SENIOR MANAGER STRATEGIC PLANNING & INITIATIVES (Governance & Corporate Strategy)

The City•Union, NJ

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

Recognized as one of Greater Toronto’s Top Employers for 2026, the City of Toronto promotes professional development and is committed to providing opportunities to lead, learn and grow. We value integrity, reliability, and fairness, and we embrace the diversity of the people we work with and serve. The City Manager’s Office provides strategic leadership to Toronto’s municipal administration, ensuring effective governance, accountability, continuous improvement and strong partnerships across sectors. Its work enables the City to deliver services that support a prosperous, inclusive, and well-managed Toronto. Within this office, the Governance and Corporate Strategy team advises the City Manager, Mayor and Council, and senior leaders on governance matters, public service ethics, strategic planning, and corporate policies. Working across the organization, the team leads municipal governance oversight, delivers data-driven policy development and advice, and drives the City’s corporate strategic planning, reviews, and reporting, helping align decisions and actions with the City’s priorities and long-term goals.

Requirements

Post-secondary education in public administration, policy, business, or a related discipline, or an equivalent combination of education and experience
Extensive experience leading and delivering complex, multi-disciplinary, cross-functional policy and strategy initiatives from development through implementation within a large public sector or similarly complex organization
Extensive people leadership experience, including coaching, developing, and motivating professional staff, with demonstrated ability to build cohesive, high-performing teams and foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement
Extensive experience developing, analyzing, and implementing corporate policies, including those involving significant organizational, reputational, and political considerations
Experience providing strategic advice to senior leadership, including executives and/or elected officials, on complex, sensitive, and high-impact matters, supported by the demonstrated ability to prepare and deliver high-quality briefing materials, reports, presentations, and strategic documents
Strong knowledge of municipal governance frameworks, decision-making processes, and legislative environments, including experience assessing the implications of governance or structural changes across a government organization
Extensive experience managing complex, high-profile issues, with demonstrated ability to influence, negotiate, and achieve consensus among diverse stakeholders while balancing political, community, and public interests
Highly developed political acuity, judgment, and discretion, with the ability to navigate sensitive governance and policy issues in a public sector environment
Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to build relationships and interact effectively with stakeholders at all levels, including senior management and elected officials
Proven ability to manage multiple priorities and deliver results in an environment with shifting demands, tight timelines, and high expectations

Nice To Haves

Experience supporting or working with governance bodies and accountability frameworks (e.g., boards, oversight offices) is considered an asset
Knowledge of municipal legislation, governance structures, and relevant statutes (e.g., City of Toronto Act, MFIPPA, OHSA) is considered an asset

Responsibilities

Plays a critical leadership role in advancing corporate wide priorities related to corporate governance, corporate policy, and corporate strategy.
Provides strategic leadership, program delivery and sound advice across a portfolio that includes corporate governance, corporate policy, and corporate strategy.
Leads analysis and provides strategic advice on governance frameworks, Council decision-making processes, and organizational authority structures.
Supports governance-related initiatives involving Council, the City Clerk’s Office, and the City’s accountability functions, including the Auditor General, Integrity Commissioner, Ombudsman, and Lobbyist Registrar.
Contributes to strengthening corporate governance practices across the organization and provides guidance to divisions on the governance implications of policy and program decisions.
Leads the development and implementation of complex corporate-wide policies, particularly those that are high-profile, cross-divisional, or politically sensitive.
Supports the development of a cohesive corporate policy approach across the organization and leads a city-wide policy community of practice to enhance policy capacity, consistency, and knowledge sharing.
Provides high-quality, objective advice on complex and often sensitive matters to senior leadership, including within the City Manager’s Office.
Prepares and oversees briefing materials, Council reports, presentations, and strategic analyses, as well as supporting senior leadership and elected officials in navigating complex policy, governance, and strategic issues.
Anticipates emerging issues and positions the organization to respond proactively, while contributing to high-priority corporate initiatives with significant organizational or reputational impact.
Drives corporate strategy integration and alignment by leading efforts to align divisional strategies with corporate priorities and the City’s strategic plan.
Identifies cross-functional opportunities, duplication, and gaps across major initiatives, and supporting enterprise-wide strategic planning processes and coordination.
Utilizes tools such as strategy mapping and tracking frameworks to enhance transparency, coordination, and decision-making, and contributes to integrated approaches that connect policy, strategy, governance, and implementation.
Provides strong, values-based leadership to a multidisciplinary team of corporate policy and strategy professionals.
Establishes clear direction, priorities, and accountability, building a cohesive and high-performing team culture, and leading talent development, succession planning, coaching, and performance management.
Drives the evolution of the team to a proactive, integrated strategic partner.
Leads cross-organizational collaboration and initiatives by building and maintaining strong relationships across City divisions, agencies, corporations, and senior leadership.
Leads complex, multi-stakeholder initiatives that require alignment across competing priorities, influencing outcomes and facilitating consensus in a politically sensitive environment, and supporting the coordination of corporate initiatives to ensure alignment with Council direction and organizational priorities.