Director, Parks and Recreation Planning
Regular Full-Time
About Us
One of BC’s Top Employers, the City of Coquitlam offers meaningful career opportunities to make a difference within the local community. As the sixth largest city in BC, we are home to more than 150,000 residents. Our diverse municipality is a great place to work as it continues to grow through innovative urban design, inspiring arts, culture and recreation programs, and state-of-the-art transportation systems. Our brand is built on managing our resources in a responsible and sustainable manner, while supporting a vibrant, growing regional urban centre. We envision a bright future in Coquitlam that we hope includes you!
About You / What We Are Looking For
You are a strategic and visionary leader with a passion for parks, recreation, and community well-being. You bring a wealth of experience in municipal planning, public engagement, and interdepartmental collaboration. You thrive in complex, dynamic environments and are skilled at navigating politically sensitive initiatives with professionalism and tact.
As the Director, Parks and Recreation Planning, you will lead a talented team of landscape architects, planners, GIS technicians, and policy staff. You’ll be responsible for shaping the future of parks and recreation in our City through the development of master plans, strategies, agreements and capital improvement projects. Your work will directly influence the quality of life for residents and help create inclusive, sustainable, and vibrant public spaces.
In this role, you will:
- Lead the planning and design of all parks improvements and new park development.
- Oversee the development of parks, recreation, and culture strategies.
- Provide strategic advice to senior leadership and elected officials.
- Manage divisional operating budgets and contribute to capital planning.
- Represent the department in city-wide initiatives and with external partners.
- Foster partnerships with public and private organizations to enhance service delivery.
- Guide public engagement processes and support Council in data-driven decision-making.
Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in landscape architecture, planning, or a related field.
- Professional designation as a Registered Landscape Architect (BCSLA) or Registered Professional Planner (PIBC).
- Minimum of 10 years of progressive management experience preferably in a government setting.
- Proven success in a senior leadership role with responsibility for strategic planning and team development.
- Valid Class 5 BC Driver’s License (or equivalent) is required.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience in municipal operations and intergovernmental collaboration.
- Familiarity with development finance policy, neighborhood planning, and land acquisition.
- Experience working with Indigenous communities and understanding of reconciliation practices.
- Knowledge of environmental sustainability and climate action planning.
What We Offer:
This excluded position has an annual salary range of $183,753 - $214,965. The rate of pay is based on a variety of factors including qualifications, knowledge, experience and skills.
You will have the chance to join a rapidly growing and diverse team dedicated to supporting the local community, and be able to engage in variety of learning and development opportunities. Additionally, there is an opportunity to participate in an earned day off/flex day program. This position is based in Coquitlam with some flexible, hybrid work options available. The City offers an attractive vacation and extended benefits package, including the ability to contribute to the Municipal Pension Plan.
Accessibility / Equal Opportunity Employer
The City of Coquitlam is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer working towards enhancing equitable practices in our recruitment and retention processes. As an organization we are committed to creating an inclusive work environment to support our growing and diverse work force. To learn more about what equity, diversity, and inclusion means, and the City’s efforts in support of these principles, please visit coquitlam.ca/edi for more information.
If at any time during the application or recruitment process you require additional assistance or an accommodation, please contact our team for confidential support. Staff can also provide in-person support if required.
Applicants under consideration may be required to undergo and submit an acceptable police information check. The successful candidate must also be able to obtain and maintain an Enhanced RCMP Security Clearance.
Good people make Coquitlam great, sign up for career alerts through our recruitment portal to stay up to date about opportunities within our team, or follow us on LinkedIn to learn more about how #YouCouldWorkHere too!
Please apply online at www.coquitlam.ca/careers by 11:55 pm on June 16, 2025.
We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.