Social Planner II - Cultural Planner

City of Vancouver; Vancouver; Hybrid; CAD 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

Join a forward-thinking organization dedicated to sustainability and cultural development. As a Cultural Planner II, you will lead significant arts and cultural projects, ensuring equitable access to cultural resources. This role involves collaboration with diverse stakeholders, guiding policy development, and implementing community planning initiatives. Your expertise will shape Vancouver's cultural landscape, making a lasting impact on the community. If you are passionate about arts and culture and eager to drive positive change, this is the perfect opportunity for you.

Qualifications

• University degree in arts management or community planning required.
• Experience in the arts and culture sector is essential.

Responsibilities

• Directs major arts and cultural infrastructure projects.
• Leads community planning projects with cultural stakeholders.
• Provides policy advice on cultural issues.

Skills

Policy Development

Community Planning

Stakeholder Consultation

Cultural Infrastructure

Analytical Skills

Communication Skills

Education

University degree in Arts or Community Planning

Master’s degree preferred

Job description

Social Planner II - Cultural Planner

Requisition ID:43720

Organization
Located on the traditional, ancestral and unceded lands of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Peoples, Vancouver has a commitment to becoming a City of Reconciliation. Vancouver consistently ranks as one of the world’s most liveable and environmentally sustainable cities. Named among Canada's Top 100 Employers, BC's Top Employers, and Canada's Greenest Employers, the City of Vancouver seeks colleagues who can help shape and embody our core commitments to sustainability, reconciliation, equity and outstanding quality of life for all residents.

Consider joining our committed team of staff and being part of an innovative, inclusive and engaging workplace. Working at the City of Vancouver and within the public service can be a rewarding career where you play a key role in ensuring impartial and equitable access to services, upholding ethical governance, and addressing the needs of citizens with integrity and dedication.

Main Purpose and Function
The Cultural Planner II in Arts, Culture and Community Services is responsible for directing and delivering multi- year major arts and cultural infrastructure projects, planning and policy development, as well as overseeing arts and cultural aspects of community, area planning, and major re-zonings. This includes designing, directing, and implementing interdepartmental work as well as reviews of, and changes to, City processes to better support the arts and culture sector, which can be complex and politically sensitive.

Working in the Cultural Spaces team within Cultural Services, this position oversees program development and policy to support the cultural sector including: planning processes, regulatory policy and bylaws, area and community planning, major project development, cultural infrastructure grants, awards and long range capital planning. Specifically, the position will support the Rupert Renfrew plan, implementation of the FLATS plan, and new cultural spaces and areas throughout the city (Eastside Arts District, Dance Centre site acquisition, Firehall Arts Centre and Arts Starts space).

Specific Duties and Responsibilities

• Provides policy advice on complex cultural and social issues based on experience and knowledge from cultural infrastructure delivery, data and research and stakeholder/partnership consultation including regulatory and policy reviews, and direct efforts of civic, community and other government agencies to implement improvements.
• Leads various area and community planning projects, which may involve consultation with art and cultural stakeholders and community at large to identify cultural priorities, and development of directions, policies and public benefit strategies to achieve cultural goals.
• Leads major cultural infrastructure projects and other projects involving community stakeholders, staff, consultants, architects and developers.
• Performs policy research and studies, which may involve engaging consultants, on best approaches to delivering community and Council priorities.
• Liaises with internal/external government representatives, private sector interests, creative industry representatives, artists, non-profit organizations, cultural communities, and citizen groups.
• Drafts policy, prepare departmental responses, author reports and present recommendations to civic departments, senior staff, City Council, and other agencies.
• Facilitates non-profit and public cultural facilities through City processes.
• Analyzes, interprets and provides input into legal agreements, understandings, bylaws, zoning, policy, rezoning, permit and licence applications, and budgets.
• Assists with a variety of cultural facility planning and development assignments.
• Coordinates and chair internal and external meetings as well as represent the department on extra- departmental reviews and projects.
• Responds to internal and external inquiries and perform other work as required.
• Provides supervisory responsibility over staff and consultants as required.
• Advises staff in other civic departments on matters related to major projects.
• Other duties/responsibilities as assigned.

Qualifications:
Education and Experience:

• University degree, in the arts, arts management or community planning, preferably at the Master’s level, with considerableexperience , or a combination of education and relevant experience.
• Considerable experience working with or within the arts and culture sector, and knowledge of Vancouver’sarts and culture ecosystem.
• Experience working with complex planning issues within the public sector and municipalprocesses.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Extensive knowledge of the arts and culture sector and sources of sector information including anunderstanding of the landscape of community-based non-profit cultural organizations and agencies in Vancouver, particularly those with a capacity-building mandate, serving populations with barriers to equity and inclusion.
• Considerable knowledge of the living culture and history of the Musqueam, Squamish, Tsleil-Waututh Nations and urban Indigenous Peoples.
• Considerable knowledge of municipal land use planning and land and development economics.
• Knowledge of granting and/or award programs, knowledge and understanding of budgeting, including capital and operating budgets, and ability to comprehend financial statements.
• Highly developed methodological, analytical, creative and conceptual skills and experience in facilitation of complex issues.
• Ability to apply core equity lenses: Indigenous Rights, Racial Justice, Intersectionality and Systems Change.
• Ability to create innovative policy and solutions that have an impact on outcomes for City priorities as they relate to cultural infrastructure.
• Ability to develop, present evidence-based recommendations to senior staff, staff committees, Council and stakeholders.
• Ability to organize, coordinate, implement and track multiple, multi-dimensional projects and inter- departmental staff teams with extensive layers of information and complex partner and stakeholder relationships.
• Ability to work diplomatically and persuasively with staff and community groups, including managing public meetings about controversial topics.
• Ability to respond effectively to media inquiries.
• Ability to multi-task and work in a complex fast paced environment within defined time lines. Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to work well independently and in teams, as well as demonstrated skills in conflict resolution.

Where operationally appropriate and subject to change, the City of Vancouver has a Flexible Work Program. This program allows staff to work a hybrid work week from locations that are a daily commutable distance from their work at a City worksite. At this time this position is eligible to be part of the Flexible Work Program.

Business Unit/Department:Arts, Culture and Community Services (1200)

Affiliation:CUPE 15 Non Pks

Employment Type:Temporary Full Time

Position Start Date:June, 2025

Position End Date:January, 2026

Salary Information: Pay Grade GR-031: $56.27to $66.55per hour

Application Close: May 18, 2025

At the City of Vancouver, we are committed to recruiting a diverse workforce that represents the community we so proudly serve. Indigenous peoples, people of colour, 2SLGBTQ+ persons including all gendersand persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply.Accommodations will be provided upon request during the selection process. Learn more aboutour commitment to diversity and inclusion.

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