Community Development Director

Job Title: Community Development Director ("Director")
Department : City Hall
Reports to : Assistant City Manager
Salary: $78,561 - $117,852 DOQ
Benefits Information
The City of Converse offers a competitive compensation and benefit package, including:

1. Medical, vision, and dental coverage options for employees and their family
2. Paid Holidays (established by City Council)
3. Vacation leave accrues from the date of hire
4. Sick leave accrues from the date of hire
5. Retirement through the Texas Municipal Retirement System (TMRS) requires 7% employee contribution with the City of Converse matching 2-to-1 of the employee contribution
6. Voluntary supplemental retirement plans
7. Voluntary flexible spending account (FSA) for health and dependent care
8. Employer-sponsored long-term disability
9. Employer-sponsored life insurance for the employee, their spouse, and child(ren)
10. Voluntary life insurance for the employee, their spouse, and child(ren)
11. Voluntary short-term disability
12. Tuition reimbursement
13. Certification pay

General Description
Under general direction of the Assistant City Manager, the Community Development Director is responsible for leading, managing and overseeing the professional planning activities and operations of Planning and Zoning, Building Permits and Inspections, Design review, Variance administration and Code Enforcement for the City. This includes the supervisory, administration, operation, planning, financial management, and intergovernmental relations of the department/divisions and staff. The Community Development Director strategically coordinates assigned activities with other City departments and outside agencies and provides highly responsive administrative support to the City Manager's Office and exercises direct supervision over professional, technical, and clerical staff.
Essential Job Duties
The Director must be able to perform the following essential job duties with or without reasonable accommodation.
1. Assume full management responsibility for all city planning and development services and activities, including land development, comprehensive long and short-term planning, neighborhood planning and recommend and administers policies and procedures.
2. Provide information to the public regarding zoning and land use regulations, permitting processes, site requirements, subdivision platting, and other development requirements.
3. Explain planning processes to citizens, property owners, realtors, consultants, developers, and the general public; this includes zoning changes, plats, site plans, variances, specific use permits, limited use permits, and all other planning processes.
4. Review applications for zoning permits, site plans, subdivision plats, variances and other development plans, ensuring conformance with City regulations and provide comments and recommendations.
5. Prepare staff reports, exhibits, memorandums and other documentation for planning matters and present findings and recommendations to various Boards, Commissions and/or the City Council. Create and maintain GIS data sets. Manage and execute digital and hard copy file organization.
6. Attend after-hours meetings, workshops, and public hearings as required.
7. Enforce or assist in the enforcement of ordinances and regulations pertaining to planning and development as contained within the City's Code of Ordinances, and relevant State laws.
8. Enforce conditions and requirements as approved on planning and development documents for specific use permits, limited use permits, variances, site plans, plats.
9. Conduct research and develop planning studies and reports to support updates to local plans, policies, and regulations.
10. Prepare studies, designs, reports or plans as component parts of major planning or development projects, including long-range planning documents, impact fee studies, capital improvement programs, thoroughfare planning, subdivision ordinance revisions, and zoning ordinance amendments.
11. Assist with annexation and development agreement procedures and processes, including the enforcement of active development agreements.
12. Coordinate with various City departments, consultants, contractors, and State and Federal agencies on the implementation of planning and/or development projects.
13. Be helpful, cooperative and courteous, and demonstrate a good attitude in all dealings with the public, co-workers and others.
14. Be punctual and in attendance on a regular basis.
15. Demonstrate initiative and diligence in the prompt and proper completion of all job duties, whether or not listed in this Job Description.
16. Safeguard City property and recognize and report needed repairs.
17. Work safely, follow safety rules and training, and maintain a clean, safe and healthy working environment.
18. Maintain appropriate confidentiality regarding Police and other City business.
19. Make presentations as needed, highlighting Department needs, statistics, crime data and other information as directed.
20. Perform other duties as assigned by the Assistant City Manager or City Manager.
Requirements
Education and Basic Requirements
The Director must meet the following minimum requirements.
1. Five (5) years of increasingly responsible urban planning experience to include two (2) years supervisory or management experience. Or equivalent combination of education and experience.
2. Bachelor's Degree from an institution accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency in city of regional planning, public administration, economic development, business or closely related field.
3. Must have or be able to obtain AICP certification within 12 months of hire date and maintain throughout course of employment.
4. Satisfactory results of background and employment screening checks including physical exam and driver license check.
5. Have and maintain a clear and valid Texas Class C or higher driver's license and a satisfactory driving record.
Preferred Qualifications
Preference will be given to applicants with an advanced degree in Urban Planning, Urban Design or a closely related field, or certified with the American Institute of Certified Planners.
Other Requirements
The Director must have significant knowledge, skills, and abilities as shown below.
Knowledge & Skills:
1. Knowledge of operational characteristics, services, and activities of planning and development programs.
2. Knowledge of basic principles of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) applicable to municipalities; Microsoft Office, ArcGIS, and Adobe software.
3. Knowledge of organizational and management practices as applied to the analysis and evaluation of programs, policies, and operational needs.
4. Knowledge of advanced principles and practices of municipal budget preparation and administration.
5. Knowledge of principles of supervision, training, and performance evaluation.
6. Knowledge of organization, function, and authority of various City departments.
7. Knowledge of pertinent Federal, State, and local laws, ordinances, statutes, and regulations.
8. Knowledge of principles, practices, and theories of urban planning and land use laws.
9. Skilled using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
10. Skilled in considering the relative costs and benefits of potential outcomes to recommend the most appropriate action; and
11. Skilled in speaking to others to convey information effectively.
Ability to:
1. Ability to develop, implement, and administer goals, objectives, and procedures for providing effective and efficient services for the City.
2. Ability to analyze problems, provide alternatives, identify solutions in support of established goals, and project consequences of proposed actions.
3. Ability to identify and respond to community and City Council issues, concerns, and needs.
4. Ability to prepare and administer a complex departmental budget and allocate limited resources in a cost-effective manner.
5. Ability to research, analyze, and evaluate new service delivery methods, procedures, and techniques.
6. Ability to provide administrative and professional leadership and direction to subordinate staff.
7. Ability to communicate clearly and effectively, both verbally and in writing.
8. Ability to prepare and present clear and concise administrative and financial reports.
9. Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with City staff and officials, other government officials, community groups and the general public.
10. Create and maintain GIS datasets and online mapping services, and prepare maps as requested,
11. Skilled in providing exceptional customer service regarding planning and zoning responses to resolve difficult and sensitive citizen inquires and/or complaints; and
12. Work independently and creatively.
Physical and Mental Requirements
In order to successfully achieve the goals of the City, the Community Development Director must meet the following physical and mental requirements with or without reasonable accommodation.
1. The ability to understand, learn, remember and communicate information about the job.
2. The ability to understand the meaning of words and use the English language to speak understandably and communicate effectively.
3. Good hearing and listening abilities, that is, the Director must be able to hear spoken words from co-workers, supervisors and others.
4. Ability to logically process information.
5. Work efficiently and effectively under pressure in order to meet deadlines.
6. Sit, stand, move around, bend, stoop, reach, stretch, grasp, push and/or pull, and remain upright for extended periods of time. Must be able to lift or move objects weighing as much as twenty-five (25) pounds. The activities and the approximate amounts of time required per day for each are shown below. The individual times may not sum to one hundred (100) percent.
a. Sitting - 75%
b. Bending - 25%
c. Standing - 25%
d. Lifting and/or moving objects up to 25 pounds - 5%
e. Pushing or pulling - 10%
f. Reaching - 10%
g. Moving around, in and out of the office environment - 25%
Salary Description
$78,561 - $117,852 DOQ