Director, Governance and Legislative Services (ID: 55975)

City of Edmonton; Edmonton; On-site; CAD 146,000 - 183,000; Full time

Job summary

The City of Edmonton is seeking a Director of Governance and Legislative Services in the Office of the City Clerk for up to 11 months. You will lead the Legislative Services Team, advise on the Municipal Government Act, and govern councils and civic agencies.

Responsibilities include planning council processes, developing motions, agendas and minutes, and guiding staff development while partnering with City Council, Administration and external partners to ensure governance excellence.

Qualifications

• Applicable knowledge or training and/or education in Law, Political Science, Public Administration, Economics, Business Administration, Planning or related disciplines.
• Knowledge, training and/or education regarding ethics, good governance, democratic processes, Council processes, report writing, policy and legislative development, civic agency governance and civic agency recruitment.
• Experience as a senior leader within a large, complex organization managing a team and leadership and development of staff.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate closely with the City Clerk to navigate issues, identify priorities, and provide timely advice to City Administration and City Council
• Build trust and establish strong relationships with City Council, the Executive Leadership Team, departments and branches across the organization, civic agencies, and other external partners such as other orders of government and community organizations
• Clerk and manage Council and committee meetings (in person required) and provide clear, consistent and accurate governance and procedural advice on the Municipal Government Act, Council Procedures and Council Committees Bylaws, Robert’s Rules of Order and other legislation
• Manage complex and politically sensitive matters, as well as Council procedures, budget processes, development of draft motions, agendas, reports, minutes, motions, meeting schedules and other information regarding Council and Committee meetings
• Lead staff development and coaching, performance evaluation and feedback, health and wellness, safety, conflict resolution, staff recruitment and succession planning
• Support external civic agencies through a variety of regular activities including procedural advice, training and learning, the development of processes/procedures, and recruitment
• Lead the review of legislative and civic requirements and provide input to the development of new legislation and processes
• Identify continuous improvement opportunities and develop strategies to support team development
• Anticipate business opportunities, influence policy, planning and initiatives, and foster a culture of accountability through performance measurement
• Integrate multi-disciplinary teams to work collaboratively with business partners supporting corporate priorities

Skills

Negotiation

Verbal communication

Report writing

Strategic planning

Policy development

Education

Law/Political Science/Public Administration/Economics/Business Administration/Planning degree

Master's Degree

Job description

1 temporary, full-time position up to 11 months in duration

The Office of the City Clerk is the primary contact regarding City Council business. The Office manages Council and Committee meetings, quasi-judicial boards, Council Protocol, Edmonton Elections, and appointments to civic agencies. It also manages corporate records and oversees Access to Information and Privacy inquiries for the organization.

As a member of the Office of the City Clerk Leadership Team and reporting to the City Clerk, the Director of Governance and Legislative Services is responsible for providing leadership and oversight to the Legislative Services Team that supports City Council and Administration as well as the Civic Agency Governance team. Specifically, this includes planning, implementation, and management of City Council and Committee processes; providing advice on legislation and procedural rules to assist the corporation and City Council; and the creation and governance of civic agencies.

What will you do?

• Collaborate closely with the City Clerk to navigate issues, identify priorities, and provide timely advice to City Administration and City Council


• Build trust and establish strong relationships with City Council, the Executive Leadership Team, departments and branches across the organization, civic agencies, and other external partners such as other orders of government and community organizations


• Clerk and manage Council and committee meetings (in person required) and provide clear, consistent and accurate governance and procedural advice on the Municipal Government Act, Council Procedures and Council Committees Bylaws, Robert’s Rules of Order and other legislation


• Manage complex and politically sensitive matters, as well as Council procedures, budget processes, development of draft motions, agendas, reports, minutes, motions, meeting schedules and other information regarding Council and Committee meetings


• Lead staff development and coaching, performance evaluation and feedback, health and wellness, safety, conflict resolution, staff recruitment and succession planning


• Support external civic agencies through a variety of regular activities including procedural advice, training and learning, the development of processes/procedures, and recruitment


• Lead the review of legislative and civic requirements and provide input to the development of new legislation and processes


• Identify continuous improvement opportunities and develop strategies to support team development


• Anticipate business opportunities, influence policy, planning and initiatives, and foster a culture of accountability through performance measurement


• Integrate multi-disciplinary teams to work collaboratively with business partners supporting corporate priorities

Qualifications:

• Applicable knowledge or training and/or education in Law, Political Science, Public Administration, Economics, Business Administration, Planning or related disciplines


• Knowledge, training and/or education regarding ethics, good governance, democratic processes, Council processes, report writing, policy and legislative development, civic agency governance and civic agency recruitment


• Experience as a senior leader within a large, complex organization managing a team and leadership and development of staff


• Combinations of education and experience will be considered

Assets:

• Master's Degree in a related field


• Parliamentarian, Management, and/or related accreditations


• Knowledge or training and/or education in strategic management, policy development, public administration, and/or municipal government with Robert’s Rules or similar parliamentary rules

Skills required for success:

• Excellent negotiating, problem-solving solving and conflict management skills


• Strong verbal communication skills, including media relations, facilitation and presentation skills


• Excellent writing skills and the ability to write reports for City Council and Council Committees


• Strong interpersonal skills to build relationships and work collaboratively with senior administration and department professionals


• The ability to understand and analyze complex procedures and processes and resolve issues with individuals from diverse backgrounds and disciplines


• The ability to work under pressure and meet strict statutory deadlines


• Understanding of complex municipal subject matter and ability to build and support influential relationships with senior leadership, internal departments and external partners


• Strong political acumen, strategic planning, issue resolution and decision-making skills


• Alignment to our Cultural Commitments and Leadership Competencies (https://bit.ly/4brRrXm)


• Embracing a culture of equity, diversity, reconciliation and inclusion (https://bit.ly/3hd2d95)

Conditions of Employment and Work Environment:

• 1 temporary, full-time position up to 11 months in duration


• Hours of Work: 36.9 hours per week, Monday - Friday


• Primary work location will be the 3rd Floor City Hall (1 Sir Winston Churchill Square NW)


• This position will require work outside of regular hours mentioned above


• Salary: (Annually) $146,472.26 - $183,091.38

The City of Edmonton values applicants with a diverse range of skills, experiences and competencies, and encourages you to apply. We strive to provide reasonable access and accommodations throughout the recruitment process. To request an accommodation, please contact [e-mail] . Learn more about our benefits https://bit.ly/COEbenefits . Talent sourced through this process may be considered for similar opportunities within the City of Edmonton.

Edmonton rests in the heart of Treaty Six territory in Alberta and the homelands of the Metis Nation.

Classification Title: Director, Office of City Clerk

Posting Date: Sep 1, 2026

Closing Date: Sept 15, 2026 11:59:00 PM (MDT)

Number of Openings (up to): 1 - Temporary Fulltime

Union: Management

Department: Office of the City Clerk

Work Location(s): City Hall, 3rd Floor, 1 Sir Winston Churchill Square Edmonton T5J 2R7