifications and Experience
• University Degree in Geography, Urban Planning, Business Administration, Business Development, Public Administration, ICI Real Estate or suitable equivalent.
• Minimum of five (5) years proven, progressive and more responsible related work experience in land use planning and/or municipal economic development experience, with a demonstrated familiarity with regulatory approvals, municipal zoning, planning, and building requirements and processes.
• Thorough understanding of municipal finance, planning, building and development processes.
• Knowledge of provincial and federal legislation, policies, programs, and incentives related to municipal land use and development planning and economic development.
• Maintains current knowledge of municipal, provincial, and federal economic and governance policies, research activities, major new development projects and information management techniques and methodologies.
• Organizational agility with an understanding of municipal government.
• Demonstrated experience creating programs and processes to achieve positive results.
• Demonstrated strong communication, collaboration, creative and critical thinking skills.
• Self-starter, with an ability to work independently together with extensive experience working as a member of interdisciplinary teams and staff to achieve successful results.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and foster internal and external relationships and work in partnership with City, business, labour, academic institutions, community agencies, and government.
• Strong organizational, analytical, written, and oral communication skills with a commitment and focus of customer service excellence.
• Demonstrated ability to work well under pressure, with considerable experience successfully completing projects on time and on budget within precise constraints.
• Demonstrated ability in handling matters of a confidential and/or sensitive nature as it relates to senior business executives, Council, and other staff.
• Knowledge of and demonstrated ability in the City’s core competencies and relevant functional competencies.
• A high degree of proficiency with Microsoft Office (spreadsheet, word processing, PowerPoint) is required.
• A valid Ontario ‘G’ driver’s license, in good standing, with access to a reliable vehicle for corporate use.
• Ability to work outside normal business hours, as required.
• May require travel to business or investment locations in Vaughan. May require travel to events across GTA.

Preferred Qualifications:
• Membership or in-progress of attaining membership in the Ontario Professional Planners Institute (OPPI) and Canadian Institute of Planners (CIP), with a Registered Planner (RPP) designation.
• Completed, or currently in-progress of completing an economic development designation from EDAC and/or IEDC.
• Professional designation with a Project Management Institute of Canada (PMP).
• Post-Graduate degree, or diploma, or certificate in urban planning or geography is an asset.