Manager, Official Plan and Legislation

City of Toronto; Toronto; On-site; CAD 126,000 - 176,000; Full time

Job summary

City of Toronto is seeking a Manager, Official Plan and Legislation to lead a team of professional planners in developing and implementing the Toronto Official Plan. You will coordinate policy work, liaise with provincial counterparts, and guide complex planning studies.

Reporting to the Director of Official Plan and Zoning, you will assign project managers, oversee work programs, monitor provincial legislation, and provide strategic direction to City Planning and other divisions.

Qualifications

• Post-secondary education in a professional discipline pertinent to the job function, with relevant management experience.
• Extensive leadership experience including building high‑performing teams and fostering inclusive work environments.
• Extensive experience in urban planning initiatives, planning policies, processes, and municipal issues.
• Proven ability to manage complex assignments with multiple stakeholders while balancing competing interests.
• Knowledge of municipal governance structures and provincial legislation; ability to navigate regulatory frameworks.

Responsibilities

• Lead a team of planners in developing and implementing the Official Plan and related legislation.
• Oversee policy development, planning studies, and alignment with city strategic objectives.
• Coordinate with Provincial counterparts and internal City Planning divisions to advance policy goals.
• Assign project managers, monitor work programs, and ensure quality, timeliness, and budget compliance.
• Provide strategic guidance and mentor staff to foster collaboration, innovation, and diversity.

Skills

Leadership

Urban planning

Policy development

Stakeholder engagement

Communication

Project management

Team building

Public sector governance

Political acumen

Education

Post-secondary education in urban planning or related field

Job description

Job Category:Policy, Planning & Research

Division & Section:City Planning, CP Official Plan and Zoning

Job Type & Duration:Full-time, Permanent

Salary:$126,000.00 - $176,140, TM1443 and PTM4

Shift Information:Monday to Friday, 35 hoursper week

Affiliation: Non-Union

Number of Positions Open:1

Posting Period: 02-Nov-2026 to 16-Nov-2026

Toronto is home to more than 3 million people whose diversity and experiences make his great city Canada’s leading economic engine and one of the world’s most diverse and livable cities. As the fourth largest city in North America, Toronto is a global leader in technology, finance, film, music, culture, and innovation, and consistently places at the top of international rankings due to investments championed by its government, residents, and businesses. In a workplace where growth is fostered and diversity is celebrated, a team of approximately 35,000 employees is the driving force behind the City of Toronto’s ability to provide programs and services to residents, businesses, and visitors to this community.

As part of the City Planning management team and reporting to the Director of Official Plan and Zoning, theManager, Official Plan and Legislationleads a team of professional planners and city builders. This team provides planning and policy expertise in on-going development and review of the Toronto Official Plan and its implementation. The Manager is responsible for developing and implementing workable solutions to complex policy challenges, offering a holistic perspective that informs the division’s future decision-making, plans, and strategies. A key responsibility includes assigning project managers and senior staff to lead complex planning studies. The Manager is a liaison with Provincial counterparts in areas where the Toronto Official Plan intersects with Provincial interests.

The City of Toronto relies on the Toronto Official Plan as the primary document to set out a comprehensive city‑building vision for Toronto’s future and to manage the city’s change and growth. The manager will prepare and oversee a work program that responds to emerging issues and challenges, and which considers the Plan’s land use designations and development permissions within the City’s overall regime of land use regulation and development review. The Manager actively engages in major policy and planning initiatives, offering expert advice to integrate and align current planning activities with broader strategic objectives.

The Manager is further responsible to monitor and assess both proposed and newly in-force Provincial legislation and policy to ensure appropriate implementation through the City’s planning policies, practices, and regulations. The Manager will lead the team’s work program to understand implications of new provincial legislation and policy on city planning policy and practice and provide expertise and guidance to both City Planning and other City divisions on how to respond to legislation and legislative proposals.

Collaboration is essential to success in this role. The Manager will engage with all units in the City Planning Division and with other City divisions to reflect their expertise in the Official Plan, to appropriately reflect the City’s interests and operations in Official Plan policy, and to ensure seamless coordination of the Official Plan’s implementation. The manager will provide leadership and strategic guidance to the team’s efforts to engage and build relationships with external partners in city building and in the development of Official Plan policy.

As a people leader, the Manager is responsible for motivating, developing, and training staff, fostering an environment that values effective teamwork, continuous learning, and innovation. They will oversee the day-to-day operations of the section, including assigning and reviewing work, while ensuring the team maintains the highest standards of quality and organizational performance. Additionally, the Manager will take on financial stewardship responsibilities, including budget development and administration for initiatives, ensuring that expenditures are effectively managed and remain within budgetary limits.

In addition to their leadership duties, the Manager will act on behalf of the Director of Official Plan and Zoningwhen required, providing strategic direction and operational oversight to ensure that the division’s priorities continue to move forward.

Among the strengths you bring to the role ofManager, Official Plan and Legislation will be the following key qualifications:

• Post-secondary education in a professional discipline pertinent to the job function, combined with relevant management experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Extensive leadership experience including, inspiring high performing teams, fostering a collaborative environment and coaching, developing, and engaging staff, and advancing diversity and inclusion.
• Extensive experience in urban planning initiatives, planning policies, processes, and associated municipal issues.
• Extensive experience in the effective delivery of complex assignments from inception through to implementation involving multiple stakeholders, with minimal direction, while balancing landowner, community, political and other interests,
• Leadership experience in a corporate function working and consulting with a range of interested parties.
• Advanced verbal and written communication skills with the ability to communicate effectively and develop effective relationships with internal and external stakeholders including members of Council, all levels of City staff, representative from other orders of government, non-profit and private sector developers, community groups and the media.
• Proficiency in the following competencies: highly developed human relations, communications, conflict resolution skills, political acumen and ability to develop strong internal and external relationships.
• Knowledge of municipal governance structures, services and programs, and the municipal relationship to other levels of government, other funders, and the community.
• Ability to thrive in an environment with frequent and competing deadlines and high performance expectations in a rapidly changing environment.
• Must be able to work independently and demonstrate initiative and creativity in problem solving.
• Eligibility for membership in the Ontario Professional Planners Institute or Canadian Institute of Planners is an asset.
• Knowledge and application of the relevant employment legislation including Employment Standards Act, Human Rights Act, the Occupational Health & Safety Act.

Note To Current City of Toronto Employees

City of Toronto employees are eligible to apply for the posted job opportunity, but cannot hold two different jobs. To be considered for this job posting, you must indicate that you are a "Current City of Toronto employee" on the on-line application form, and provide your "Employee Number".

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 .