Coordinator, Strategic Support - Rural Affairs

JOB SUMMARY

The Business Support Services (BSS) Branch is responsible for providing business support through a centralized branch that consolidates and streamlines the delivery of specialized business supports and services to an assigned department, which may include some or all of the following key functions:

• Strategic planning coordination and priority setting for rural matters
• Policy, procedure and program development, evaluation and improvement
• Consult with departments across the City on rural initiatives
• Business analysis and process improvement
• Legislative agenda, reporting requirements, public policy development and Council inquiries
• Performance measurement, analysis, monitoring, benchmarking and reporting results
• Budget support and development
• Internal and external communications and media relations
• Audit plan coordination, review, response and inquiries
• Issues management, coordination and support
• Risk management and monitoring
• Accessibility requirement and solutions coordination
• Emergency management planning and coordination
• Project management
• HR and training needs identification and coordination

You are responsible for leading and coordinating Rural Summit Actions and ongoing rural initiatives. As the City's lead on Rural Affairs, you interact with senior leaders, management and staff of the Department, the City, public and private sector officials, Councillors and the community on rural issues, playing an advisory role in how the City plans, adapts and responds to opportunities. You will work to resolve issues and strengthen the relationship between Ottawa's rural residents and the City through acting as a liaison between Rural Residents, Council, Staff and other levels of government. In delivering specialized programs and services, you are involved in confidential matters relating to labour relations, organizational structures and the development of management strategies and plans for the department.

You may also be responsible for supervising a small team of BSS staff within their assigned functional area and/or for leading project teams including external consultants as required.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

Completion of 4 year university degree in business or public administration, communications, social sciences or related field

Minimum of 5 years of progressively responsible experience leading strategic planning and business support initiatives/projects of increasing complexity; positions that are responsible for supervising employees and/or project teams require related experience in a lead role

KNOWLEDGE

• Strategic planning, communications planning, project management, program evaluation, performance measurement, and policy development concepts, theories, principles and methodologies
• The City of Ottawa's organizational, governance and administrative structures
• Legislation, regulations, policies, standards and guidelines relevant to the work
• Corporate policies, guidelines and practices
• Departmental business requirements as well as understanding of the programs/services and operations of other departments, and the inter-relationships between them and own work area
• Audit protocols and procedures and fraud and waste investigations
• Legislative rules and procedures
• Change management principles/practices/supports
• General knowledge of a range of HR initiatives
• Financial and budgeting practices as required
• Industry trends and developments
• Must be familiar with all applicable health and safety legislation, have knowledge of any potential or actual danger to health or safety in the work place, and have knowledge of appropriate actions to be taken in order to ensure the health and safety of staff in accordance with applicable legislation and City policies and procedures

COMPETENCIES, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

• Lead and manage projects and project teams to achieve the desired results of assigned initiatives on time and on budget
• Provide strategic leadership and support department leaders toward achievement of organizational goals
• Prepare communication products - key messages, news releases, event scenario, etc.
• Influence and facilitate change within the department
• Work collaboratively and build rapport with others
• Perform effectively in a multi-disciplinary work environment by demonstrating professionalism, initiative and enthusiasm for each assignment
• Understand client/business needs, conduct research, gather and analyze complex information/data, develop innovative solutions based on results, and effectively present recommendations
• Creative problem solving skills with a focus on continuous improvement and enhancing the client experience
• Excellent written and verbal communication and listening skills
• Proficiency in MS Office to support the production of documents, spreadsheets, reports and presentations
• Demonstrates the City's core values of integrity, transparency, impartiality, respect and accountability at work
• Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to interact cooperatively, effectively and efficiently with staff and the public as required
• Ability to work effectively in a team environment to achieve corporate, departmental and branch goals
• Demonstrates tact, diplomacy and discretion, and maintains strict confidentiality
• Highly organized with the ability to prioritize, set schedules, meet deadlines, handle multiple projects/activities and competing demands, and deliver results in a changing work environment

LEADERSHIP COMPETENCIES for Supervisory Positions

The key competencies that describe the skills and behaviours expected to be demonstrated by managers and supervisors at the City of Ottawa are available on Ozone. The seven Leadership Competencies, which align with Servant Leadership, are:

• Strategic Leadership - Sets/implements the strategic direction, understands internal and external trends, the political sensitivities of the organization and applies this knowledge to support the long-term vision and success of the City
• Demonstrates Business Sense - Understands the impact of decisions on the business and the ability to strive to improve business performance; requires an awareness of business issues, processes and outcomes as they impact the community, the City's reputation and strategic direction
• Builds Collaborative Relationships - Proactively communicates, builds and utilizes professional relationships and partnerships with all internal and external stakeholders
• Fosters Innovation and Change - Develops an environment that embraces innovation and efficiently integrates change into the organization
• Engages Employees - Leads, coaches, mentors and develops an engaged, diverse workforce of individuals and teams, where work is performed in a safe, respectful environment and successes are recognized and celebrated regularly
• Delivers Results - Creates effective plans and performance measures, holds themselves and others accountable for measurable, high quality, timely and cost-effective results
• Client-centric Focus - Serves the client interest through focusing individual, team and organization effort on identifying and meeting key and diverse client needs (the term "client" includes both internal and external clients)