Kingsville is a community with over 23,500 residents it is a waterfront community located along the north shore of Lake Erie in Essex County. Kingsville has a unique location as the most southern town in Canada and enjoys the warmest climate of any city in Ontario. Kingsville is primarily an agricultural community and shares in hosting the largest concentration of vegetable greenhouses in North America with the neighbouring Municipality of Leamington. We are also home to estate wineries that produce a variety of award-winning local wines.

The region is an affordable place to do business. Our cost of serviced land is among the most attractive on the continent. Our housing costs are among Canada's most affordable and the proximity to the busiest border crossing in North America makes Kingsville a desirable location.  Tourism and recreational opportunities abound with a range of active trails interconnected with waterfront trails and marine facilities.

The Town is committed to meeting the needs of our residents, business community and visitors. Our strategic plan is centred on four key priorities including a Fiscally Sustainable Community, a Thriving Local Economy, Happy and Healthy Residents and a Resilient Infrastructure.

Your Opportunity to Make a Difference

Are you passionate about urban planning, growth management, and creating vibrant, sustainable communities in both an urban and rural setting? Do you want to lead a small, hands-on team and make a lasting impact on the future of our Town? This is your opportunity to bring ideas to life, influence long-term development, and leave a legacy. Kingsville is looking for an innovative and strategic Manager of Planning to shape our community's future with vision, creativity, and leadership.

This isn’t just any management role – this is a chance to help shape our Town’s future. As Manager of Planning, you will contribute to the strategic vision of the Town of Kingsville through innovative, progressive leadership and management of the Town’s planning services.

Reporting to the Director of Planning and Development, this position will support the Director by providing professional planning advice and direction to the Town. This will include crafting policies aligned with legislative and regulatory requirements, driving major planning initiatives, and overseeing development reviews and approvals that will define how our Town grows and evolves for decades to come. You’ll be collaborating with stakeholders, engaging the public, and supporting the Council’s strategic initiatives and community development to ensure that growth is sustainable, and future focused.

We’re looking for a leader who thrives on innovation and is excited by the challenge of building communities that reflect the needs of our unique Town and our aspirations for tomorrow.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and implement planning strategies that balance growth with environmental sustainability, economic prosperity, and community well-being.
• Lead a small but high-impact team of planning professionals in the review of development applications, mentoring and empowering them to excel while fostering a culture of innovation and collaboration.
• Oversee key functions such as Official Plan reviews, the development of secondary plans, complex development applications, zoning by-laws, Community Improvement Plans, Heritage Conservation Plans, development charges, other long-range plans, policy initiatives and special studies as required.
• Provide professional planning advice and interpretation on planning-related matters to Council, Committees of Council, Heritage Committee, external agencies, the development sector and the general public.
• Engage with community members and interest-holders, facilitating public consultations and turning feedback into actionable policies.
• Monitor and forecast trends in urban development to position the Town as a leader in progressive planning practices.
• Collaborate across departments to ensure alignment with economic development, transportation, infrastructure, and environmental strategies.

What we Offer

• Compensation and Benefits: A competitive salary ($116,957 to $146,196), plus a comprehensive benefits package, and OMERS pension.
• Work-Life Balance: Enjoy a combination of exciting projects and healthy work-life balance in a supportive business setting.
• Growth Opportunities: Expand your leadership skills as you develop and mentor a talented team, with the chance to grow your career within a supportive and evolving municipality.
• Influence and Impact: You’ll be at the forefront of major community-building initiatives, helping shape policies that will drive our community's future.
• A Community That Cares: Be part of a vibrant community with a strong sense of identity, engaged citizens, and a shared commitment to progress.

How to Apply

To explore this opportunity please apply via email by April 28, 2025 or sooner to careers@waterhousesearch.net quoting project KINGSVILLE-MP. Should you wish to speak to our Executive Recruiter or to receive a detailed position description please contact Amy Oliveira at 416-214-9299 x4, amy@waterhousesearch.net or Jon Stungevicius at 416-214-9299 x1, jon@waterhousesearch.net.

We thank all applicants for their interest, however, only those selected for interviews will be contacted. Information collected will be handled in accordance with the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.

Ideal Experience

• Leadership: Minimum of five (5) years’ experience in municipal planning, preferably at a management, Senior Planner or supervisory level.
• Planning: Extensive knowledge of good land use planning principles as they relate to planning and development; experience in preparing and delivering planning evidence at Ontario Municipal Board hearings.
• Public Policy: General knowledge of public policy, practices and current issues affecting local government with an understanding of public sector management accountability frameworks.
• Legislation: Strong knowledge of the Planning Act, Provincial Policy Statement, the Municipal Act and other provincial legislation and policies that affect land use planning and development
• Stakeholder Relations: Ability to respect confidentiality, and to communicate effectively and courteously with all levels of staff, external government agencies/authorities, the development community, ratepayer groups and the general public.
• Communication Skills: Ability to communicate information related to complex matters, often in a public forum, while being accountable for the information being conveyed; and facilitates and resolves conflicts between competing interests.
• Education: University degree in Urban or Rural Planning, Environmental Studies or closely related discipline; Registered Professional Planner (RPP).

How to Apply

To explore this opportunity please apply via email by April 28, 2025 or sooner to careers@waterhousesearch.net quoting project KINGSVILLE-MP. Should you wish to speak to our Executive Recruiter or to receive a detailed position description please contact Amy Oliveira at 416-214-9299 x4, amy@waterhousesearch.net or Jon Stungevicius at 416-214-9299 x1, jon@waterhousesearch.net.

We thank all applicants for their interest, however, only those selected for interviews will be contacted. Information collected will be handled in accordance with the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.