Neighbourhood Liaison |
Competition Number | 2024-178 | Job Code | 1239 |
Posting Date | April 18, 2024 | Closing Date | May 2, 2024 (at 6:00pm) |
Job Status | Permanent Full-Time |
The City of Kitchener is a vibrant and dynamic city of approximately 270,000, in the heart of southwestern Ontario. As the largest municipality in Waterloo Region, Kitchener continues to be poised for development and growth, enhancing its reputation as a leader in city-building and innovation, with nationally recognized strategies to build its neighbourhoods, its digital infrastructure and its diverse economy. The City of Kitchener is WHERE you want to work! Learn more about the top reasons to join us: Why work at the City of Kitchener |
Position Overview: As a Neighbourhood Liaison, you will have the opportunity to help support the City's Love My Hood program and other initiatives, to increase the number of resident-led grants, projects and placemaking in neighbourhoods across the city. You will work with a team who will help community partners and neighbourhood groups plan, promote and implement resident-led neighbourhood initiatives, projects, programs and events in public spaces across our city. The Neighbourhood Liaison meets regularly with City Councillors, senior staff and leaders of other community organizations to discuss and develop resident-led projects, represent the City's broader interests, and solve issues that arise through their implementation. The role is critical to ensuring the long-term success of Love My Hood and provides the necessary City support to residents to navigate municipal policies, procedures and legislative requirements to successfully complete a project. |
Responsibilities: Community Development and Support for Community Partners and Neighbourhood Groups - Provides leadership and expertise to resident groups interested in submitting grant applications for neighbourhood initiatives, focusing on budgeting and finance, insurance, maintenance and lifecycle, community engagement, volunteer committee structure and succession planning.
- Provides support to neighbourhood groups in the creation and implementation of Neighbourhood Action Plans (NAPs).
- Supports community groups and volunteers with direction setting, governance, event planning, implementation and evaluation of programs and initiatives, and by providing related resource and training opportunities.
- Identifies, engages and supports neighbourhoods with limited involvement in Love My Hood or other city initiatives, to equitably share resources.
- Collaborates with the Community Centre section to coordinate initiatives between community centres and other public spaces.
- Tracks and identifies barriers, needs and trends in the community that hinders resident-led initiatives to inform any required changes to existing processes.
Project Management of Resident-led, City Supported Initiatives - Provides project management leadership for project teams that consist of residents, staff and community partners for neighbourhood events, temporary pop-up placemaking initiatives and larger capital projects.
- Provides expertise to residents on a variety of unique projects on private and public property that have never been done before in a municipal context.
- Is the City's staff lead for the implementation and fulfillment of legal agreements and letters of understanding for resident-led projects and initiatives.
- Ensures all legislative requirements and safety standards are followed as they relate to resident-led projects (e.g. Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, TSSA inspections).
- Ensures projects meet deliverables and stakeholder expectations yet stay within scope and budget.
- Makes recommendations to residents, senior management (including Directors and General Managers) and Legal to manage project related risks and any other changes to project plans as needed to stay on time, on budget and on track.
- Leads cross-departmental team meetings with residents, city staff from all levels often including Managers, Directors and General Managers, and partners to support resident-led initiatives, including setting meeting agenda and chairing meetings.
- Develops and implements community engagement plans that encourage diverse resident involvement and feedback through a variety of creative processes and tools (e.g. street teams, lemonade stand, etc.).
- Provides regular project status reports to key stakeholders including residents, community partners, senior staff, ward Councillors and the Mayor etc.
- Performs other related duties as assigned.
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Requirements: - 2-year diploma in a related field or 2 years in a specialized post-secondary program in a related field.
- 2-4 years related experience.
- Proven experience working on initiatives with community groups within a neighbourhood setting, leading meetings and facilitating groups made up of a variety of different stakeholders.
- Proven experience with neighbourhood placemaking utilizing a variety of forms of community engagement and communication tactics.
- Proven project management skills, with a demonstrated ability to design and execute a project plan on time and on budget.
- Able to demonstrate strong time management and organizational skills with an ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines simultaneously.
- Ability to work independently and in teams.
- Demonstrated experience to effectively problem solve and handle conflict in community settings.
- Demonstrated proficiency in the use of personal computers using Microsoft Office applications is an asset.
- Supports and projects values compatible with the organization.
- Perform duties in accordance with corporate confidentiality standards.
- Preference will be given to applicants who have directly related experience in a similar capacity.
- Preference will be given to those who demonstrate excellent interpersonal and communication skills, both written and verbal.
- Must be reliable with a good attitude and employment record.
Must be able to work flexible hours including daytime, evening, weekends, late nights and holidays, depending on the needs of the community. Must have access to reliable transportation given the need to travel to various programs and service locations. |
The City of Kitchener is committed to an equity-driven, inclusive, accessible, and barrier-free recruitment and selection process, and to ensuring our workforce reflects the full diversity of the community we serve. We welcome applications from Indigenous, Black, racialized and 2SLGBTQ+ persons, as well as other equity deserving groups. We will accommodate the needs of applicants under the Human Rights Code and Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) throughout all stages of the recruitment and selection process. Please contact Human Resources at [email protected], or 519-741-2200 ext. 7261 to make your needs known, so that we can support your full and equal participation throughout the hiring process. We appreciate the interest of all applicants. Only candidates whose skills, experience and qualifications meet the requirements of the position will be contacted. Please note that as per Human Resources Policy HUM-HIR-110, "Employment of Relatives of Staff Members and Elected Officials": "The immediate relatives of staff of the Human Resources Division, all Directors, General Managers, or the Chief Administrative Officer and Elected Officials shall not be employed by the City in any capacity. The immediate relatives of all other Management personnel shall not be employed where such employment would be: 1. within the same Department in the case of permanent full-time, temporary full-time and part-time classifications. 2. within the same Division in the case of students." |
Department | Community Services | Division | Neighbourhood Programs and Services |
Union Affiliation | CUPE 791 | Number of Positions | 1 |
Hours of Work | 35 hours per week, Monday to Friday (FT) |
Location |
Initial Location | City Hall | City | Kitchener |
Compensation |
Salary Range | $56,140-$70,173 effective Nov 1, 2024: $56,357 - $70,444 | Grade/Band | 6 (under review) |
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