Co-Director, Planning and Design (Campus Design)

Staff - Non Union

Job Category

M&P - AAPS

Job Profile

AAPS Salaried - Facilities Management, Level J

Job Title

Co-Director, Planning and Design (Campus Design)

Department

Leadership | Director | Planning and Design

Compensation Range

$12,755.08 - $19,905.67 CAD Monthly

The Compensation Range is the span between the minimum and maximum base salary for a position. The midpoint of the range is approximately halfway between the minimum and the maximum and represents an employee that possesses full job knowledge, qualifications and experience for the position. In the normal course, employees will be hired, transferred or promoted between the minimum and midpoint of the salary range for a job.

Posting End Date

April 29, 2025

Note: Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM on the Posting End Date.

Job End Date

This position is expected to be filled by promotion/reassignment and is included here to inform you of its vacancy at the University.

At UBC, we believe that attracting and sustaining a diverse workforce is key to the successful pursuit of excellence in research, innovation, and learning for all faculty, staff and students. Our commitment to employment equity helps achieve inclusion and fairness, brings rich diversity to UBC as a workplace, and creates the necessary conditions for a rewarding career. 

Job Summary

The Co-Director, Planning and Design (Campus Design) is responsible for planning, directing, managing and monitoring all matters relating to campus urban design, exterior building design and the public realm, as well as providing strategic leadership of campus design assignments for the UBC Okanagan campus. The position is responsible for the stewardship and design of the built environment, leading a team that advances excellence in the architecture, landscapes, and public realm of UBC’s campuses, including by developing urban design concepts and guidelines and facilitating their implementation across projects. The position provides strategic leadership for the development of integrated design processes that engage design and engineering subject experts and stakeholders to develop urban design plans. This position is also responsible for providing advice on the planning and development of major alterations to the university’s buildings and landscapes and for overall integration of academic and neighbourhood projects into a cohesive whole. The Co-Director, Planning and Design (Campus Design) is responsible for facilitating and resolving complex building, landscape and infrastructure projects as well as establishing and recommending a variety of other urban design and planning plans and policies. The Co-Director also shares the responsibility of implementing these plans through development project review. In addition, the Co-Director plays a leadership role in working with Musqueam to reflect their interests in capital projects, landscapes, and public realm projects to advance Musqueam presence and welcome on the Vancouver campus lands. This role includes facilitating ongoing communication through a structured update process between UBC and Musqueam. This position requires work outside normal hours.

Organizational Status

This position reports to the AVP, Campus and Community Planning and co-leads the Planning and Design unit along with the Co-Director Planning and Design (Community Planning). Through the AVP, the incumbent works with the University Executive and several advisory bodies regarding land use planning on the Vancouver campus including the Advisory Urban Design Panel and the Public Realm Plan Steering Committee. The Co-Director, Planning and Design (Campus Design) will provide strategic leadership to establish strong working relationships with other units within Campus & Community Planning and with other related departments and subsidiaries on the UBC Vancouver campus including: Facilities, Building Operations, Student Housing and Community Services, UBC Properties Trust, Athletics, Energy and Water Services, and Risk Management; and Campus Planning & Development on the UBC Okanagan campus. The position will also contribute to relevant planning policies of Metro Vancouver, the City of Vancouver, and City of Kelowna and other government authorities where requested.

Work Performed

1. Establishes a vision for the University’s urban design goals, its architectural fabric, landscape character and public realm. Provides ongoing leadership for articulating, implementing and stewarding this vision.

2. Leads, initiates and facilitates interest-based planning/design processes with department heads (e.g. from academic faculties, SHCS, VP Students, Facilities, Athletics, Energy & Water Services, etc.) to advance relevant concepts, principles, plans and strategies contained in UBC policy.

3. For the Vancouver campus, leads design aspects of the Land Use Plan, Campus Vision, Campus Plan, Indigenous Strategic Plan, Neighbourhood Plans, Public Realm Plan, Transportation Plan, and 20 Year Sustainability Strategy. For the Okanagan campus, leads the design aspects of the UBC Okanagan Campus Plan and associated architectural and development guidelines and other built-form policies.

4. Leads the design vision for new institutional capital projects by engaging leadership from academic departments, Facilities, UBC Properties Trust, Project Services, Building Operations, Musqueam and other stakeholders, culminating in a Design Brief of shared social, economic, environmental and urban design goals and performance targets. Leads urban design and financial viability testing of building programs through processes that engages a broad range of subject experts.

5. Leads and advances UBC’s sustainability, Indigenous presence and landscapes agendas through collaborative design processes that integrate programming, implementation, operational and financial interests.

6. Develops and implements heritage policies, programs and projects, maximizing the reuse and care of culturally significant buildings, precincts and landscapes. Develops design expectations for important building sites or aspects of the public realm, balancing the interests of stakeholders and community partners.

7. Integrates directions from UBC’s Indigenous Strategic Plan in the design of buildings, places and landscapes, including direct engagement with Musqueam and Indigenous faculty, staff and students to best address needs and interests.

8. Manages and implements multi-million-dollar capital initiatives such as the Public Realm Plan as part of making UBC a complete community.

9. Chairs the Architect Selection Committee for major capital institutional projects at UBC Vancouver and UBC Okanagan. Maintains knowledge of the experience and capabilities of Canadian architectural and landscape architectural firms.

10. Acts as the urban design, architecture, and landscape representative on internal steering committees.

11. Directs the Sr. Manager, Musqueam Engagement and other UBC departments to reflect and advance Musqueam interests in capital projects, landscapes, and public realm projects.

Development Review and Administration

1. Oversees the management of the UBC Advisory Urban Design Panel and the Public Realm Plan Steering Committee including monitoring their performance, evolving its member composition, and writing and presenting recommendation reports.

2. Establishes processes and provides ongoing facilitation of the schematic design and development review processes, ensuring:

• a collaborative, interest-based approach
• applicant and University objectives are both optimized
• the intent of established planning, development and building policies are met
• timely, progressive decision-making structure and process

3. Provides design guidance (or advice/consultation) to the Director of Planning, Development Services during the Development Permit review process, through oversight of staff that provide professional guidance to applicants and project managers in development permit applications based on applicable policies and best practices. Negotiates changes to proposed projects to achieve University objectives, using the review process to enhance the campus built environment by identifying opportunities for improvement and design excellence within the context of schedules and budgets. Works with colleagues in other units to optimize outcomes of the Development Permit and Streets and Landscape Permit process.

Leadership and Management

1. As co-lead of the management team for Planning and Design, plays an integral role in strategic leadership and management of the unit along with the Co-Director, Planning and Design (Community Planning).

2. Hires, mentors and supervises the Campus Design team, including the University Architect, Landscape Architect, Urban Designer, Planning Assistant, and other staff and consultants, to advance a broad range of planning initiatives programs, assuring alignment with the University’s strategic plans and academic mission.

3. Prepares annual workplans and budgets for the unit in partnership with the Co-Director of Planning and Design (Community Planning).

4. Prepares and manages budgets and approves expenditures of up to several million dollars in discharging the above responsibilities and in partnership with the Co-Director of Planning and Design (Community Planning).

5. Manages Human Resources issues, in collaboration with the Co-Director of Planning and Design (Community Planning) and UBC HR, in the areas of recruitment, performance evaluation, training, coaching, attendance management, discipline and terminations.

6. Initiates, develops and maintains positive and productive relationships with a broad range of stakeholders including senior administrative staff, professional colleagues, esteemed volunteers and donors, the external architectural and development communities, campus faculty and staff and peer colleagues in other departments.

7. Leads visioning initiatives and engages on capital projects with a wide range of internal and external audiences, including the, Property and Planning Advisory Committee, Presidents Advice Committee on Campus Enhancement, Development Permit Board and public meetings in order to monitor, advance, and update policies and their implementation.

8. Develops and maintains relationships with related academic disciplines within the University, including SALA and SCARP and SEEDS partnerships.

9. Through collaborative processes develops policies, processes and design controls to ensure adherence to the Land Use Plan and community plans and other policies.

10. Prepares budgets and approves expenditures of up to several million dollars in discharging the above responsibilities.

11. Participates in University committees and task forces as requested, representing the department.

12. Represents the University in external relationships, particularly with the Architectural Institute of British Columbia and other professional organizations.

Consequence of Error/Judgement

This position has a significant influence on the quality and development of the University campus lands. The Co-Director, Planning and Design (Campus Design) is responsible for recommendations and decisions related to the land use and development of the UBC campus lands ensuring quality and optimizing the functionality and land economics of the university’s built environment. The incumbent will also influence the viability of building sites for development and funding in certain areas within significant project budgets into the hundreds of millions of dollars. Errors in this work can create risks of a financial, legal or political nature, which in turn result in project cost and time delays.

Supervision Received

Reports to the AVP, Campus and Community Planning, and co-leads the unit with the Co-Director of Planning and Design (Campus Design). Works under policy directions within broad objectives and Board directions and the acts and regulations of the discipline; instructions are generally verbal and strategic in nature.

Supervision Given

Will supervise several professional architects, urban designers, landscape architects and support staff and coordinate several major initiatives and issues at any one time. Will manage the work of consultants. Will also coordinate efforts of department staff along with the Co-Director of Planning and Design (Community Planning) and provide technical guidance for the completion of specific assignments. Must be able to lead major, complex planning projects and deliver diplomatic leadership as conflicts arise. The Co-Director, Planning and Design (Campus Design) is part of the Campus & Community Planning senior staff management team.

Minimum Qualifications

• Undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline.

• Eligibility for membership in a professional Institute or Association.

• Minimum of 10 years’ experience in related architectural and planning experience including experience with major construction or renovation projects or the equivalent combination of education and experience.

• Willingness to respect diverse perspectives, including perspectives in conflict with one’s own.

• Demonstrated commitment to enhancing one’s own awareness, knowledge, and skills related to equity, diversity, and inclusion.

Additional Preferred Qualifications

• Post-graduate degree in Architecture or Urban Design, or equivalent experience.  

• Mixture of private and public sectors experience.

• Ability to develop urban design and public realm concepts and provide design leadership for large development projects and precinct concept plans.

• Ability to plan, lead and facilitate integrated design processes with diverse stakeholders to ensure projects meet sustainability, aesthetic, functional, policy, regulatory and financial targets.

• Ability to impart the vision and strategies of UBC s sustainability, planning and design objectives.

• Strong understanding of designing for environmental and social well-being, real estate proforma and related business plan elements.

• Ability to exercise sound judgment.

• Ability to communicate effectively verbally and in writing, including preparation of technical and strategic reports for senior leadership.

• Ability to develop and manage work programs and budgets and prioritize and work effectively under pressure to meet deadlines.

• Ability to effectively recruit, train, supervise, and motivate employees.

• Ability to succeed in a matrix organizational environment.