Community Development Director

Leads, plans, organizes and directs the activities of the Community Development Department including current and long range planning, and building services.

Essential Functions:
•Anticipates City planning and zoning needs, coordinates with other Directors/disciplines, and facilitates short and long range planning efforts in order to develop and implement the City’s strategic vision.
•Plans, organizes and directs the Community Development functions.
•Reviews and monitors proposed changes to federal, state, and local laws to determine their impact on departmental policies and practices; prepares, coordinates, and implements responses and recommendations to the City Manager, City Council, and other department directors.
•Plans and directs short- and long-range projects related to comprehensive and current planning, zoning, subdivision activities, environmental analysis, building, and code enforcement.
•Provides managerial assistance to subordinates in planning and implementing programs.
•Establishes direction, goals, objectives, and priorities for the department.
•Prepares materials for and makes presentations to elected officials and the public.
•Investigates and responds to complaints regarding Community Development operations.
•Coordinates activities of the department with those of other City departments and governmental agencies.
•Attends Council meetings, Planning Commission meetings, and a variety of other special interest meetings.
•Develops and administers departmental budget, including the forecasting of funds for staffing, equipment, materials, and supplies, and monitoring of expenses.
•Oversees the comprehensive plan revisions process.
•Serves as the City’s State Environmental Policy Act Official and Shoreline Management Official.
•Provides for staff development and training in areas of functional specialization.

Job Scope
Position is subject to a wide diversity of work situations requiring a high degree of complexity. The incumbent participates as a member of the City Leadership Team and is responsible for developing polices and objectives.

Supervisory Responsibility
Directly and indirectly supervises professional, technical, and administrative support staff; recommends personnel actions; arranges and provides training; schedules staff; assigns and prioritizes work; reviews performance; approves, takes and/or recommends disciplinary actions; conducts staff meetings.

Specific Job Skills

Proficient knowledge of:
•Zoning ordinances, land use and comprehensive plans, including their formation, process of adoption, and enforcement.
•City budgeting principles, practices and procedures.
•Structure and operation of municipal government principles, practices, procedures and legal requirements.
•Principles of supervision, staff development, and performance evaluation.
•Planning theory and practice.
•Grant writing methods and techniques.

Ability to:
• Effectively lead, plan, organize, assign and supervise work of the department.
•Establish and maintain cooperative and effective working relationships with public officials, city staff, community groups, regional organizations, and the general public.
•Thoroughly understand the City’s political environment and sensitivities and function effectively within that environment.
•Exercise individual initiative and discretion in work, including confidential matters.
•Define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions.
•Accurately apply laws, codes, regulations, policies, and procedures.
•Interpret, apply, and explain codes, rules, regulations, policies, and procedures to non-technical individuals.
•Effectively represent the City in situations which are potentially adversarial or stressful.

Education and/or Experience:
Bachelor's degree in urban planning and design, land use planning, or related field, plus nine years of increasingly responsible professional public sector experience in related field, including five years in a supervisory capacity OR an