Chief Operations Officer

Requisition ID: 3866
Affiliation: Exempt
Position Type: Permanent Full Time
Number of Openings: 1
Bi-weekly Working Hours: 70 hours bi-weekly
Shift/Work Schedule: Monday to Friday 
Department/ Branch: Office of the CAO
Job Location: Fort McMurray

Compensation: The Municipality offers a competitive compensation package, including an attractive base salary, excellent benefits, retirement plans and more.
COLA: Bi-Weekly - $480

Closing Date: November 16, 2025
Posting Type: Internal and External

We strive to make our hiring process accessible to all candidates. If you require accommodation for the interview or any other part of the application process, please let us know.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION:

Reporting to the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), the Chief Operations Officer (COO) is a senior leader that provides strategic direction, vision, and oversight across municipal operations. The COO plays a pivotal role in advancing the Municipality’s integrated service delivery strategy and ensuring that municipal operations are effective, efficient, and aligned with strategic priorities. 

This role encompasses leadership of complex, multi-disciplinary municipal services and programs, fostering collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement across departments. The COO provides professional advice to the CAO and Council, ensures applicable municipal operations resolutions, bylaws, policies and plans of Council are implemented, and keeps the CAO and Council informed on progress and emerging issues.

As a leader, the incumbent upholds the Municipality’s organizational values and is accountable for fostering a healthy, safe, respectful, and inclusive workplace. Leading by example, the COO promotes the Municipality’s cultural competencies of personal accountability, continuous improvement, effective communication, collaboration, excellence in customer service, and support for common goals.

Primary responsibilities of this position include:

Strategic Leadership

• Contributes to the overall leadership and strategic direction of the Municipality as a key member of the senior leadership team.
• Aligns divisional strategies with Council priorities and the Municipality’s long-term vision, ensuring services are delivered with integrity, transparency, and responsiveness.
• Provides expert advice to the CAO, Council, and senior leadership, and collaborates across departments to identify and advance both short-term and long-term strategic priorities.
• Fosters a culture of innovation, sustainability, and continuous improvement across all assigned operational areas.

Operational Oversight

• Plans, directs, and oversees all divisional functions to ensure effective, efficient, and responsive service delivery.
• Aligns municipal operations with strategic priorities, community values, and regulatory requirements.
• Tracks and analyzes major operational issues, providing timely updates, strategic insights, and recommendations to the CAO and, when appropriate, Council.
• Drives operational excellence through data-informed decision-making, continuous improvement, and process optimization.
• Leads the resolution of complex or high-impact operational challenges, ensuring cross-functional collaboration and engagement.
• Anticipates emerging trends and risks, proactively adapting operations to meet future community and organizational needs.
• Fosters a culture of accountability, innovation, and service excellence across all operational areas.
• Champions complex or difficult municipal operations projects.

Engagement and Community Relations

• Creates positive working relationships with Council, municipal administration, employees, residents, Indigenous groups, regional partners, and other collaborators to meet shared objectives.
• Represents the Municipality’s interests in Council meetings, public forums, intergovernmental meetings, and community consultations.
• Demonstrates consistent, effective, and meaningful engagement with respect to Truth and Reconciliation and the Calls to Action that the Municipality has identified for implementation.
• Effectively handles disputes or complaints involving citizens and other interest groups.

People Leadership

• Builds and leads a high-performing team of directors, managers, and staff, fostering a culture of excellence and accountability.
• Establishes a clear vision for success, ensuring teams have the resources and support needed to achieve strategic goals.
• Develops and implements performance measures with defined objectives and measurable outcomes.
• Champions innovation and leads organizational change, empowering staff to enhance municipal service and operational delivery.
• Models municipal values and cultivates an inclusive, respectful workplace that prioritizes diversity, equity, inclusion, and psychological and physical safety.
• Ensures effective organizational design and staffing to support efficient municipal operations.
• Applies sound human resource practices to inspire high performance and support employee development.

Financial and Administrative Management

• Leads divisional planning and budgeting, ensuring fiscal responsibility and proactively addressing long-term financial needs.
• Supports and collaborates with the CAO and Chief Financial Officer (CFO) to develop the annual budget and advises on divisional priorities.
• Oversees and monitors divisional financial activities, ensuring effective controls and sound fiscal management.
• Upholds compliance with all relevant laws, regulations, and municipal standards.
• Supports and collaborates with the CFO on the Municipality’s asset management strategy to ensure sustainable and strategic use of municipal resources.

Emergency Management Leadership

• Proactively prepares for and provides divisional leadership during major events, including operational disruptions, emergencies, and disasters.
• Ensures the development, maintenance, staff familiarization, and activation of business continuity plans across all assigned operational areas.
• Participates as a member of the Muncipality’s Emergency Management Agency (EMA) as appointed by the CAO, to support the EMA’s duties and functions.
• Provides recommendations to the CAO regarding policies, programs, and budgetary requirements to sustain and improve the Emergency Management Plan (EMP).
• Collaborates with the EMA and the Corporate Services Division to ensure the protection of critical infrastructure is integrated into emergency preparedness, continuity planning, and response strategies.
• Reviews findings from Post-Event Action Reports and approves recommendations, as necessary, to strengthen future response and recovery efforts.
• Engages with internal and external partners to ensure collaboration, alignment, and community resilience.

SKILLS REQUIREMENTS:

Candidates need to show evidence of the following:

• Exceptional leadership, communication, and strategic planning skills.
• Demonstrated ability to lead large, diverse teams and manage complex, multi-disciplinary operations.
• Strong knowledge of municipal legislation, infrastructure planning, and environmental regulations.
• Sound understanding of municipal government administration and the Municipal Government Act.
• Broad knowledge of current affairs, municipal, provincial, and federal politics.
• A demonstrated commitment to fostering inclusive, respectful, and high-performing workplace cultures.
• Ability to provide leadership and build relationships with Council and various groups including but not limited to industry, government, Indigenous groups, and members of the public.
• Expertise in strategic issues management and policy development.
• Experience introducing transformational change in a highly complex and evolving organization serving a rapidly changing community.
• Ability to communicate effectively and transparently with all parties to build trust and accountability
• Excellent interpersonal, problem-solving, negotiation, facilitation, and mediation skills.
• High political acumen and ability to anticipate politically sensitive issues.

EDUCATION:

• Degree in Public or Business Administration, Engineering, Environmental Science, or related field is required.
• Certifications in any of the following are considered assets: Water Distribution, Water Collection, Water Treatment, Landfill Operations, or SWANA.
• An equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered.

EXPERIENCE:

• Fifteen (15) years of experience in a senior management role in municipal operations, public works, or environmental services is required. This experience must encompass the management of complex, multi-disciplinary operations; the ability to synthesize and act on large volumes of information; sound decision-making in complex and ambiguous situations; effective negotiation; budget administration and control; and the development of innovative solutions to operational and community issues.
• Experience working in a public sector environment with unionized and non-unionized employees is an asset.

OTHER REQUIREMENTS:

• Ability to provide a criminal record check for review and acceptance. 

SAFETY:

As an employee of the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, the incumbent is responsible and accountable for knowing and working in accordance with the Health and Safety Directive. As per section 2 of the Occupational Health and Safety Act, the incumbent shall ensure while in the employ of the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo the health and safety of employees, contractors, and the public. This position is employed in a supervisory capacity. As such the employee is required to obtain additional safety training in accordance with municipal procedures and directives.

To apply: All applications must be submitted through our website at jobs.rmwb.ca
Current employees must apply through the internal careers site. 
We appreciate the interest of all applicants; however, only those individuals
selected for interviews will be contacted.  Late applications will not be accepted.