Position: Manager, Economic Transformation (Inclusive Workforce Development)
Reports to: Director, Economic Transformation and Climate Action
Employment Type: Full-Time Permanent.
Full-time employees are generally expected to work a 37.5-hour work week during core office hours (9:00AM-4:30PM, Mondays through Fridays). Please note that the Vancouver Economic Commission has a hybrid workplace model, with employees spending 2-3 days in the office and the rest of their work week remotely.
Compensation: $70,000-75,000 annually, commensurate on experience and qualifications.
The Vancouver Economic Commission offers a comprehensive employee benefits package to full-time staff members, including a generous health insurance package, an annual allotment of paid vacation and personal leave, and eligibility to participate in the Municipal Pension Plan (MPP).
Application Deadline: Sunday, April 10, 2022, 11:59PM (PST)
Main Purpose and Function
The Vancouver Economic Commission’s mandate is to support the building of a prosperous, inclusive, low-carbon and resilient economy in Vancouver.
VEC’s Economic Transformation team fulfils this mandate by working on an economic transition towards a just future for Vancouver, in which there is prosperity for all. They do so by providing expert insights to relevant policymakers, engaging stakeholders and rightsholders in the business, academic and investor communities, pursuing opportunities for issues-based economic development, and leading and overseeing select strategic programs, initiatives, events and engagement in the local economy.
As a member of the Economic Transformation team, the Manager, Economic Transformation (Inclusive Workforce Development) is responsible for advising, leading, and supporting strategic programs, initiatives, events, and engagement to enable workforce development. With support from other VEC staff, the Manager, Economic Transformation (Inclusive Workforce Development) will focus on activities that build justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI) in the local business communities.
Key Contacts and Reporting Relationships
- The Manager, Economic Transformation (Inclusive Workforce Development) reports to the Director, Economic Transformation and Climate Action
- The Manager, Economic Transformation (Inclusive Workforce Development) is expected to work with and support other VEC team members as needed, and will be supported in turn according to the needs of various projects and programs
- Performance goals, workplans and work allocation will be reviewed on a regular basis with their manager, as approved by the CEO. These goals and workplans will be adapted from time to time as business and organizational needs evolve
Duties and Responsibilities
Specific duties will vary as work is allocated, but will most often include:
- Bring JEDI lens. Lead and/or support workforce development initiatives and support embedding justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion principles within all VEC initiatives. Provide advice and coaching to the wider VEC team on workforce development initiatives with a justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion lens
- Lead Teams. Lead and support VEC staff and contractors with roles on work items allocated to the Manager, Economic Transformation (Inclusive Workforce Development).
- Champion VEC programs, initiatives, and mandate. Clearly articulate VEC’s role and priorities when working with others, and proactively identify opportunities for advancing them in collaboration with external parties
- Strategic Relationship Management. With support from VEC colleagues, be VEC’s primary relationship lead with select equity-denied communities
- Catalyzing a prosperous, inclusive, zero-carbon and resilient economy for Vancouver: With support from the Leadership Team and VEC colleagues, identify and deliver research, programs, and advocacy that help build an economy that reflects VEC’s core priorities
- Project Management. Under the supervision of the Director, Economic Transformation and Climate Action, initiate, develop, close and report out on projects focused on workforce development and resiliency
- Promotion of Projects, Programs and Deliverables. Work with marketing and communications staff on publishing and promoting relevant initiatives from conception (e.g. program intakes and application launches) to final deliverables (e.g. promoting outcomes, final reports)
- Other duties/responsibilities as assigned
Position Requirements
VEC recognizes that relevant knowledge and experience can come from many different avenues. Alternative training or expertise will also be considered. If this job sounds like a good fit with your capabilities and passions, you are encouraged to apply!
Education, experience and knowledge
The ideal candidate will have the following qualifications in education, work and lived experience, and knowledge:
- A graduate university degree in JEDI-focused human resources, business administration, anthropology, sustainability, economics, public policy, planning, teaching or an equivalent combination of lived experience, education, training, and work experience
- 10 years’ experience supporting and leading project management, advisory and / or advocacy for the green, just economy, and/or local business community and/or economic development and/or economy-related policy
- Strong understanding of the innovation ecosystem, particularly with regards to the technology sector and digital economy
- Minimum of 5 years’ experience leading people, initiatives, projects, and teams
- Experience with workforce development, skills training, and development
- PMP certification and/or CHRP certification considered an asset
- Strong working relationships with relevant communities, such as peers in government, local industry and groups working with equity-denied populations
- Demonstrated experience and skill in advocacy to senior levels of government including policy and service delivery
- Knowledge of prior VEC initiatives and programming and current mandate and organizational functions considered an asset
Skills and Abilities
The ideal candidate will have all the following knowledge, skills, and abilities.
- Leadership. Demonstrated experience in bringing together and sustaining teams made up of diverse members; the ability to lead, inspire and motivate, to bring out the best in others, and to compassionately manage and coach colleagues
- Workforce Development and JEDI Maturity: Extensive knowledge of trends in workforce development and skills training, and deep understanding of wider societal and systemic JEDI issues, particularly those impacting JEDI outcomes in workplaces
- Strategy and business analysis. Strong analytical and problem-solving skills that can be applied to complex, multi-faceted issues, with the ability to think objectively and innovatively, and to present solutions in clear and compelling terms
- Facilitation. Strong group facilitation skills, with the ability to bring together people with a diverse set of interests, styles, and areas of expertise, to align them toward a unified goal, and to reconcile differing perspectives, develop consensus and secure cooperation and support
- Business relationship management. Ability to understand and steward complex business relationships, based upon a solid understanding of workforce development and JEDI initiatives in the Vancouver business community and academia
- Professionalism. Ability to appropriately represent the VEC to all levels of government, academia, and industry contacts, including by respecting appropriate protocols, upholding confidentiality, inspiring credibility, and generally conducting oneself with tact and diplomacy
- Aptitude with Office Productivity Tools. Strong computer competency in productivity tools to support business analytics and decision-making
- Curiosity/quick learner. An aptitude for and interest in learning about a wide variety of topics
- Organization and efficiency. Excellent organizational skills, with the ability to concurrently manage multiple tasks and competing priorities in a fast-paced, dynamic environment
- Communication. Superior written communication, verbal communication, and presentation skills. Ability to participate comfortably in discussions on justice, equity, decolonization, and inclusion using current discourse (e.g., human rights, anti-oppression, social justice) while remaining open to new and challenging ideas
- Public speaker. Proven experience as a subject matter expert or in public speaking considered an asset.
The Vancouver Economic Commission is committed to recruiting a diverse workforce that represents the community we so proudly serve. Indigenous applicants, people of colour, all genders, LGBT2Q+ and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply. Accommodations will be provided upon request during the selection process.
Based in Vancouver, VEC respectfully acknowledges that it is located on the unceded ancestral territories of the Musqueam, Tsleil-Waututh and Squamish Nations.
Application Process
This posting will be live until Sunday, April 10, 2022, 11:59PM (PST). After interviews, VEC expects to make an offer to the successful candidate by April 30, 2022.
The deadline to apply has passed.
