Social Planner II (Research, Data Projects, and Systems)

Requisition ID: 42348 

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 rewarding workplace.

Main Purpose and Function
The Social Planner II advances and builds capacity for evidence-informed social policies, plans, projects, and  initiatives within City of Vancouver. The position provides collaborative leadership, including supervisory responsibilities, in the areas of research coordination, project management, and systems-building for the Healthy City Strategy and other priorities of the Social Policy and Projects Division. This position contributes to strategic direction, capacity-building, and coordination of research and analytical work that applies mixed research methods and approaches to inform policies resulting in more equitable outcomes.

Specific Duties and Responsibilities

• Manages and coordinates research and analysis for existing and emerging social policies and plans.
• Provides support to internal department wide processes including strategic planning and quality improvement initiatives. Scopes and develops recommendations for data policies that advance ethical approaches to data collection and analytic systems.
• Designs, builds, implements, and maintains system for data management, including for monitoring of Healthy City Strategy (HCS) goals, indicators, metrics, and actions, and other strategic initiatives.
• Designs, builds, implements, and maintains systems for team management and coordination of data projects across the division.
• Prepares and delivers reports and presentations on social policy data and trends to Mayor and Council, partners and the public.
• Manages all aspects of projects related to research and evaluation, and assigned departmental priorities, such as project budgets, data procurement, consulting contracts, and supervision of consultants.
• Provides direction and leads engagement on the development of internal and public-facing data tools, such as the Healthy City Dashboard, Accessibility Directory, neighbourhood social demographic profiles, or other emerging projects.
• Provides supervisory and leadership support to the research and data team staff, supporting Social Planning Analysts and Planning Assistants through:
• Facilitates individual and team-wide work planning.
• Coaches/mentors in the preparation and use of data mapping and graphic tools.
• Accountable for quality and timeliness of team work.
• Coordinates with other planners and team leads across the division.
• Responds to requests from across City departments and community partners for complex data such as disaggregated data based on identity groups including race, gender, disability and the intersections of these identities.
• Represents the City of Vancouver and Social Policy in other external partnerships and consultation projects, such as the national Community Data Program, various initiatives led by Statistics Canada, and research partnerships with the non-profit sector.
• Other duties/responsibilities as assigned.

Qualifications:

Education and Experience: 

• University graduation, preferably at a Masters level, in Social Sciences, Economics or a related field, or related post-secondary studies with a research and data analysis emphasis, with considerable working experience closely related to the duties involved, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Experience with project and program management.
• Experience developing and managing a research and/or data monitoring program.
• Experience in a supervision, facilitation, and/or mentorship role.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: 

• Considerable knowledge of social determinants of health, health equity, and other frameworks and concepts relevant to social policy work.
• Ability to manage and coordinate research, development and analysis of policies and regulations and evaluation of the implications of proposals, as well as identify problems and recommend solutions.
• Extensive knowledge of municipal governmental structure and federal and provincial legislation relating to social policies, programs, and services.
• Thorough knowledge of research techniques and analysis used in developing policies and regulations.
• Considerable knowledge of City-wide strategic initiatives and potential intersections with the Healthy City Strategy.
• Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office and Adobe Creative Suite.
• Sophisticated skills in manipulation, analysis, and interpretation of various data sources (e.g. population datasets, surveys, spatial datasets, qualitative datasets, unstructured datasets), City of Vancouver By-laws and development processes.
• Sophisticated skills and knowledge of analytical software tools such as ArcGIS, SPSS, or R.
• Ability to produce and communicate complex data visualizations and graphic representations.
• Ability to work independently and to successfully lead a work team.
• Ability to manage assignments using sound professional techniques and considerable independent judgment.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and meet changing deadlines.
• Strong analytical, writing, presentation and public speaking skills.
• A working knowledge of zoning, land use, and social policies is a definite asset.

Where operationally appropriate and subject to change, the City of Vancouver has a Flexible Work Program. This program allows staff to work remotely 1 – 4 days a 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: Arts, Culture and Community Services (1200) 

Affiliation: CUPE 15 Non Pks 

Employment Type: Regular Full Time 

Position Start Date: Jan 2025 

Salary Information: Pay Grade GR-031: $56.27 to $66.55 per hour

Application Close: November 26, 2024

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. 

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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.