The City of Surrey is a forward thinking, globally recognized leader in building vibrant, sustainable communities through technology and innovation. We’re driven by our shared values of Community, Integrity, Innovation, Service and Teamwork, and sense of purpose to serve our citizens and create a world-class city that’s welcoming and inclusive of all people no matter their age or ability; a place where everyone can thrive.
SCOPE
The Culture Planner is part of the City of Surrey’s Culture Division leadership team and supports strategic planning and evidence-based decision making related to wide range of cultural planning projects, including planning for cultural districts and future cultural initiatives and infrastructure in Surrey. The Culture Planner works in partnership with the City’s community, land use and parks planners, and subject matter experts in arts, heritage and economic development. These plans and strategies anticipate and guide Surrey’s transformation into a major metropolitan City, that builds social capital for a resilient, sustainable, compassionate, and creative community of diverse residents.
Reporting to the Manager of Culture, this unique position is ideal for someone who deeply understands and can articulate the benefits arts and heritage experiences provide building healthy and sustainable communities.
Do you enjoy taking bold ideas and data and transforming them into compelling and effective written plans and strategies? Your thoughtful community engagement initiatives, data collection and analysis systems, and efficient research into best practices and precedents, will contribute to the cultural content in, and guide achieving the goals of, the City’s cultural plans, Neighbourhood Concept Plans, Town Centre Plans and other community plans.
RESPONSIBILITIES
As the Culture Planner you will:
• Lead cultural research and planning initiatives aimed to leverage the potential for growth and multi-sector benefits from the creative sector.
• Facilitate staff, public and community group consultation meetings, workshops and various planning sessions.
• Author reports and present findings to stakeholders, senior management, and elected officials.
• Establish metrics for measuring Surrey’s cultural vitality
• Maintain current and create new relevant data sets, including asset maps of cultural resources (presentation and performance venues, cultural workers, businesses etc.).
• Advise on and direct implementation of plans and proposals, working drawings, schematic sketches, specifications and tender documents including those for consultants, construction contracts and manage those consultants and contracts.
• Maintain a working relationship with external experts, agencies and stakeholders that provide data and best practice cultural planning information and advice.
• Supervise and manage the work of junior staff.
Our ideal candidate shares our City values of Community, Innovation, Integrity, Service and Teamwork, and can demonstrate the following qualifications:
• A post graduate degree in Urban Planning, Architecture or Landscape Architecture or related discipline.
• Minimum two years of relevant experience engaged in culture planning work.
• Knowledgeable of contemporary visual and/or performing arts practices, including public art and placemaking.
• Knowledgeable of heritage and cultural planning practice, principles and theory.
• Experience with planning and facilitating community engagement processes (open houses, community workshops, digital engagement).
• Experience planning and implementing capital projects (public art, placemaking, facilities).
• Experience working with urban planning data sets
• Actively demonstrates initiative and good judgment, and comfortable working independently.
• Strong interpersonal skills for working with diverse community members, as well as public speaking for presentations.
• The ability to work effectively with a diverse team of contract, union and exempt staff.
• Advanced communication skills both written and verbal.
• Experience working within a municipal government environment will be an asset.
• Valid BC Driver’s License.
• Membership in the Planning Institute of British Columbia, Architectural Institute of BC, or BC Society of Landscape Architects is desirable.
