Career Opportunities
Senior Land Use Project Manager
Planscape Inc. ~ Bracebridge ON ~ www.planscape.ca ~ 705-645-1556
Planscape Inc. is an established, well respected, dynamic group of land use planning consultants located in Bracebridge - the heart of Muskoka. We are one of the leading planning consulting firms located north of Barrie, specializing in rural and recreational planning and an extensive portfolio of private and public sector clients.
The Senior Land Use Project Manager is a leadership role suited to an experienced professional with a strong background in land use planning outside of major urban centres. The position leads the pursuit and delivery of policy-related projects, supports private development assignments, and manages multidisciplinary teams. Planscape offers a progressive, hybrid, and flexible work environment that embraces a “family-first” philosophy.
Job Description
The Senior Land Use Project Manager will identify, pursue, secure, and manage policy-related planning projects for municipal and other public-sector clients while continuing to provide senior-level support for private development work. The role requires strategic judgment, strong proposal and project-management capabilities, technical planning expertise, and effective communication with clients, approval authorities, consultants, community members, and other stakeholders.
Duties include leading bid and proposal development; scoping, budgeting, resourcing, and managing policy-planning assignments; directing multidisciplinary consultant teams; designing and executing public and stakeholder engagement programs; preparing policy, planning rationale, and feasibility reports; supporting municipal clients; managing development applications; attending public meetings; presenting to Councils, clients, stakeholders, and municipal committees; providing expert testimony before tribunals; conducting site visits; and travelling occasionally throughout the area.
The successful candidate will provide senior oversight to ensure projects, engagement activities, recommendations, and deliverables comply with applicable legislative, regulatory, procurement, and professional requirements.
Key Responsibilities
1. Business Development, Bids, and Proposals: Identify suitable policy-related opportunities and lead expressions of interest, bids, and proposals. Develop winning approaches, scopes, work plans, schedules, team structures, fees, and risk strategies in collaboration with firm leadership and technical partners.
2. Policy Project Leadership and Management: Lead municipal and public-sector policy projects from pursuit through close-out, including official plan and zoning by-law reviews and related strategic assignments. Maintain accountability for scope, schedule, budget, quality, client service, and project outcomes.
3. Provide senior planning advice and oversight for private development projects: support junior staff on private development files, including development applications, planning approvals, policy interpretation, and coordination with clients, municipal staff, Councils, Committees of Adjustment, agencies, and other stakeholders.
4. Multidisciplinary Team and Public Engagement Leadership: Assemble, direct, and coordinate planners, technicians, communications specialists, and external consultants across multiple concurrent assignments. Create and execute inclusive public and stakeholder engagement programs using appropriate in-person and digital methods; synthesize input; manage issues; and communicate findings and recommendations clearly to technical and non-technical audiences.
Qualifications and Skills
Professional Membership: Full membership with OPPI/CIP is required.
Experience: A minimum of 5 years of progressively responsible land use planning experience, including senior responsibility for policy-planning assignments, competitive proposals, project budgets and schedules, and independent planning opinions and analysis.
Project Management Certification: Project Management Professional (PMP) certification is preferred.
Technical Knowledge: Comprehensive knowledge of Ontario planning legislation, policy, procedures, municipal policy development, and public-sector procurement, with proficiency in Microsoft Office software.
Communication and Engagement: Demonstrated excellence in written, verbal, facilitation, and public-presentation skills, including the ability to design and deliver public engagement programs and present to diverse audiences. Experience providing expert testimony before the Ontario Land Tribunal is an asset.
Proposal and Problem-Solving Skills: Proven ability to develop compelling proposals, define practical project approaches, anticipate risks, navigate complex planning challenges, and recommend defensible solutions.
Leadership: Demonstrated ability to lead multidisciplinary teams, delegate effectively, mentor staff, manage competing priorities, meet deadlines and budgets, and sustain excellent client service in a collaborative work environment.
Career Development and Compensation
A Senior Land Use Project Manager at Planscape Inc. has numerous opportunities for professional growth. Compensation for this position ranges from $110,000 to $130,000 in addition to a benefits package. This role offers a hybrid opportunity and will require some multi-day travel throughout Ontario.