Job Description

As a central hub in the Metro Vancouver area, the City of New Westminster delivers a broad spectrum of urban services to over 92,000 residents. New Westminster is rich in history with a viable and thriving economy and has a population representative of the diversity of the region. The City is staffed by talented and dedicated employees who work together to achieve its strategic vision. We have earned a proud reputation for civic leadership, service delivery, and outstanding employee relations.

Climate change is one of the defining challenges of our time and addressing it presents an important opportunity to create a more sustainable, resilient future for our community. In 2019, New Westminster City Council declared a climate emergency, becoming the second municipality in our region to formally recognize the need for strong climate action.

Since then, the City of New Westminster (“the City”) has taken meaningful steps to reduce corporate and community greenhouse gas emissions, demonstrating leadership and commitment to climate solutions. As this work continues to evolve, there are exciting opportunities to build on this progress and accelerate our impact.

The City is seeking a passionate individual to join the Energy and Climate Action Department. In this unique role, the climate action team collaborates closely with the City’s municipal electric utility, enabling an integrated and innovative approach to energy management and emissions reduction. Together, the team is working to advance practical solutions that support a resilient, low-carbon, and climate-friendly future for New Westminster.

The City has an exciting and challenging opportunity for a Manager, Climate Action (temporary), to lead the implementation of the City’s climate action commitments as defined in the Community Energy and Emissions Plan 2050 (CEEP), e-Mobility Strategy, and the Corporate Energy and Emissions Reduction Strategy (CEERS) that incorporates a climate equity focused approach. You will also oversee the development of the City's Climate Adaptation and Resilience Plan, advance initiatives aimed to address energy poverty, and promote that all organizational decisions need to be made through a climate action lens. Reporting to the Deputy Director of Climate Action, you will activate your strategic mindset, big picture and critical thinking, and political awareness to lead a fast paced climate action team of passionate professionals.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Planning, organizing, and directing the operations and programs of the climate action division and providing strategic direction, advice, and information
• Identifying and implementing innovative approaches to reduce electrical demand, and increase energy efficiency and generation, in collaboration with the Electrical Division
• Monitoring and reporting on climate action plans progress and initiatives including the City’s low carbon fuel standard commitments
• Overseeing the development of community, corporate, and business greenhouse gas inventories
• Developing and advancing strategies to alleviate energy poverty
• Providing expert advice on capital projects and initiatives that have a carbon impact
• Supporting the development and implementation of an integrated electrical vehicle charging strategy for the community and the City’s fleet
• Leading community workshops and partner consultations on climate action initiatives
• Leading climate action and sustainability initiatives across the organization
• Participating in local, provincial, national, and international climate and sustainability initiatives as the City’s lead representative
• Preparing and overseeing division business planning, budgeting, and financial reporting
• Preparing reports and presentations to Council, committees, and a variety of other community interests and authorities
• Supervising staff, including scheduling, assigning, and reviewing work, coaching, performance management, and recruitment and retention
• Establishing and maintaining effective working relationships with a variety of internal and external partners

If you have the following qualifications, we would like to hear from you:

• University degree in climate change and sustainability such as planning, environmental science, engineering, clean energy, or related and relevant field
• Five to ten years of related work experience in progressively senior and complex sustainability roles that demonstrate a thorough knowledge of climate change and sustainability with two years at the management level
• Experience developing and implementing municipal community energy and emissions plans and corporate energy and emissions strategies
• Strong knowledge of climate equity, policy planning, GHG emissions reductions, energy management, climate change adaptation and planning, low carbon resilience, sustainable development, and asset management
• Ability to analyze complex and diverse technical and administrative problems and determine appropriate action and solutions
• Ability to conduct comprehensive research and analysis, write and present policy papers and reports regarding complex sustainability planning and policy matters
• Ability to synthesize, pivot and act on emerging direction from other levels of government and changing organizational priorities related to climate action
• Advanced computer skills including Microsoft Office, Excel, database management, visual representation of complex data, and large dataset analytics
• Ability to administer and direct the operations of the division – plan, implement and coordinate programs and projects, and provide a high degree of effective leadership
• Experience managing staff in a unionized environment, including employee professional development and motivation, attendance management, work planning and effectively achieving results
• Ability to plan, assign and supervise the work of direct reports engaged in climate action data collection, outreach, education, policy development, administrative and office support duties
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with elected officials, superiors, direct reports, businesses, the public and various other internal and external contacts