Employment Opportunities

Community Development Department- SENIOR PLANNER

Permanent Full-Time

Town of Lunenburg, Nova Scotia

Located on Nova Scotia’s South shore, the town of Lunenburg is a diverse and vibrant community of 2,300+ year -round residents with numerous seasonal residents. Lunenburg is a coastal town offering a multitude of cultural and recreational opportunities which supports a quality of lifestyle and is within a short driving distance of Halifax and Stanfield International Airport.

Lunenburg maintains a diverse balance of initiatives that focus on community, environment, development and providing quality municipal services to the community. Lunenburg Town Council and Staff are committed to ensuring residents, business owners and visitors fully enjoy the best of Lunenburg, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Senior Planner is the Town’s lead functional professional for development applications,long-range planning and policy initiatives that help shape Lunenburg. Topics of elevated importance in Lunenburg include built form, its heritage character, being a waterfront and coastal community, housing supply, climate resilience, transportation, and others.

Working within the Department of Community Development on a small team and reporting to the Director of Community Development, the Senior Planner functions as a subject-matter expert, with position components that involve project management and mentorship roles. The overall role requires a balancing of more strategic policy work with day-to-day operationally focused development review and public engagement components.

The position requires a personal suitability that includes, excellent judgement, effective communication skills, and the ability to collaborate across departments and with external partners including developers, residents, other regional municipalities, Indigenous communities and both Provincial and Federal Governments.

Principal Responsibilities

Development Review & Approvals

    • Particularly with larger scale submissions, the person in this role will be expected to lead pre-application meetings, coordinate application checklists, and processing for rezonings, LUB (Land Use By-Law) amendments, development agreements, site-plan approvals, variances, and subdivisions.
    • Preparation of professional planning reports and recommendations for and in collaboration with the Director and CAO, as well as for audiences that include the PAC (Planning Advisory Committee) and Town Council.
    • Manage interdepartmental coordination to address engineering, servicing, transportation, heritage, environmental, parks and accessibility considerations in planning and development.
    • Draft development agreements, Town conditions, and ensure appropriate file management, including mandated timelines and legislated agreements are met.
    • Represent the Town at public hearings, as necessary.

Long-Range Policy Planning and Review

    • Lead the review and update of processes for Town planning documents including the MPS (Municipal Planning Strategy), LUB (Land Use By-law) and Subdivision By-Law.
    • Integrate Statements of Provincial Interest, coastal and flood risk data, climate change/adaptation, sea-level rise, and other areas of strategic importance to Planning and Development, including in advancing housing initiatives.
    • In collaboration with the Community Development team, integrate heritage conservation policies compatible with the Town’s UNESCO World Heritage Designation, the Town’s Heritage Conservation District, and other heritage related program designations.
    • In collaboration with the Community Development team, prepare Grant applications related to Planning and Development.
    • Oversee planning consultant project work.

Community & Stakeholder Engagement

    • In collaboration with the Community Development team and other Departments, prepare and deliver opportunities for engagement (surveys, workshops, open houses) related to planning matters.
    • Build relationships with Mi’kmaq communities and incorporate Indigenous perspectives and rights-based considerations where appropriate.
    • Communicate complex planning concepts clearly and respectfully with diverse audiences and diplomatically manage contentious files.

Data Mapping & Analytics

In conjunction with Community Development team:

    • Maintain and analyze planning datasets (parcels, zoning, heritage inventories, coastal and hazard layers, infrastructure, growth capacity).
    • Produce Mapping and other visuals for Council and public communications -ArcGIS.
    • Track performance indicators such as application timelines, permit approvals, housing starts etc.

Leadership & Mentorship

  • Provide day to day guidance to junior planning / technician staff.

What You Possess

    • Degree level education in Planning
    • Licensed Professional Planner (LPP) in Nova Scotia (LPPANS)
    • 5 (five) to 7 (seven) years of related professional experience
    • Demonstrated knowledge of Nova Scotia legislative and policy context (Municipal government Act, Heritage Property Act, environmental and coastal policy, Statements of Provincial interest).
    • Experience working in contexts of heritage communities or heritage conservation districts.
    • Equity & Inclusion mindset: - Design accessible processes and consider distributional impacts.
    • Collaboration - Build trust with residents, Council, staff and partners, negotiate positive outcomes.
    • Problem Solving – Thoughtful and creative mediation, translate policy to practical solutions, innovates within legislation.
    • Professional Integrity- Maintains impartiality, transparency, and respect for statutory process.
    • Excellent communication skills – verbal, ability to communicate to a wide range of audiences, written and technical. Additional languages an asset

This is a full-time, thirty-five hours (35) per week, on-site with flexibility, senior management position based at Town Hall. You will be required to have a Class 5 Drivers License with clean abstract and a RCMP Vulnerable Sector check will be required.

We Offer  

The Town of Lunenburg offers a competitive salary $97,189. –  $106,300. commensurate with experience and a comprehensive benefits package including defined contribution pension plan.

 

 Closing Date: Monday, September 29, 2025 – 4:00PM 

Please send Cover Letter and Resume in confidence to:

 Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with SENIOR PLANNER in the subject line.

All Candidates must be legally eligible to work in Canada.

The Town of Lunenburg is committed to the fundamental principles of Equal Employment Opportunity
          and in accordance with the Nova Scotia Human Rights Act and Accessibility Act.

CHECK US OUT!  @  www.townoflunenburg.ca