• Work with the City Manager and ELT team, to provide strategic leadership to the organization
• Foster a shared divisional purpose aligned with the City’s corporate strategy, vision and goals
• Actively and positively lead in the development of a respectful, strong and healthy corporate culture
• Ensure positive cross divisional and departmental collaboration to ensure broader City goals and priorities are met
• Engage direct reports in collaborative dialogue; provide feedback and coaching to ensure a clarity of expectations; appropriately delegating and ensuring accountability
• Lead the division through organizational change
Director of Corporate Services
Community Profile
As the third largest city in the province of Alberta, we are a growing, thriving community close to the Rocky Mountains and U.S. border. We have a vibrant cultural, social, and leisure scene, with an extensive network of community events, beautiful parkways, outstanding arts and culture environment, and impressive sporting and recreational facilities and activities. We’re also home to two innovative, post-secondary institutions – Lethbridge Polytechnic and the University of Lethbridge.
Organizational Profile
More than 106,000 residents rely on the services and programs run by the City of Lethbridge every day. With over 45 lines of business and 1,800 full and part-time employees, our City team is dedicated to building a strong community by providing reliable, sustainable services to our residents. Our vision is to be Canada's most vibrant, inclusive, attractive, and sustainable community; where people live in harmony and thrive in opportunity.
Our goal is to be continually strategic and forward-thinking to meet the needs of our community in a nimble and sustainable way, both now and into the long-term future. With an unwavering focus on effectiveness, efficiencies, and sound fiscal stewardship, we are committed to transforming and continually improving our services and operations by harnessing creativity and innovation.
Our community has benefited from:
· Economic growth and our integration with regional and international economies
· Population growth and expanding diversity that promotes social and cultural inclusion
· Dynamic changes in technology
Change is a constant in our community and continues to drive our commitment to our residents. We are proud of our dedicated teams who champion public service through consultation and collaboration, to produce timely and effective results and chart new paths forward.
Position Overview
Reporting directly to the City Manager, the Director of Corporate Services is a trusted member of the City’s Executive Leadership Team (ELT), providing strategic direction to the division and organization, in support of the City’s corporate strategy, vision and goals. You will be a leader for effective service delivery today and a visionary for transformation and service innovation for tomorrow. As a senior leader, you understand the key to success is grounded in fostering a team environment based on a foundation of respect, care, support, and development.
You are a collaborative big-picture thinker with seasoned leadership experience, who can identify opportunities for growth and innovation that align with Council objectives. You are an agile individual who embraces the opportunities, demands, and challenges of delivering services in a dynamic climate of change. As the Director, you will use that line of sight to provide accurate, concise data-driven information, advice, and recommendations to the City Manager, City Council, and other stakeholder groups.
In leading the Corporate Services division of business units, you will ensure their operations are based on sound strategic planning and fiscal stewardship, staying aligned to established direction and objectives. You will act as a mentor and coach who champions well-being and fosters a growth mindset, providing assistance in solving business challenges, as they arise.
Your ability to build relationships, networks, and influence across all levels of the organization and with outside stakeholder groups, will be critical to your success. Advanced political acumen to navigate confidential information and political sensitivities with finesse, as well as to balance community interests with the organization and Council, will also be a notable asset and essential. Articulate communication and presentation skills will round out your required skillset.
The Corporate Services Division encompasses:
| Facility Services | Fleet Services |
| Indigenous Relations | Information Technology |
| Lethbridge Land | Lethbridge Airport |
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Planning & Implementation
• Develop and implement corporate strategies
• Provide oversight and guidance in business planning, budgeting, projects, and issues management within the division, ensuring broader organizational considerations are taken into account
• Oversee the efficient and effective use of all resources assigned to the department
• Utilize relevant data and information from employee and citizen engagement in decision-making processes
• Establish tangible performance measurement methodologies
• Work closely with the City Manager and ELT to maintain a positive and professional relationship with City Council
• Foster, promote, and demonstrate effective and trusting working relationships within ELT, the Corporate Services division, and across the City
• Build and maintain transparent and positive working relationships with external organizations including customer groups, federal and provincial governments, external organizations, and other municipalities
• Represent the interests of the City with external agencies and organizations
Financial Stewardship / Departmental Budgeting
• Maintain overall accountability for the divisional budget
• Ensure divisional financial resources are used in accordance with approved operating and capital budgets, to ensure fiscal accountability
Candidate Professional Profile
Qualifications and Experience
- A post-secondary degree in business administration or public administration, complemented by:
- A minimum of 10-15 years of progressively senior leadership roles, preferably in a municipal government, or public sector setting
- Significant applied knowledge of municipal operations, strategic planning, change management, government relations
- Strategic planning and implementation skills, with the ability to deliver short, medium and long-term corporate goals
- Significant experience building collaborative relationships across broad stakeholder groups, complemented by community leadership and consultation experience
- Successful leadership and people-management skills across large, diverse work environments
- Knowledge and experience working within a multi-union setting, will be an asset
- Advanced decision-making and delegation skills
- Effective negotiation skills
- Successful business transformation/change management experience and skills
The City of Lethbridge offers an attractive and competitive salary, commensurate with experience, as well as a comprehensive flexible benefits plan, and relocation assistance.
Qualified candidates are invited to submit a resume, with cover letter to: www.lethbridge.ca/careers
Closing date: Friday, January 24, 2025, at 11:59 p.m.
For further information on this permanent employment opportunity, please contact:
Rhonda Friesen, Senior Business Partner 403-320-3923 | Rhonda.Friesen@lethbridge.ca
Benefits Overview
The City offers an excellent salary and benefits package to employees. We understand that work/life balance is now more important than ever, and we are committed to continuously improving our flexible work options and benefits to meet the needs of our employees.
At the City, we care about employee's overall wellbeing. We offer a range of benefit options to support employees and their families throughout life's various stages. While we have highlighted some benefits here, please note that the benefits available may vary depending on the union membership and employment agreement of each position.
• Extended health & dental (including vision care, paramedical and travel insurance)
• Flexible spending accounts (Health Spending and Taxable Spending)
• Life, accidental death and dismemberment, and dependent life insurance
• Employee Family Assistance Program
The City’s disability program is self-funded by both the employer and the employees and is run by the Disability Partnership which consists of representatives from each union as well as administration. The Disability team consists of in-house specialists who support employees during their medical leave as well as their return to work. This approach ensures the organization is fiscally responsible and provides employees internal supports.
A pension might not be the first thing you think about when looking for a new employer, but a secure pension that is matched (+1%) by your employer is an essential part of planning for your future. The City of Lethbridge participates in the Local Authorities Pension Plan (LAPP), which is an attractive contributory, defined benefit pension plan.
Permanent members of Administration also qualify for a voluntary, supplementary Pension Plan (APEX), which is designed to enhance the level of benefits payable from LAPP, upon retirement
Paid Administrative Leave and Earned Time Off Leave
Permanent full-time members of Administration also receive an additional week of paid Administrative Leave (37.5 hours), in recognition of occasions when work demands require extra work time above your normal work week. In conjunction with this entitlement, you also become eligible to track and earn up to an additional maximum of 75 hours of paid earned time off, for any further circumstances that require extra work time above your normal work week.
We value and recognize the contributions of our employees by offering various employee benefits and savings including discounts with local service providers. Additionally, we offer the option to invest in RRSPs and Tax-Free Savings Accounts.
Recognizing our employees' outstanding public service is important to us. To show our appreciation, we annually offer Employee Recognition awards, including Best Foot Forward, Public Service MVP and the City Manager’s award of Excellence. We also hold recognition events for those who reach service milestones or retire from the organization.
Employee Wellness and Appreciation Events
Our employees are at the heart of everything we do, and the City is committed to promoting wellness with our employees. The Safety, Health and Wellness Team is passionate about providing employees with the tools and support they require to
achieve a healthy body and a healthy mind through monthly events, mini wellness fairs or ongoing programs.
The City also provides opportunities for employees to re-charge and connect through events like our Whoop-Up Days BBQ, Winter Holiday Party and other events organized by various union and administrative groups.
At the City, we are committed to fostering the growth and development of our employees and leaders. To support this, we provide a variety of opportunities for professional development including:
• Learning Management System - Offers various courses and certificates for job- related training.
• Leadership training- In various programs and individual learning opportunities to support career growth, including Cohort Programs, Supervisory Skills, Team Building and Preference Assessments.
• Financial assistance - For employees looking to continue their growth and development (applications are reviewed on a case-by-case basis to determine eligibility).
• Job sharing - We encourage employees to explore different roles within the organization by offering job sharing and the opportunity to work at different City locations.
Contact Us
City Hall
910 4 Avenue South
Lethbridge, AB T1J 0P6
Phone: 311
or 403-320-3111 (if outside of Lethbridge)