Requisition ID: 44657 

Organization

Located on the traditional, ancestral and unceded lands of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Peoples, Vancouver has a commitment to becoming a City of Reconciliation. Vancouver consistently ranks as one of the world’s most liveable and environmentally sustainable cities. Named among Canada's Top 100 Employers, BC's Top Employers, and Canada's Greenest Employers, the City of Vancouver seeks colleagues who can help shape and embody our core commitments to sustainability, reconciliation, equity and outstanding quality of life for all residents.

Consider joining our committed team of staff and being part of an innovative, inclusive and engaging workplace.  Working at the City of Vancouver and within the public service can be a rewarding career where you play a key role in ensuring impartial and equitable access to services, upholding ethical governance, and addressing the needs of citizens with integrity and dedication.

Main Purpose and Function

The Vancouver Film Commissioner serves as the primary strategic business liaison between the City of Vancouver and the Vancouver film industry, complementing the relationships the industry has with the City with regard to film permitting and other operational and regulatory interfaces. The Film Commissioner is responsible for ensuring that the City is appropriately supporting the film industry, through the development and execution of relevant strategies, action plans and initiatives, and through maintaining relationships with a wide range of industry stakeholders. The position is the primary strategic business interface between the City of Vancouver and the film industry, complementing the operational/regulatory interfaces between the City and the industry that are carried out across several City business areas, including film activity permitting, and provision of access to City-owned property for the purposes of filming.

Key Contacts and Reporting Relationships

The position reports to the Director, Business and Economy And has interacts with executive, managerial and technical staff across the City of Vancouver’s organisation. The day-to-day work of the Film Commissioner involves interfacing with a wide range of City employees across the organisation. In these interactions, this position at times serves in an advisory role as a subject matter expert, and at other times in a collaborative role, working to change/improve a City process, policy, or regulation. When leading a specific initiative, the position leads project teams comprised of up to ten City employees, and is accountable to an executive steering committee comprised of several senior executives who are ultimately responsible for delivering that initiative. The Film Commissioner also on occasion interfaces with elected officials.

The Film Commissioner stewards relationships with, collaborates with, and influences a wide range of technical and executive-level individuals external to the City who are related to the film industry, who work in the public, private, and non-for-profit sectors. The position is responsible for serving as the primary staff support person for film-related advisory committees and/or task forces established by City Council. The Film Commissioner works with a broad range of external and internal stakeholders and partners to develop and support strategic approaches to critical and cross-cutting issues. The Film Commissioner at times service as the primary liaison between the City and external consultants or contractors.

Specific Duties/Responsibilities

• Responsible for proactively and reactively identifying changes to the City’ policies, regulations, programs and processes that could be beneficial to the film industry, and working with colleagues to prioritise, design and implement these changes.
• Serves as a member of a project team in the role of subject matter expert on internal initiatives intended to support the film industry.
• Advises senior management and City Council on film industry-related matters as required.
• Maintains a portfolio of projects intended to support to the film industry, serving as the project manager for many of these projects.
• Leads proactive, constructive, ongoing lines of communication between the film industry and the City of Vancouver, and to this end, ensures the appropriate official communication forums are in place – which might include standing industry advisory groups and/or periodic stakeholder consultations.
• Ensures the City maintains strong, positive working relationships with the individuals and organisations that comprise the local film industry ecosystem, including the provincial and federal agencies and government ministries responsible for supporting the film industry, economic development agencies responsible for business attraction and retention, and industry associations.
• Participates in relevant local film-related events, and at times, convenes film industry stakeholders.
• Ensures the City has the appropriate data, research and business intelligence concerning the film industry, monitoring and evaluating trends and precedents in order to inform related regulation/policy/program development and to support the business attraction and retention efforts of related entities.
• Other duties/responsibilities and assigned.

Minimum Qualification Requirements

Education and Experience

An undergraduate university degree with a focus on business, management, public administration, or a similar discipline and a minimum five years of experience in a role that has centered on relationship management, ideally working in or alongside the film or related creative industry and a minimum three years of experience in public sector policy and/or program development and implementation.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Considerable knowledge of public sector, ideally municipal, operations, policy/regulation/ program development, and internal decision-making.
• Extensive knowledge of film and TV production, especially concerning the municipal/industry regulatory and policy interface.
• Sophisticated interpersonal skills, develops and stewards positive working relationships with a wide range of individuals, from front-line technical staff to senior executives to elected officials; ability to work collaboratively with a broad diversity of partners to drive forward toward a collective goal.
• Ability to identify issues and find solutions for these issues; a strategic thinker with a focus on practical implementation; persistent and resilient in the face of obstacles.
• A good listener who highly values responsiveness, ensuring consistently quick responses to communications and requests.
• Ability to effectively get things done in a large, complex corporate environment, through engaging and inspiring colleagues rather than through direct control.
• Strong verbal and written communicator.
• Ability to juggle many competing demands concurrently, and to lead and drive forward projects.
• Comports with a consistently professional demeanor and appropriate discretion.
• Ability to work effectively within a large, complex corporate environment, balancing ability to work independently with ability to align to the corporate directions, standards and culture

Where operationally appropriate and subject to change, the City of Vancouver has a Flexible Work Program. This program allows staff to work a hybrid work week from locations that are a daily commutable distance from their work at a City worksite.  At this time this position is eligible to be part of the Flexible Work Program.

Business Unit/Department: Office of the City Manager (1010) 

Affiliation: Senior Exempt 

Employment Type: Regular Full Time 

Salary Information: Pay Grade RNG-091: $114,465 to $143,092 per annum

Application Close: September 17, 2025

At the City of Vancouver, we are committed to recruiting a diverse workforce that represents the community we so proudly serve. Indigenous peoples, people of colour, 2SLGBTQ+ persons including all genders and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply.  Accommodations will be provided upon request during the selection process. Learn more about our commitment to diversity and inclusion. 

Before you click Apply now

Once you start your application you can save your work and leave the applications page, however please remember to submit your profile to the specific job requisition before the posting closing date.

In addition to uploading your cover letter and resume, part of the application process may include answering application questions related to the preferred requirements of the role which may take approx. 5-10 minutes. Cover letters should express interest and highlight additional information relevant to the position and resumes should include a summary of skills and experience related to the position.