Manager, Neighbourhood Planning and Development (1- Year Contract)

We wake up to a different alarm.

The issues impacting our communities here in the GTA keep us awake at night. But it’s also what gets us up each day, determined to fight local poverty and its interconnected challenges, and to make this region everything it can be for everyone who calls it home. We believe in the power of community, of people coming together, doing what it takes to build and transform neighbourhoods where everyone can thrive. Any Way We Can .

United Way Greater Toronto is seeking a Manager, Neighbourhood Planning and Development to join our team in a 1-year contract role.

How you will make a difference:

Reporting to the Director, Strategic Initiatives, the Manager, Neighbourhood Planning and Development will help us map and understand how neighbourhoods across Toronto, York, and Peel are changing. This role will focus on analyzing development applications and planning initiatives, and creating integrated neighbourhood profiles that capture developments, community organizations, and local planning efforts. By turning data and mapping into strategy, the Manager will equip UWGT to make more informed investment decisions and ensure neighbourhood growth is inclusive and community driven.

Mapping & Analysis

• Analyze and map plans, proposals, and recommendations from developers and government divisions to inform UWGT’s position on planning-related opportunities and strategize appropriate plan of action, including but not limited to, facilitating appropriate connections between multi-stakeholder initiatives and neighbourhood planning processes
• Facilitate assessing the impact of proposed planning projects and local investments on local stakeholders (neighbourhood residents, businesses and service agencies)
• In partnership with local stakeholders, identify and assess community priorities in selected neighbourhoods in relation to neighbourhood goals

Strategic Planning & Decision-Making

• Provide guidance to team and external partners on planning and development processes, including equitable approaches to resident engagement and participation, partnership development, and multi-year neighbourhood planning to support the effective implementation of UWGT’s place-based strategies
• Facilitate engagement with local stakeholders and community partners in the development and execution of multi-year plans and social charters (i.e. ILEO, Community Benefit Frameworks, Community Development Plans) aligned to short and long-range neighbourhood planning and development strategies

Partnerships & Representation

• Represent UWGT and participate in appropriate external tables around planning and liaise with key stakeholders, other funders, developers, landlords and governments, to keep partners informed, develop and coordinate joint initiatives, build partner capacity, and exchange information.
• Work with cross-functional teams to ensure UWGT’s priorities and goals are achieved including but not limited to Corporate Donor Relations and Product Development (donor engagement), Research, Public Policy & Evaluation (evaluation and neighbourhood profiles), Communications & Public Affairs (media and stories), and across the portfolio of community impact initiatives).

Project & Investment Management

• Oversee design of granting processes (applications and funding packages) and other associated tools (i.e. reporting templates) in line with funding opportunities in neighbourhoods
• Establish partnership contracts and memoranda of understanding, oversee achievement of key project deliverables including ensuring accurate reporting and financial accountability
• Plan and manage implementation of projects of varying size and complexity

Cross-Neighbourhood Learning & Narratives

• Develop cross-neighbourhood plans, tools and templates for learning and reflection on UWGT’s place-based interventions and support development of compelling narratives of UWGT’s work through a neighbourhood lens
• Identify social and community issues to be addressed in neighbourhood-based policy development in coordination with the Communication and Public Affairs team

What you bring to the role:

• Qualifications 3–5 years of experience in planning/community planning, development, engagement, or project management, ideally within neighbourhood-based or place-based initiatives.
• Post-secondary education in urban planning, urban studies, geography or related fields and/or equivalent work-related experience in neighbourhood planning, community revitalization, local economic development, or community development
• Strong knowledge of land use planning tools, policies and regulatory processes in the GTA, with the ability to analyze development applications, planning initiatives, and their potential impacts on neighbourhoods.
• Demonstrated experience in mapping and spatial analysis (e.g., GIS or equivalent tools), neighbourhood profiling, or other approaches to integrate data on development, demographics, community assets, and planning processes.
• Familiarity with community benefits frameworks, community development plans, secondary plans, and other multi-stakeholder planning tools.
• Experience working with diverse stakeholders — including social service providers, community coalitions, developers, and government — with an ability to build, manage, and grow these relationships to advance neighbourhood priorities.
• Familiarity with community capacity building and knowledge mobilization tools and processes an asset
• Knowledge of granting and funding processes, with experience supporting design and accountability for community investment mechanisms.
• Proven analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to assess new opportunities, interpret complex data, and provide clear recommendations.
• Strong negotiation and influence skills, with the ability to manage contentious issues and align diverse interests toward resolution.
• Excellent organizational skills, with capacity to manage competing priorities, deliver results under pressure, and carry projects independently.
• Excellent teamwork and interpersonal skills, including the ability to work respectfully and inclusively with diverse populations and multiple stakeholders
• Exceptional written and verbal communication and presentation skills, including the ability to translate technical planning data into accessible insights for multiple audiences.
• Willingness to work flexible hours, including evenings and weekends, as required.
• Willingness to actively contribute to the organizational Reconciliation and Equity Plan through participation in learning opportunities and implementing anti-oppressive, and anti-racist learning into action internally and externally.

Being part of our team:

• Competitive total compensation package including:
• Salary
• Comprehensive benefits
• Defined benefit employer-matching pension
• Life insurance
• Short-term and long-term disability benefits
• Employee and family assistance program (EFAP)
• Generous paid time-off package including vacation, personal and cultural days, summer hours and hybrid work environment
• Commitment to the well-being and work-life balance for our employees
• Collaborative, high-performing, and team focused on long-term and collective success
• Largest United Way world-wide
• Work with the GTA’s top philanthropic leaders

Please apply no later than January 9, 2026 .

We are committed to being transparent about our practices around pay. The salary range for this role will be shared with candidates who are being considered for it.

As part of our recruitment process, United Way Greater Toronto offers accommodation for applicants with disabilities. If we contact you about an opportunity, please let us know if you require accommodation.

As per our recruitment policy, internal candidates are encouraged to let their current manager know that they have applied for another role.

UWGT is committed to the ethical and responsible use of emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI). While we currently do not use AI for decision-making that produces legal or similarly significant effects, we may use analytics or automation tools to improve donor engagement, personalize experiences, or optimize internal processes.

About United Way Greater Toronto:

As the largest non-government funder of community services in the GTA, United Way Greater Toronto reinforces a crucial community safety net to support people living in poverty. United Way’s network of agencies and initiatives in neighbourhoods across Peel, Toronto and York Region works to ensure that everyone has access to the programs and services they need to thrive. Mobilizing community support, United Way’s work is rooted in ground-breaking research, strategic leadership, local advocacy and cross-sectoral partnerships committed to building a more equitable region and lasting solutions to the GTA’s greatest challenges.

Building community takes a community and together, with you, we will shape a stronger, brighter GTA for everyone who lives here. Any Way We Can .

Learn more about our work at unitedwaygt.org.

Diversity & Inclusion:

United Way is committed to creating an inclusive workplace that reflects our diverse community to ensure we’re best equipped to serve it. We encourage candidates from diverse backgrounds and those who may need accommodation to apply to join our team. Our commitment to excellence in diversity goes beyond promoting equity. By incorporating a variety of experiences and perspectives, we create opportunities for innovative solutions and maximize the impact of our work.