SENIOR CULTURAL AFFAIRS OFFICER

• Job Category: Economic Development, Arts & Culture
• Division & Section: Economic Development & Culture, EDC Arts & Culture Services
• Work Location: City Hall, 100 Queen St. W, Toronto
• Shift Information: Monday to Friday, 35 hours per week
• Affiliation: Non-Union
• Number of Positions Open: 1
• Posting Period: 18-NOV-2024 to 02-DEC-2024

Reporting to the Manager, Cultural Partnerships, the Senior Cultural Affairs Officer will lead projects and develop policies to support the creation and retention of cultural spaces and places across Toronto. This position will be responsible for implementing key initiatives related to cultural space identified in “Culture Connects: An Action Plan for Culture in Toronto (2025-2035)” and will work in collaboration with other City divisions and the cultural sector to ensure a supply of affordable, sustainable spaces for cultural programming and production.

Major Responsibilities:

• Develops and leads cultural planning, space, and infrastructure projects.
• Develops and implements detailed plans and recommends policies regarding cultural space development, retention and sustainability.
• Strategically prioritizes the work of the division to support cultural space development and retention.
• Supervises assigned projects, ensuring effective teamwork and communication, high standards of work quality and organization performance and continuous learning.
• Leads research into cultural space policies, tax policies, etc., ensuring that such research takes into account overall City priorities, corporate policies and practices, legislation and initiatives by other levels of government.
• Acts as a primary contact point for external and internal inquiries related to cultural space, including providing information to cultural organizations that are interested in leasing, purchasing or developing space.
• Identifies emerging cultural space and planning issues through knowledge of trends and changes in the sector and proposes initiatives to increase culture's impact on the economic and social life of the city.
• Ensures that project expenditures are controlled and maintained within approved budget limitations.
• Facilitates and initiates new and innovative partnerships to support cultural organizations to access space and advance the development of the sector.
• Leads interdivisional staff teams on special projects and manages the work of outside consultants. Prepares reports to Committee and Council on complex cultural planning issues.
• Coordinates calls for tenants and lease negotiations for City-owned cultural facilities.
• Provides essential leadership and direction in representing the Economic Development and Culture Division on various working groups, teams, and committees.

Key Qualifications:

• Post-secondary education in a related discipline such as planning, arts administration or in a related field or the equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Considerable experience with cultural planning and/or infrastructure projects involving multiple communities and stakeholders and/or in possession of an urban planning designation.
• Experience delivering complex planning and policy assignments from inception to implementation while balancing political, departmental and stakeholder interests combined with a thorough understanding of the culture sector.
• Considerable experience managing projects and motivating and leading project teams.
• Experience preparing comprehensive reports and the application of relevant information to support policy analysis and decision-making.
• A strong knowledge of provincial legislation and policy around planning, land use, development, heritage, zoning, and municipal by-laws.
• Excellent research and analytical skills to support policy development activities; ability to conceptualize and develop options and recommendations to support decision making.
• Strong communication skills, both written and oral with a demonstrated ability to communicate effectively at a professional level with senior staff, consultants, staff and officials from across the organization and external stakeholders.
• Strong problem solving and conflict resolution skills.
• Sound judgement and ability to handle matters of a confidential nature.
• Familiarity with government legislation in the area of Occupational Health and Safety.

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.