Majestic mountains, the rugged West Coast Trail, serene lakes, and one of the world’s tallest free-standing timber rail trestles all lie in the picturesque Cowichan Valley Regional District (CVRD). Located on Vancouver Island, the CVRD provides a wide range of local government services to a population of 80,000 within its 4 distinct municipalities and 9 electoral areas. Just 50 km north of Victoria and 30 km south of Nanaimo, the Cowichan Valley offers a warm climate and numerous parks, recreational, cultural, and social opportunities.

The Cowichan Valley Regional District is now accepting applications for a regular full time Planner opportunity in the Community & Regional Planning Division of the Land Use Services Department. Reporting to the Planning Coordinator, the Planner supports community planning and long-term growth objectives through the provision of professional land use planning expertise. The Planner works collaboratively with staff of the Development Services and Community and Regional Planning Divisions, as well as other CVRD divisions and departments, external agencies and First Nations on development applications, long range planning initiatives and other matters of mutual interest.  The Planner provides exemplary service to applicants, the public and elected officials, within their area of professional competency. This is a unionized position under CUPE Local 358.

We welcome applications from candidates who meet any level of qualifications and experience as outlined below. The successful candidate will be hired as a Planner I, II, or III, depending on their level of qualifications and experience.

Planner I / II / III:

• Completion of an undergraduate degree in community/rural planning, landscape architecture, geography, natural resource management, ecology or a related field.  
• Completion of a master’s degree in planning from a post-secondary institution accredited by the Canadian Institute of Planners is preferred.

Planner II / III: certificate in local government administration is preferred.

Planner I: minimum of two (2) years of related experience, preferably in local government.

Planner II: minimum of four (4) years of related experience, preferably in local government.

Planner III: minimum of eight (8) years of related experience, preferably including a minimum of four (4) years experience working in a regional district.

Completion of a master’s degree may reduce the required years of related experience by one (1) year.

Planner I / II:

• Certified member in good standing of the Canadian Institute of Planners (MCIP) (or eligible for membership) and a Registered Professional Planner (RPP) with the Planning Institute of BC (or eligible for membership); or a certified member in good standing of a foreign professional planning association which has a valid reciprocal agreement with the Canadian Institute of Planners.
• A valid Class 5 BC Driver’s Licence is required

Planner II / III: completion of International Association of Public Participation (IAP2) Foundations in Public Participation training is preferred.

Planner III:

• Certified member in good standing of the Canadian Institute of Planners (MCIP) and a Registered Professional Planner (RPP) with the Planning Institute of BC; or a certified member in good standing of a foreign professional planning association which has a valid reciprocal agreement with the Canadian Institute of Planners.
• A valid Class 5 BC Driver’s Licence is required 
• Project Management Professional (PMP) certification is preferred

For a full listing of the job requirements please click here to view the job description. 

Guaranteed 35 hours of work per week, Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. This position may be required to attend some evening and weekend meetings. This position is eligible for the Flex Time Program. Where operationally appropriate and subject to change, the CVRD has a Work From Home program. This program allows staff to work remotely, with the number of remote days per week determined by operational requirements, from locations that are a daily commutable distance from their work at a CVRD worksite. This position works from the CVRD's main office in Duncan, BC, and at this time, is eligible to be part of the Work From Home program, after a successful in-office training period.

Wage rate in 3 steps as per the Collective Agreement between the CVRD and CUPE Local 358 (per hour, 2025 rates):

• Planner I: $48.68 - $50.14 - $51.57
• Planner II: $49.77 - $51.23 - $52.76
• Planner III: $52.89 - $54.48 - $56.07

Benefits are included as per the CUPE Collective Agreement.

If you are ready to take on this challenging and rewarding role, please submit your cover letter and resume in confidence via the application link above by 4:30 pm on the date indicated. A satisfactory driver’s abstract and police information check are also required.

Note that testing may be required during the interview process. Testing is based on the knowledge, skills, abilities and qualifications outlined in the job description.