Development Expeditor (Build Waterloo Region)

Job Description

• Acting as the department's internal and external liaison, responds to land development leads and guides the client through all stages, including site analyses, site capacity, planning approval issues, environmental assessments, transportation impacts, valuation, site servicing requirements, staffing plans and community impacts through collaboration and solution-based engagement.  
• Manages and seeks out development leads for property acquisition under a wide range of land uses. Prepares project assessments and project business plans for these potential lands, including funding requirements and sources, development pro formas, highest and best use, valuation and financial analysis before recommendation to the senior management team. 
• Completes land visioning and due diligence for projects, including environmental conditions, site servicing, planning approvals, architectural concepts, alternative development options, and community impacts. Prepares projects for construction, market sale, or lease while emphasizing key Build Waterloo Region objectives, such as homes for all, climate-aligned growth, and other vital community goals. 
• Through networking, market research and analysis, finds and recommends potential land acquisitions to further enhance the strategic land portfolio or complement strategic Build Waterloo Region projects. Maintains and provides updates to the strategic land portfolio.
• Champions sensitive negotiations with strategic investment partners looking to invest in Waterloo Region. Promotes and markets incentive programs while providing solutions to technical challenges ranging from site plan approval to construction feasibility. 
• Creates and markets development opportunities on strategic Build Waterloo Region lands to private developers, joint partnerships, and non-profit entities.
• Provides recommendations and manages operational and capital budgets related to the strategic land portfolio.  
• Monitors land market activity continuously and is proactive and reactive to opportunities in the market. Identifies development potential in lands that have previously been overlooked through the recommendation of land use changes.
• Negotiates and secures legal agreements required to execute on transactions with preferred proponents for the development of Build Waterloo Region strategic lands.
• Develops strategies and proposals that motivate unique and specific business sectors to locate within Waterloo Region by demonstrating the ease of development integration through detailed site-specific programs for transportation access and egress, municipal servicing, third-party utility availability, zoning compliance, environmental compliance, soil and grading management, and employee resourcing, financial incentives, among others. 
• Manages high-profile, complex and politicized development projects from inception to fruition through all stages, including communication and collaboration, market and risk analysis, land acquisition (including dispositions, joint ventures and partnerships), planning and feasibility assessment, engineering design and architectural procurement, cost and scope control, quality control and assurance and disposal. 
• Researches and develops innovative strategies for expediting strategic land initiatives related to industrial, housing, and regional development projects. Regularly reviews and revises strategies to adapt to local and global geopolitical trends.
• Assesses the local and global business climate, socioeconomic factors, trends, and other criteria to determine the probability of project success and manages cross-departmental and cross-disciplinary resource allocation while considering political implications at every step of the process.

• Knowledge and skills are normally acquired through a degree in a related field such as engineering, economic development, or planning, plus progressively responsible related experience (Registered Professional Planner or Licensed Professional Engineer designation is an asset). 
• Broad knowledge of current economic development, investment attraction, and planning issues in Waterloo Region and the surrounding areas. Ability to keep current on industry trends and best practices.
• Ability to facilitate discussions between multiple independent groups, both local and global, leading to solution-based conclusions. 
• Experience managing high-profile, complex, and politicized projects that require engagement with all levels of government and critical stakeholders, including Hydro One, Metrolinx, Infrastructure Ontario, Federal Railways, etc. 
• Capacity to effectively interchange between land development goals such as industrial and housing while managing competing interests.  
• Advanced knowledge of land use planning and the land development processes gained through first-hand experience in administering these processes at the municipal level and/or on behalf of developers.
• Political acumen with the ability to collaborate and facilitate conversations with regional and local Councillors and staff, land developers, not-for-profits, residents, and relevant stakeholder groups. 
• Adept at innovative thinking and diverging on new ideas to help remove barriers preventing the development of shovel-ready parcels and clusters. 
• Considerable industry experience in business needs identification and assessment; solution delivery methodologies, tools, techniques and trends; and business case development.
• Knowledge of requirements related to developing employment lands, including infrastructure servicing, building permits, licensing and other approvals.
• Analytical and problem-solving capabilities with the ability to make and be held accountable for decisions.
• Ability to elicit cooperation from a wide variety of sources, including senior management, clients and stakeholders.
• Related experience working directly with business developers and investors to promote business attraction, retention and expansion.
• Knowledge of other processes and requirements related to developing employment lands, including infrastructure servicing, building permits, licensing and other approvals.
• Demonstrated ability to develop strong partnerships and client relationships.
• Demonstrated ability to build and manage internal/external stakeholder relationships.
• Negotiation, mediation and conflict resolution skills.
• Oral communication and presentation skills, including gaining the attention and involvement of the most sophisticated and challenging audiences (of varying sizes).