PROJECT LEAD ENVIRONMENT

Work Location: Union Station, 65 Front Street West, Toronto, M5J 1E6. Hybrid in accordance with the City of Toronto’s Hybrid Work Policy

Job Type & Duration: Full-time, 2 Temporary (18-month) vacancies

Shift Information: Monday to Friday, 35 hours per week

Affiliation: Non-Union

Number of Positions Open: 2

Posting Period: 20-Jan-2025 to 03-Feb-2025

Job Summary:

Striving towards making Toronto one of the most sustainable cities in the world, Environment Climate and Forestry (ECF) facilitates the development of corporate and community-wide environmental and climate policies and programs. ECF manages initiatives and programs that reduce the environmental footprint of the entire Toronto community including our own corporate operations guided by the TransformTO Net Zero Strategy (NZS). ECF also plays a role in enhancing the city’s resilience to climate-related risks and impacts.

ECF, Policy & Research Unit is currently recruiting for two Project Leads:

• Project Lead Environment (GHG Quantification and Reporting)
• Project Lead Environment (Resilience)

Project Lead Environment (GHG Quantification and Reporting)

Reporting to the Program Manager of Policy & Research, the Project Lead Environment (GHG Quantification and Reporting) will play a key role in advancing the City’s climate initiatives. This position is responsible for conducting rigorous research and analysis to support the development and maintenance of the City’s sector-based and consumption-based emissions inventories. The Project Lead will work collaboratively with stakeholders across City divisions and agencies to produce accurate, data-driven insights that guide sustainable policymaking and help the City meet its climate goals.

The Project Lead will prepare project plans, reports, and status updates on the City’s disclosure of its sector-based emissions inventory and its climate mitigation and adaptation actions annually to the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP). The Project Lead will report and manage coordination with internal and external stakeholders to report the City’s GHG emissions across various regulatory and non-regulatory reporting platforms. The Project Lead will also support and identify ways that the City can advance its ambitions to reduce food-related emissions in Toronto, in alignment with the City's Cool Food Pledge and the C40 Good Food Cities Declaration.

A critical aspect of this role is a strong foundation in data analytics. The Project Lead will gather, analyze, and interpret complex climate data, transforming it into clear, actionable insights. Strong communication skills are essential, as the Project Lead will need to effectively translate emissions inventories into non-technical reports providing meaningful insights for decision-makers, ensuring that GHG quantification and reporting inform impactful environmental policies and strategic actions.

Project Lead Environment (Resilience)

Reporting to the Program Manager of Policy & Research, the Project Lead Environment (Resilience) will play a key role in advancing the City’s climate initiatives. This position is responsible for leading research and analysis to support the development of information and tools that characterize climate risks and impacts in Toronto and advance adaptation efforts across the City. The Project Lead will work collaboratively with internal and external partners including City divisions and agencies, academic partners, and other climate organizations to identify and fill key knowledge gaps and use climate risk information to inform adaptation efforts.

The Project Lead will advise, coordinate and support development of corporate-wide public policy to support climate adaptation and resilience, leveraging key climate risk and resilience information to prepare plans, reports and status updates on key projects including a City-wide climate risk and vulnerability assessment.

The Project Lead role relies on strong technical knowledge of climate change processes, risks, impacts, as well as adaptation actions and approaches. The Project Lead may be called upon to apply understanding of risk assessment methods, engineering, asset management, and the role played by critical infrastructure and assets in Toronto. Strong communication skills are essential, as the Project Lead will need to effectively translate data and information into non-technical reports providing meaningful insights for decision-makers, ensuring that climate risk research and data informs impactful environmental policies and strategic actions.

Major Responsibilities for both Project Lead Environment roles:

• Develops, implements, monitors, and evaluates detailed plans and recommends policies, programs, and/or procedures regarding specific requirements related to the Division.
• Conducts research into assigned area ensuring that such research takes into account developments within the field, corporate policies and practices, legislation and initiatives by other levels of government.
• Provides input into and administers assigned budget, ensuring that expenditures are controlled and maintained within approved budget limitations.
• Facilitates requests originating from elected officials, other divisions and the public, coordinates divisional input and assesses project feasibility within current programs.
• Oversees assigned projects and provides contract management to ensure effective teamwork and communication and high standards of work quality to advance the Division's initiatives in a complex municipal environment.
• Supervises project team members and support staff, including work term students.
• Monitors projects to ensure completion in accordance with approved plans and agreements of undertaking.
• Prepares project plans, reports and status updates for senior staff. Regularly updates documentation on Divisional initiatives.
• Establishes, maintains and develops linkages to other divisions, agencies, boards and commissions to ensure effective partnerships.
• Researches and reports on a range of new projects and initiatives.
• Participates in the process of planning and developing long range objectives for the Division.
• Keeps up-to-date on relevant research and coordinates with relevant divisional staff on project-related data and analysis.
• Develops training course materials, conducts training and provides presentations as required for various levels of internal and external management/stakeholders.
• Prepares, coordinates and makes recommendations on Request for Proposals/ Request for Quotations and tender documents for implementation of projects.
• Represents the Division as required at meetings and at project-related community consultations that have an impact on the delivery of its programs.
• Acts as resource person for inquiries related to Divisional activities.

Key Qualifications:

• Post-secondary education in Environmental Studies, Science, Public Administration/Policy, Engineering, Urban Planning or a relevant discipline or equivalent combination of education and/or experience.
• Considerable experience in planning, managing, and delivering multi-stakeholder environment and climate focused research, policy development, program design and projects.
• Experience in applying strong technical expertise to climate mitigation strategies, including greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory development, and/or resilience planning to support sustainable and adaptive solutions.
• Experience in the design and delivery of stakeholder engagement and consultation programs. An environment and climate policy and programs focus would be considered an asset.
• Experience as a fully accountable project leader handling multiple and diverse projects and priorities in a detailed and deadline-oriented environment.
• Exceptional communication skills (oral and written) that include excellent report writing, briefing material preparation and strong presentation skills for small and large groups.
• Ability to identify needs; and initiate, coordinate and manage the implementation of creative solutions.
• Strong interpersonal and conflict resolution skills. Proven track record of solid internal and external relationships and strong leadership capacity.
• Proficiency with a variety of computerized office systems including, MS Office (i.e. Word, Excel, and PowerPoint), MS Project, social media platforms and database software packages.
• Knowledge of the City of Toronto government structure, policies and decision-making processes is an asset.
• Able to attend occasional meetings during evenings and weekends.
• Ability to support the Toronto Public Service values to ensure a culture that champions equity, diversity, and respectful workplaces.

Note to Internal Full-Time and Part-Time City of Toronto Employees:
City of Toronto employees must apply to full-time or part-time employment opportunities posted on the City's Internal Job Posting Portal.

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion:
The City is an equal opportunity employer, dedicated to creating a workplace culture of inclusiveness that reflects the diverse residents that we serve. Learn more about the City’s commitment to employment equity.