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About the Role

The Senior Cultural Affairs Officer leads the City of Toronto’s Cultural Districts Program, recognizing and celebrating distinct cultural areas while addressing challenges like commercial displacement and loss of cultural identity. This role delivers ceremonial recognition, designs capacity-building initiatives for community organizations, and develops policy recommendations for sustainable community development within these districts. The position also contributes to key cultural space and planning initiatives outlined in 'Culture Connects: An Action Plan for Culture in Toronto (2025–2035)', advancing integrated, city-wide cultural planning through collaboration with City divisions and community partners.

Responsibilities

Develops and leads the City’s Cultural Districts Program, and cultural planning, space, and infrastructure projects.
Develops and implements detailed plans and recommends policies regarding cultural districts and cultural planning.
Strategically prioritizes the work of the division to support cultural districts, and cultural space development and retention.
Supervises assigned projects, ensuring effective teamwork, communication, high standards of work quality, organizational performance, and continuous learning.
Acts as the primary contact point for external and internal inquiries, providing information and professional advice to cultural organizations interested in developing, renting, or purchasing space.
Consults with City Divisions, real estate developers, and not-for-profit arts and cultural organizations to review cultural development proposals from a municipal cultural perspective.
Coordinates and provides input into corporate strategic initiatives such as secondary plans, neighbourhood studies, community services, and site-specific real estate development proposals to address municipal cultural planning challenges and opportunities.
Leads research on supporting cultural districts, cultural space policies, and other cultural planning matters, ensuring alignment with City priorities, corporate policies, legislation, and initiatives by other government levels.
Plans and delivers culturally appropriate public engagement activities such as workshops, community consultations, and events related to cultural districts, local capacity building, and cultural planning.
Identifies emerging cultural space and planning issues through knowledge of sector trends and proposes initiatives to increase culture's impact on the city's economic and social life.
Ensures project expenditures are controlled and maintained within approved budget limitations.
Facilitates and initiates new partnerships to support cultural organizations in accessing space and advancing sector development, with a focus on partnerships for cultural districts.
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 and space initiatives within cultural districts.
Provides essential leadership and direction in representing the Economic Development and Culture Division on various working groups, teams, and committees.

Requirements

Post-secondary education in a related discipline such as planning, arts administration, or a related field, or the equivalent combination of education and experience.
Considerable experience with cultural planning, public engagement, and/or infrastructure projects involving multiple communities and stakeholders.
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.
Experience developing, planning, and carrying out community engagement and consultation activities that involve and support diverse groups, including Indigenous peoples, Black communities, equity-deserving populations, artists, and cultural organizations.
Considerable experience managing projects and motivating and leading project teams.
Experience preparing comprehensive reports and applying relevant information to support policy analysis and decision-making.
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 for decision-making.
Strong communication skills, both written and oral, with a demonstrated ability to communicate effectively at a professional level with community members, elected officials, consultants, and staff.
Strong problem-solving and conflict resolution skills.
Sound judgment and ability to handle confidential matters.
Familiarity with government legislation in the area of Occupational Health and Safety.
Ability to work flexible hours, which may include overtime and occasional evenings and weekends.

Skills

Cultural planning
Public engagement
Infrastructure project management
Policy development
Stakeholder management
Community engagement
Project management
Team leadership
Report writing
Policy analysis
Research
Analytical skills
Written communication
Oral communication
Problem-solving
Conflict resolution
Judgment
Confidentiality
Occupational Health and Safety legislation awareness

Location

City Hall, 100 Queen St. W., Toronto

Work Type

Hybrid
Full-time

Experience Level

Senior

Education Level

Post-secondary education in a related discipline (e.g., planning, arts administration) or equivalent experience

Salary/Compensations

$105,241.00 - $160,649.00

About the Company

The City of Toronto is committed to creating an accessible and inclusive organization.
We are committed to providing barrier-free and accessible employment practices in compliance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA).
Disability-related accommodation during the application process is available upon request.

Equal Opportunity

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.
Should you require Code-protected accommodation through any stage of the recruitment process, please make them known when contacted and we will work with you to meet your needs.