Senior Planner

The City of Thunder Bay
provides exceptional quality of life to those wholive, work, and play in Thunder Bay–a culturally vibrant, economically diverse community with a metro population of over 120,000. Located on the north shore of Lake Superior, under the protective watch of the Sleeping Giant, Thunder Bay isrich in people and resources, and connects Northwestern Ontario to the world. We valueourhigh quality of lifeand promote a clean, green, beautiful, and healthy community that provides economic opportunity, respects diversity, and provides affordable and safe neighbourhoods that are accessible to all.

The City of Thunder Bay is a place where art, culture and nature come together!

Watch this video to learn more about our City at:

Shape Growth & Development for Our Community & Make an Impact.

At the City of Thunder Bay,
Our City Runs on People Like You
. Together, we are building a workplace where everyone belongs, where your planning expertise, analytical thinking, and professional judgment help support responsible growth and informed development decisions across our community.

As a Senior Planner
, you'll apply your expertise to complex planning matters that influence how neighbourhoods, businesses, and community spaces develop and evolve. Working on a diverse range of development approvals and policy initiatives, you'll provide professional planning advice, technical guidance, and thoughtful analysis that supports sound decision-making and long-term community development.

Thunder Bay offers more than a fulfilling career. With its natural beauty, affordability, and strong sense of community, it's a city where you can grow personally and professionally while contributing to meaningful planning work that helps shape the places where people live, work, and thrive.

Where You’ll Make a Difference Every Day

As a Senior Planner
, you'll provide senior-level planning expertise on complex development applications, planning policy matters, and community development initiatives. Working closely with developers, consultants, City departments, elected officials, agencies, and community stakeholders, you'll help evaluate proposals, navigate planning processes, and support decisions that contribute to responsible growth and development.

This is an opportunity to combine technical planning expertise, policy analysis, project leadership, and stakeholder engagement in a role that allows you to work on complex and meaningful planning matters while supporting the broader objectives of the Planning Services Division.

How You'll Support the Team

In this role, you will:

• Provide leadership and planning expertise to project teams.
• Review complex development proposals, provide professional planning opinions and make recommendations on sound planning principles.
• Provide technical direction and guidance to Planning staff.
• Prepare and provide technical directions and guidance related to the preparation of comments, reports and by-laws for presentation to Committees and Council.
• Perform and provide technical direction and guidance related to the detailed analysis and work associated with the processing and the review of subdivision and condominium applications.
• Negotiate and prepare site plan, subdivision, condominium, development charge, development and other agreements
• Represent Planning Services on internal and external committees and at community meetings related to planning matters.
• Provide expert planning evidence before the Ontario Land Tribunal and other tribunals.
• Provide guidance on the Planning Act, Official Plan, and Zoning By-law t staff. Provide information to the public and the development community on matters relating to land use planning.

Senior Planner - Job Description

What You Can Count On With…