DIRECTOR ENVIRONMENT CLIMATE & FORESTRY

City of Toronto; Toronto; Hybrid; CAD 165,000 - 223,000; Full time

Job summary

The City of Toronto is seeking a dynamic, strategic, and people-first leader to serve as our Director Environment, Climate & Forestry. This role leads strategic and operational planning for Program Delivery and implements major climate mitigation programs to deliver measurable public outcomes.

The ideal candidate brings people-centred leadership, resilience, and the ability to align budgets, partnerships, and systems in a complex civic environment.

Qualifications

• Post-secondary degree in Public Administration, Business Management, Urban Planning, Organizational Leadership or related discipline.
• Extensive experience leading a team in a complex diverse environment with strategic leadership and collaboration.
• Experience in organizational transformation and program innovation turning ideas into large-scale action.
• Considerable experience in financial management, compliance, and risk management.
• Strong relationship-building, communication, and negotiation skills with City divisions and partners.
• Strong political acumen and judgement while maintaining customer service focus.
• Excellent strategic thinking and planning skills, analytical and problem-solving.
• Highly developed communication and presentation skills for diverse audiences.
• Knowledge in environment, climate, sustainability, forestry, or related fields is an asset.
• Knowledge of OHSA and relevant Labour Legislation and municipal programs.

Responsibilities

• Directs strategic leadership, planning and delivery, and business transformation.
• Leads innovation, evidence-based decision-making, and change management.
• Oversees a diverse workforce and talent management.
• Oversees budgets and timely reporting.
• Ensures consistent application of risk and change management.
• Prepares staff reports to Council and Standing Committees.
• Provides strategic advice to the Executive Director.
• Represents the Division on intergovernmental committees and external partners.
• Builds relationships with senior leaders and City divisions to advance city-wide solutions.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Change management

Public sector governance

Equity & inclusion

Stakeholder engagement

Budget management

Relationship building

Communication

Policy analysis

Education

Public Administration degree

Urban Planning

Organizational Leadership

Business Management

Job description

• Work Location: Union Station, 65 Front St E
• Job Type & Duration: Full-time, Permanent Vacancy

Salary Range: $165,310.00 - $222,843.00

• Salary Range: $165,310.00 - $222,843.00
• Shift Information: Monday to Friday, 35 hours per week
• Affiliation: Non-Union
• Number of Positions Open: 1
• Posting Period: 02-Sep-2026 to 17-Sep-2026

The City of Toronto is seeking a dynamic, strategic, and people-first leader to serve as our Director Environment, Climate & Forestry.

The Environment, Climate and Forestry Division(ECF)delivers programs and services that protect Toronto’s natural environment and respond to the City’s most urgent climate and sustainability priorities.Program Delivery isthe Sectionresponsible forturningthe City’sambitiousclimatepriorities into practical,effective, andcoordinated programs.

Reporting to the Executive Director, this role leadsstrategic and operational planning for Program Delivery.Thesuccessful candidatewill leadtheimplementation ofmajor climate mitigation programs, strengthening how work is planned and delivered, and driving the move to implementation at scale. Success in this role will require strong judgment, steady operational leadership, and the ability to align people, partnerships,budgetsand systems around clear public outcomes.

Theideal candidatewill bring people-centred leadership, creativity, focus, and resilience to the challenge of delivering measurable results in a complex and rapidly changing civic environment.

Who You Are

You are an exceptional leader of people and change, able to bring clarity and momentum to complex work with significant public impact.You thrive in complex, multi-stakeholder, highly collaborativeenvironments, balance strategic vision with operational excellence, and are skilled at building trust, leading transformation, and advancing equity and inclusion.

Major Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Transformation

• Guides long-termstrategy,programplanningand delivery, and business transformation initiatives to drive efficiency, accountability, and performance excellence.
• Champions innovation, evidence-based decision-making, and change management strategies to supporttheorganizationin achieving itsobjectives.
• Leads a diverse workforce, fostering high performance,creativity,andresilience.
• Oversees talentmanagement andsuccession planning.
• Plays a leadership role inefforts to build a positiveworkplaceculture.
• Promotes reconciliation, equity, diversity, and inclusion as core values.
• Ensures alignment of services, resources, and reporting structures to support a modernized, functional-matrix delivery model.

Operational & Program Management

• Directs all activities of theSectionthrough subordinate management staff, ensuring clear delegation of responsibilities.
• OverseesSectionbudgets, ensuring alignment with corporate policies, fiscal accountability, andtimelyreporting.
• Ensures consistent application of risk and change management approaches.
• Oversees the preparation of staff reportsto Council, and Standing Committees.
• Makes recommendations, and offers strategic advice to the Executive Director.

Government & Organizational Insight

• As a member of the Division’s Senior Management Team,demonstratesenterprise-minded leadership,supporting a unified workplace culture,participatingfully in centralized planning and budgeting, and aligning the work of the section with the Division’s operating model.
• Builds strong, collaborative relationships withother senior leaders within the Division and City,members ofCounciland their offices, and external partners to advance City-wide solutions.
• Demonstratesa strongunderstanding of the governance, policy, and operational challenges within large public sector organizations.
• Representsthe Division on intergovernmental committees, task forces, and corporate teams, helping positiontheCityas a leader in climate and environmental action.

Required Skills and Qualifications

• Post-secondary degree in Public Administration, Business Management, Urban Planning, OrganizationalLeadershipor related discipline.
• Extensive experience leading a team of skilled professionals in a complex diverse environment, with strong strategic leadership skills and the ability to motivate, develop, and foster collaboration while creating a culture that supports excellence.
• Extensive experience in leading organizational transformation and program innovation andturning ideas into large-scale action that moves the needle.
• Considerable experience infinancial management, compliance, andrisk management skills
• Highly developed relationship-building, communication, and negotiation skills, with the ability toestablisheffective partnerships and collaborate productively with City divisions, contractors, and external partners to achieve organizationalobjectives.
• Strong political acutism and judgement in addressing issues, concerns and complaints whilemaintaina customer service focus.
• Excellent strategic thinking and planning skills, analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Highly developed communication and presentative skills, with the ability to convey complex information clearly and effectively to diverse audiences across all levels of the organization.
• Knowledge in environment, climate, sustainability, forestry, or related fields is an asset.
• Knowledge of the Occupational Health and Safety Act and Regulations, the Collective Agreements and related Labour Legislation, municipalprogramsand services.

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

The City is an equal opportunity employer, dedicated to creating a workplace culture of inclusiveness that reflects the diverse residents that we serve. Learn more about the City’s commitment to employment equity .