PRIMARY PURPOSE
Provides strategic leadership for long range transportation network and regional growth management/land use planning, major corridor and infrastructure studies, with a primary focus on shaping and advancing major transportation investments from concepts through business cases. Leads a multi-disciplinary team to undertake strategic network planning and studies for investments on the Major Transit Network and Regional Road Network, including defining investment rationale, options, benefits, costs, risks and delivery considerations. for transit expansion and other region-shaping initiatives. Applies TransLink’s business case framework and structured decision framework to complex and high-risk planning initiatives. Ensures a consistent, comprehensive, and evidence-based approach to investment evaluation and land use integration, including supportive policy agreements that enable project outcomes and help shape future land use patterns to support transportation performance. Builds strong partnerships with First Nations, municipalities, provincial agencies, and other key partners, and represents TransLink at senior levels internally and externally.
KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES
Leads longer-term (10-30+ year) strategy for network and land use planning, major studies, and the transit-oriented communities’ program, defining critical paths that integrate technical requirements, consultation processes, political considerations, and interdependent initiatives.
Ensures planning and investment work is aligned to enterprise objectives through an integrated, cross-divisional approach, while maintaining clear boundaries between major investment planning/business cases and ongoing service planning and system standards functions.
Directs project scoping, options development, and business case preparation for major transportation investments, working collaboratively with other enterprise divisions and external partners, including First Nations, municipalities, Metro Vancouver, and Ministry of Transportation and Transit. Oversee the development and execution of investment-related studies and plans, manage strategic risks and ensure governance change management are applied throughout the investment lifecycle from early concept through recommendation to achieve TransLink Enterprise objectives.
Provides expert advice to TransLink Board, Mayors’ Council, municipalities, Metro Vancouver Regional District on land use and growth decisions that will align with major transportation investment and advance transit-oriented communities, consistent with the Regional Transportation Strategy and other policy guidance. Develops, implements and monitors Supportive Policy Agreements to ensure that conditions required to achieve project outcomes are delivered.
Defines effective governance, decision-making structures, analytical frameworks, and evaluation processes to support project planning and implementation.
Provides strategic direction across assigned portfolios (long-range network planning, major studies, TOC, and investment business cases), establishing clear objectives, roles, and decision points, and ensuring coordination with complementary enterprise functions (e.g. service planning, standards, and programs delivery) to enable timely, coherent recommendations.
Drives rigorous performance management by establishing, monitoring, and recalibrating targets for budgets, timelines, resource deployment, customer impact and risk mitigation, proactively adopting plans to address evolving business needs and challenges.
Provides strategic guidance to senior leadership and project stakeholders, including delivering presentations to the Executive Team and Board, participating in committees, and maintaining continuous consultation. Lead decisions and senior management team, informing executive leadership and Board of significant project challenges and key decisions, and offering recommendations on risk management strategies. Serves as TransLink’s representative during discussions with the TransLink Board, Mayors’ Council, municipal councils, and other interested parties.
Assists the VP, Transportation Planning & Policy, in integrating strategic goals into operational plans, setting targets and metrics, and providing regular progress updates. Prepares status reports for planning initiatives and flags critical issues. Serves on the division leadership team with shared accountability and helps deliver executive-level presentations with the VP.
Develops and manages critical relationships with key stakeholders, senior industry peers, and government officials, managing expectations and overseeing actions taken on complex and politically sensitive project issues. Leads negotiation of key agreements with external partners and oversee procurement processes for major consultant contracts. Additionally, fosters trusted, respectful relationships and highly responsive interactions with both internal and external stakeholders across all reporting areas.
Leads cross-functional matrix-teams from multiple agencies and departments, coordinating resources and managing risks to achieve project milestones on schedule and within budget.
Seeks to understand the lived experience and transportation needs of Metro Vancouver’s diverse residents and businesses, particularly equity-deserving and marginalized groups. Apply these perspectives to the department’s initiatives and actively coaches’ others to integrate equity-informed approaches into their work.
Provides leadership for reporting staff across all reporting areas, including selection, training, coaching, development, performance management and all other people management practices. Manages staff, consultants and contractors.
