About Us:
As one of the fastest growing cities in Alberta, the City of Airdrie is a recognized leader in building a vibrant and sustainable community through innovation.
At the City of Airdrie, incredible opportunities happen every day in a flexible work environment that is tailored to each department. Our inclusive culture and values create a workplace where we welcome aspiring, driven and creative individuals to help us accomplish our business and community goals. We are supportive of one another, and we have fun while we serve our community. We are passionate about improving the lives of our residents through care and respect; that is the foundation of our organization. At the City of Airdrie, we learn, grow and accomplish great things together. We’re proud to foster a workplace culture built on dedication, teamwork, and genuine care. Our commitment to creating a positive environment is reflected in our employee feedback from the 2025 Employee Engagement Survey, with 92.8% of employees saying they enjoy their work, and 92.6% feeling equipped with the resources they need to stay safe on the job.
If you have a passion for building a better community and are ready to join the excitement, we’d love to hear from you!
The Opportunity:
The Community Services Strategist is responsible for advancing the Community Services directorate’s priorities by aligning Council direction into actionable strategies, policies, and cross-functional initiatives. The role operates at both a directorate and cross-departmental level, where Community Services priorities intersect with corporate planning, infrastructure, and growth, ensuring recreation, arts, and culture strategies are aligned with broader municipal objectives and Council’s focus areas.
This position leads complex, multi-stakeholder initiatives, facilitating collaboration across departments and ensuring strategies and policies are integrated, clearly defined, and positioned for execution by operational business units. The Strategist works in close partnership with Managers, who retain accountability for service delivery and contribute subject matter expertise to long-term planning. The role operates through influence and formal governance structures, with accountability to align decision-makers, remove barriers, and escalate issues to senior leadership where required.
The position also provides strategic guidance on funding approaches, including grants, partnerships, levies, and cost-sharing, in collaboration with Finance and other corporate functions.
Success in this role is demonstrated through improved cross-departmental alignment, advancement of priority initiatives, and the development of clear, actionable long-term plans that guide service, infrastructure, and investment decisions.
Responsibilities include:
- Lead development of a long-term Recreation, Arts and Culture Master Plan focused on service levels, infrastructure needs, growth, and community outcomes (10–20 year horizon).
- Support alignment and reporting of Community Services initiatives tied to Council priorities through established corporate governance processes.
- Lead long-term service planning by developing and applying service standards, service levels, and investment scenarios to guide infrastructure, program delivery, and growth decisions.
- Identify, analyze, and resolve complex, cross-cutting issues impacting Community Services by developing integrated strategies that balance service levels, financial sustainability, and community impact.
- Lead the development and execution of sponsorship and naming rights strategies, including asset identification, valuation, market positioning, and the securing of agreements that align with City priorities, governance requirements, and brand standards.
- Lead the ongoing review, update, and refinement of community facilities off-site levy models, including rate setting, assumptions, and funding allocations, to ensure alignment with growth projections, infrastructure planning, and legislative requirements.
- Work is advanced through a combination of internal subject matter experts (e.g., Planning, Finance, Infrastructure, Economic Development), cross-departmental teams, and external consultants, coordinated by the Strategist.
- Lead negotiations with neighboring jurisdictions and external partners to secure agreements and funding contributions aligned with Community Services priorities.
- Ensure strategic initiatives are clearly defined, appropriately resourced, and supported by effective governance and decision-making frameworks.
- Lead review and development of Council policies within the Community Services directorate in collaboration with Managers and subject matter experts, including Wavier of Facility Fees, User Fees, Cultural Policy, and Naming Rights.
- Oversee development of research processes and secure the resources needed to support studies and activities tied to the overall strategy.
- Prepare brief, evidence based reports and presentations that use reliable research, utilization data, and municipal benchmarks to support decisions and outline clear recommendations.
- Foster effective communication and collaboration with Council, stakeholders, and internal teams. Lead frequent touch points and check-ins with community users and sport groups.
You Bring:
- Degree in Public Administration, Recreation Administration, Business Administration, Urban/Regional Planning, or a Certified Strategy Professional’s or Certificate in Professional Management specializing in Strategic Management.
- A Project Management Professional (PMP) or Certified Public Manager (CPM) would be considered assets.
- 7-10 years of progressive experience in strategy, policy, or complex program leadership within a municipal or public sector environment.
- Proven ability to conduct qualitative and quantitative research and lead public engagement to identify service needs and priorities.
- Proven experience leading cross-departmental initiatives without direct authority.
- Demonstrated ability to develop holistic strategic plans with clear, incremental steps toward long term goals.
- Experience managing multi-year, multi-stakeholder initiatives across all lifecycle stages, including oversight of multi million dollar budgets and strong financial reporting, budgeting, and forecasting skills.
- Demonstrated experience delivering high level updates to senior leadership, elected officials, and stakeholder groups.
- Proven experience developing, overseeing, and managing multiple budgets, with strong understanding of impacts on municipal resources and future needs.
- Municipal leadership experience is an asset.
- Contract management experience.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite.
- Strong leadership project management skills with the ability to influence and collaborate with others, both internal teams and consultants.
- Ability to see connections across complex organizations.
- Translate big-picture strategy into practical actions.
- Proven team leadership, guiding project teams toward defined goals.
- Excellent oral and written communication and presentation skills.
- Demonstrated tact and diplomacy in building effective relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
- Ability to formulate, coordinate, and execute plans for a wide range of projects.
We Offer:
Along with a competitive compensation program and City paid health and dental premiums, this position also includes:
- Excellent health, dental, paramedical, and benefits plan
- First-in-class pension plan
- Career development and tuition reimbursement
- Employee discounts, gym membership, social events, and health & wellness initiatives
Continuous learning through training and development is encouraged as are flexible work arrangements, when possible. We recognize that our people work best when they feel engaged in their environment and appreciated for their efforts and our overall benefits package reflects that.
Additional Information:
The position is a full-time role (37.5 hours per week) and includes a comprehensive benefits package.
- Please provide a cover letter along with your resume as a means of introducing yourself and your interest in this role.
Next Steps:
Candidates are invited to apply online. We only accept resumes and additional application documents through our online recruitment system. In-person applications, email or other online forms will not be considered.
If you require an accommodation during any part of the application or hiring process, please contact us at [email protected] and we will work with you to meet your needs.
The City of Airdrie is committed to fostering a workplace culture where belonging, equity, accessibility, and diversity are deeply ingrained into all parts of the City, where employees feel they belong, are treated with respect, and where everyone can thrive and contribute to the City’s success.
Postings close at 10:00 PM MT (Mountain Time) on the closing date listed in the posting. We recommend applying as soon as possible as we are not able to accept late applications.
Please review the job competition carefully and be sure to attach any specifically requested documentation in the My Documents section of your application.
Interviewing and hiring may commence prior to the posted closing date.
Thank you for your interest in the City of Airdrie.
