PROGRAM MANAGER BUSINESS SUPPORT

City of Toronto • $105K — $160K *

Toronto, ON M3C 0E3In-Person

Education, Government & Non-Profit

5 - 7 years of experience

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Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

Post-secondary education in a relevant discipline or equivalent experience.
Significant program leadership experience addressing divisional issues.
Track record of delivering complex projects with minimal supervision.
Strong stakeholder and relationship management experience at all organizational levels.
Proven experience managing City Council relations and issues management.
Expertise in crafting comprehensive reports and professional presentations.
Advanced leadership and supervisory skills for effective team management.

Responsibilities

Provide strategic advice on divisional reports and Council engagement strategies.
Manage relationships with City Council and engage stakeholders effectively.
Oversee the creation of executive communications and ensure message alignment.
Lead improvements in governance practices and stakeholder engagement processes.
Track Council directives and monitor corporate initiatives for compliance.
Direct the issues management function and develop response strategies.
Coordinate media responses and ensure accurate communications.

Benefits

Comprehensive health benefits package.
Pension plan and retirement savings options.
Professional development and training opportunities.
Work-life balance with flexible scheduling options.

Full Job Description

Job ID: 66566

Job Category: Policy, Planning & Research

Division & Section: Corporate Real Estate Management

Work Location: Metro Hall, 55 John St, Toronto

Job Type & Duration: Full- time, Permanent Vacancy

Salary Range: $105,241 - $160,649

Shift Information: 35 hours per week, Monday to Friday

Affiliation: Non- Union

Number of Positions Open: 1

Posting Period: 11-Sep-2026 to 25-Sep-2026

Job Summary

Reporting to the Project Director, Internal Corporate Services, this position provides strategic leadership for the division's strategic advice to City Council and issues management functions and serves as a key advisor to the Senior Management Team. The role leads the development and execution of Council engagement strategies, addresses emerging issues, opportunities, and risks, and ensures alignment between Council priorities, corporate objectives, and divisional business planning.

Major Responsibilities

Council Engagement and Reporting

Provides confidential, strategic advice and leadership and oversight for the planning, coordination, quality assurance, and advancement of all divisional reports, briefing notes, and agenda items to City Council and its Committees. Ensures timely, accurate, and integrated advice to decision-makers; assesses the strategic, operational, financial, and policy implications of staff advice to Council; and provides expert advice to senior leadership on implementation considerations, risks, opportunities, and mitigation strategies.
Manages the division's Council relations and engagement function, serving as the primary advisor on Council processes and stakeholder considerations. Develops and executes proactive Councillor engagement strategies, cultivates effective working relationships with Members of Council and their offices, and provides strategic advice to senior management to advance divisional priorities within a complex municipal governance environment.
Oversees the development of executive-level communications, including strategic briefings, speaking notes, key messages, correspondence, Council materials, and issue notes. Ensures messaging is accurate, consistent, timely, and aligned with divisional objectives, corporate priorities, and Council direction.
Leads the continuous improvement of governance, decision-support, and political engagement practices across the division. Establishes and sustains effective processes, controls, and standards that strengthen accountability, strategic alignment, risk management, and the coordinated management of interactions with Members of Council, political offices, and key stakeholders.
Provides ongoing tracking and follow-up on Council directives and ongoing corporate/divisional initiatives including monitoring of master divisional critical paths.. Establishes processes to track decisions, assigned actions, deliverables, and timelines; ensures divisional compliance with Council direction; identifies implementation risks and barriers; and provides strategic advice and reporting to senior leadership on progress, emerging issues, and corrective actions.

Issues Management

Directs the division's issues management function, monitoring and responding to Council requests, political priorities, stakeholder interests, and emerging issues. Identifies potential risks and opportunities, anticipates impacts on divisional programs and strategic initiatives, and leads the development of response strategies and action plans.
Coordinates the division's response to media inquiries in partnership with the City's Communications Division. Provides strategic advice, gathers and validates information, oversees the development of media responses and briefing materials, and ensures messaging is accurate, timely, consistent, and aligned with divisional priorities and corporate objectives.
Supports the Division Head and senior management team in addressing ongoing and emerging issues and priorities for the Division.
Carries out cross divisional/ service area initiatives/issues resolution requiring coordination and response on behalf of senior leadership or provides project management for larger scale initiatives.

Operational Effectiveness

Develops and implements detailed plans and recommends policies regarding program specific requirements.
Manages, motivates and trains staff, ensuring effective teamwork, high standards of work quality and organizational performance, continuous learning and encourages innovation in others. Manages assigned staff by setting directions and monitoring direction and performance of staff related to it.
Supervises the day-to-day operation of all assigned staff including the scheduling, assigning, and reviewing of work. Authorizes and controls vacation and overtime requests. Monitors and evaluates staff performance, approves salary increments and recommends disciplinary action when necessary.
Represents the Division on key divisional and corporate initiatives and maintains effective working relationships with the Deputy City Manager's Office, senior management both internal and external to the Division, divisional staff, external boards and agencies and other levels of government.
Establishes an effective and collaborative working relationships with the Division's senior management team, management staff, staff from other City Divisions and external partners for operational initiatives.
Leads and/or participates on various divisional and cross-divisional Committees, Task Forces and Working Groups as the divisional representative, providing input, advice and recommendations that support the mandate and goals of the Division.

Key Qualifications

1. Post-secondary education in a professional discipline pertinent to the job function combined with relevant experience or an equivalent of education and experience.
2. Considerable experience operating as a fully accountable program leader, identifying needs, initiating, coordinating and managing the implementation of solutions in response to divisional issues.
3. Considerable experience delivering complex projects and programs with minimal direction, while balancing organizational, political, community and other stakeholder interests.
4. Considerable experience with stakeholder and relationship management at all levels, including directors, senior leaders in other divisions, and staff.
5. Considerable experience managing City Council relations and engagement functions, and issues management.
6. Considerable experience in preparing comprehensive reports, briefing notes and professional presentation material.
7. Advanced leadership skills with demonstrated supervisory competencies including the ability to coach, hold accountable, mentor, engage and motivate staff.
8. Highly developed communication and presentation skills at all organizational levels.
9. Highly developed interpersonal skills with the ability to interact with diverse client groups, excellent listening skills and a strong commitment to customer service.
10. Highly developed human relation skills with the ability to effectively handle matters of a confidential/sensitive nature as it relates to Council, other senior staff, management, and unionized employees.
11. Ability to lead change and be flexible, responsive, critical and demonstrates new ways to think, act and plan.
12. Knowledge of legislative and contractual obligations and related corporate policies.
13. Working knowledge of HR policies and procedures, collective agreement provisions and legislative compliance requirements.

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