Director of Corporate & Community Services

Position Details:

Employer: Municipal District of Bighorn

Location: Exshaw, AB

Industry: Municipal Government

Position Outline:

The Municipal District (MD) of Bighorn spans approximately 2,768 square kilometers of Alberta’s most beautiful and picturesque lands.  The MD is nestled in the foothills of the Canadian Rockies, and is located less than an hour directly west of the City of Calgary, less than 30 minutes east of the Town of Banff, and just north-east of the Town of Canmore.  There is an overall population of approximately 1,598 (2021 Federal Census), and the MD includes the hamlets of Benchlands, Dead Man’s Flats, Exshaw, Harvie Heights, and Lac Des Arcs. 

The MD thrives on its unique diversity.  For example, there are heavy extraction-based resource industries located amongst some of the most environmentally-sensitive lands in the province, while outdoor recreational pursuits co-exist in areas with agricultural, oil and gas, and logging activities.

For additional information, please visit the website at www.mdbighorn.ca

Reporting to the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), and serving as an integral member of the senior leadership team, the Director of Corporate & Community Services is responsible for leading the MD, and its internal and external stakeholders, in the areas of Finance, Administration, and Community Services.  Currently, the Corporate & Community Services department consists of:

Accountabilities:

The successful applicant will be responsible for, but not limited to, the following:

Leadership/Human Resource Management:

• Providing appropriate leadership to the Corporate & Community Services department, and ensuring there are proper staff development opportunities and resources available.
• Ensuring proper and regular monitoring and evaluation of employee performance including the timely resolution of issues.

Strategic Leadership:

• Participating on the senior leadership team to assist the CAO in developing and implementing policies, procedures, and the decisions of Council.
• Spearheading the management of the investment portfolio, and strategically working with the MD’s financial institutions to maximize the returns on approved investments.
• Developing, implementing, and managing asset, fleet, and overall life-cycle management plans.
• The overall integrity of the corporate financial reporting system and the MD’s financial records.

Council Interaction:

• In conjunction with the CAO, present the annual operating and capital budgets to Council for approval, including the statement of assets, liabilities, revenues, and expenditures of the Municipality.

Public Relations/Customer Service:

• Delivering superior customer service in a positive and informative way to both internal and external stakeholders and ensure it is a key priority.
• Coordinating prompt and proper handling of all ratepayer requests, enquiries, and complaints as they pertain to the Corporate & Community Services department. 
• Serving on, or appointing an appropriate individual to, the Assessment Review Board.

Financial/Technical:

• Preparing and presenting the annual operating and capital budgets.
• Overseeing the preparation and distribution of monthly budget reports for each department.
• In coordination with the auditors of the MD, ensure that annual financial statements are prepared and submitted in a timely manner according to best practices and required legislation.
• Reviewing and reporting the Municipality’s financial reports and investigating variances.
• Supervising and controlling the preparation and presentation of assessment and taxation reports and notices, utility invoices, quarterly GST claims, and processing all land titles applications and changes as they are received.
• Ensuring that the annual assessment roll, tax levies, tax penalties, and tax recovery procedures are maintained and applied in accordance with MD bylaws and Provincial Statutes.
• Reconciling the GL, payroll, utility and receivable accounts as required.
• Overseeing:
  • the AP/AR functions for the MD;
  • all benefits and payroll functions for the Municipality, including the preparation of payroll/cheques, completion/submission of payroll remittances, preparation of T4 slips, and year-end reports;
  • proper insurance coverage, including all renewals, additions, and deletions to insurance policies and records.

IT/Systems Management

• Ensuring and overseeing the effective and efficient operations of the MD’s information technology/computer systems, by providing localized software/hardware support; and providing liaison with contracted suppliers/support for applications when necessary.

Other:

• Maintaining professional affiliations and demonstrating a comprehensive current knowledge of applicable legislation, new trends and literature.
• Managing the life-cycle of the grant application process.
• Carrying out the functions of a designated role in the Municipality’s emergency plan, as assigned by the Director of Protective Services & Fire Chief or the CAO.
• Performing other duties are requested by the CAO.

The successful candidate is expected to demonstrate the following behavioral competencies in order to successfully meet the requirements of the position:

• Proven leadership experience, team building, strategic planning, organizational development, customer service, and conflict resolution skills.
• Able to demonstrate an open, supportive, and collaborative leadership style that supports a unified team approach (both within the Corporate & Community Services portfolio, as well as within the organization) and leads others by example.
• Ability to provide guidance, support, and mentoring of staff for succession planning.
• Demonstrated strategic thinking capability, coupled with the long-term vision and dedication required to be proactive.
• Experience supervising, coordinating and conducting performance evaluations in a respectful, supportive, and productive manner.
• The capacity to work effectively, both independently and as part of a team.  Strong proponent of a unified approach and able to lead by example. 
• Aptitude to not only understand the detailed finances, but also be able to articulate a story behind the numbers in a way that diverse audiences can understand. 
• Ability to multitask, prioritize work, and meet tight deadlines in a fast-paced, and ever-changing environment.
• Superior organizational, communication (written and verbal), and report-writing skills.
• Excellent interpersonal and customer service skills with presence and energy, coupled with the ability to foster strong relationships with staff members, elected officials, the community, and key stakeholders.
• Sound analytical, problem solving, planning, and organizational skills.
• Strong cognitive ability to balance the big picture while focusing on the details of process and systems.
• Comfort in working within a changing environment, and not afraid to hit head on, conflict and resistance to change.  Able to make difficult decisions and enforce said decisions. 
• Working knowledge of the rural environment as well as urban municipal interface.
• The ability to stay current on emerging trends within the financial profession from a networking and educational perspective.

The ideal candidate will possess:

• An accounting designation (CPA), or a relevant combination of education and experience gained in a complex and dynamic environment.
• Knowledge of current financial practices, specifically those related to the public sector, municipal legislation, and relevant statutes.
• Strong computer skills.

A competitive compensation package will be provided to the successful candidate.  This includes a competitive base salary, a comprehensive municipal benefits package, and LAPP (Local Authorities Pension Plan).  Details will be discussed in further conversations.

James Davies                               

Managing Director

DCG Executive Search Services Ltd.

Phone: (780) 758-9796

E-Mail: [email protected]

Web: www.daviescg.com