Chief Administrative Officer
The Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville is part of York Region, one of Canada’s highest population-growth areas, and is situated northeast of Toronto. Highway 404 forms the town’s western boundary and connects to the province’s 400-series highways, providing easy access to business transportation routes including Lester B. Pearson Airport. While the current population is approximately 50,000 residents, the town’s population is expected to reach 60,000 by 2031.
Whitchurch-Stouffville is a lively, fast-growing town, with traditional rural and communal roots that provides perspective in transforming to a knowledge-based economy. We have four main settlement areas: The Community of Stouffville, Ballantrae-Musselman’s Lake, VandorfPreston Lake and Gormley. There are also a number of neighborhood communities within Whitchurch-Stouffville including: Bethesda, Bloomington, Cedar Valley, Lemonville, Lincolnville, Pine Orchard, Pleasantville, Ringwood, Vivian and Wesley Corners.
Inspire our Future as our Chief Administrative Officer
The Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville offers exciting opportunities for the right municipal leader. We are seeking a strategic thinker with a strong passion for community, skilled in government relations, who has a reputation for providing clear policy advice to Council and a strong collaborative leadership style. The role requires strong political acuity and the ability to lead in a successful, multi-service organization.
The Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) leads 5 departments; Public Works, Development Services, Finance and Technology Services, Fire, Leisure and Community Services including the Office of the CAO department with Clerks, Communications, Human Resources and Legal divisions. The Town employs a staff of 253 full time with another 400 part-time and seasonal staff. The CAO supports the Mayor and 6 Councillors. The CAO oversees a net operating budget of over $70M and an annual Capital Budget of $18M.
Reporting to the Mayor and Council, the CAO is the most senior administrative leadership position in the Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville and provides high level representation to provincial government, media, community, and public organizations. In addition, the CAO provides leadership and direction to the long-term strategic planning process to ensure the effective and efficient delivery of corporate services for the betterment of the community, has overall accountability to ensure and oversee the effective administration and the financial health of the corporation.
Other duties include but are not limited to the following:
- Provide objective advice/recommendations and decision support to the Mayor and Council in developing strategies, policies and services which address current and future needs of the Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville.
- Exercise general control and management of the affairs of the municipality.
- Supervises and leads staff resulting in an engaged high-performance work place.
- Oversee and direct policy development on emerging municipal issues, trends and best practices, including effective management systems, maintaining professional networks and providing policy expertise.
- Ensure business and financial planning, revenue generation, capital and operating budget and sound stewardship of fiscal, people and physical assets.
- Builds good relationships with all levels of government.
- Reviews and implements strategies ensuring a community that is diverse, inclusive and welcoming.
Candidate Profile
Candidates for the role of CAO will have a related University degree. A proven record of accomplishment as a strategic thinker and leader preferably in the broader public sector supervising multi-disciplinary teams with a customer service focus. The right candidate will have strong experience in municipal budgets and finance. Thorough knowledge and understanding of provincial statutes, policies and procedures as they apply to municipal provincial government.
Candidates will have strong business acumen, excellent communication and interpersonal skills, and passion for public service and will be political knowledgeable with a proven ability to navigate political and emotionally sensitive situations. In addition, candidates will have a values-based leadership approach that is inclusive, positive, transparent, and reflects the high level of integrity, trustworthiness and ethical conduct required for success in the role.
The Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to inclusive, barrier- free recruitment and selection processes and work environments. Please advise Waterhouse Executive Search of accommodations needed to ensure you have access to a fair and equitable process. The Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville offers competitive compensation along with a benefits plan, pension plan and professional development.
How to Apply
To explore this opportunity please apply via email by March 20, 2023 to careers@waterhousesearch.net quoting project SV-CAO. Should you wish to speak to our Executive Recruiter or to receive a detailed position description please contact Amy Oliveira at 416-214-9299 x4, amy@waterhousesearch.net or Jon Stungevicius at 416-214-9299 x1, jon@waterhousesearch.net.
All applications will be held in strict confidence. We thank all applicants, however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted. Personal information is collected under the authority of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act and will be used for employment assessment purposes only.
