Assistant Director (Planning & Zoning)

The City of Alexandria is located in northern Virginia and is bordered by the District of Columbia (Potomac River), Arlington and Fairfax counties. With a population of approximately 160,000, and a land area of 15.75 square miles, Alexandria is the seventh largest City in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Alexandria has a charming waterfront and is a unique and historic place to live and work. With two local historic districts, seven national register districts, and a variety of distinct neighborhoods, we proudly embrace our rich history and seize the endless opportunities that lie ahead. If you are interested in working for the vibrant City of Alexandria, we invite qualified candidates to apply for our Assistant Director (P&Z) position within the Department of Planning & Zoning.

Department of Planning & Zoning

The Department of Planning & Zoning (P&Z) consists of 64.5 positions organized within five division –Leadership and Management Services, Land Use Services, Neighborhood Planning & Community Development, Development Planning, and Development Engineering. P&Z works closely with communities to advance the City's Strategic Plan and the Council’s Priorities – (i) Advance Housing Opportunities, (ii) Reduce Community Disparities, (iii) Strengthen our Economy, and (iv) Recruit & Retain a Thriving Workforce.

An Overview

The Assistant Director operates under the general supervision of the P&Z Director within the Leadership and Management Services division. The position oversees department-wide administration, organizational management and coordination; as well as taking a leading role in new policy initiatives, such as affordable housing and economic development.

What You Should Bring

You should be highly motivated and bring an enthusiasm for community service and city planning. The ideal candidate will have demonstrated leadership and supervisory skills; organizational management experience including finance/budgeting and human resources; solid project management skills; and experience with policy development and analysis. The ability to work with a diverse group of people and communities is required, along with demonstrated written and verbal communication skills, and efficiency with standard office software tools.

The Opportunity - Examples of Work

The Selected Candidate

• Oversees P&Z’s Administrative Services Unit (ASU), which has one manager and provides facilities, budget, human resources, and public counter staffing for the entire department;
• Oversees Boards and Commission Unit (BCU), which has one manager and handles application intake and routing, docket assembly and posting, noticing for, public hearings, and record keeping;
• Directly supervisors one or two principal planners involved in new policy initiatives outside the work of the other divisions. Examples include updating development regulations to increase housing availability and affordability in coordination with Office of Housing, developing economic development materials in coordination with Alexandria Economic Development Partnership (AEDP), annual state legislation tracking, and coordinating the department’s virtual community meeting series;
• Identifies, tracks, and coordinates policy issues that require attention including policy issues or questions raised at Council hearings, policy issues raised by internal discussions, brought forth by the City Manager’s Office or others;
• Manages monthly Development Coordinating Committee (DCC) meetings, Planning Commission and City Council briefings, orientations for elected and appointed officials, Planning Commission Retreats, etc.;
• Manages the weekly Senior Staff meetings, monthly Managers meeting; and monthly Department meeting;
• Promotes professional development for all P&Z classifications and fosters growth opportunities;
• Manages departmental participation in City-wide training and community events such as Citizen's Academy and Earth Day;
• Facilitates, in conjunction with others, P&Z Retreats and employee engagement opportunities; and
• Other duties as requested by the Director.
  
  

Bachelor's degree in planning, public administration, business or a related field; five or more years of relevant experience in planning and/or public administration with an emphasis on project management and policy development.

Master's Degree in planning, public administration, business or a related field. Seven to ten years of experience as a senior project manager with progressively responsible project/policy/programmatic management experience leading a team with demonstrated results; strong supervisory skills; a solid foundational knowledgebase in budget development and maintenance; human resources and budget/finance software knowledge and experience; efficiency in Adobe Suite products and in Microsoft Suite Products especially advanced levels in Word, Excel and share point programs; sharply honed verbal and written communication skills and the ability to work well with diverse groups of people and communities fostering equity and collaboration; or any equivalent combination of experience and training which provides the required knowledge, skills, and abilities. Certified Public Finance Officers Program, Project Management Professional, American Institute of Certified Planners and/or Society of Human Resources Management certification(s) preferred.

This position requires the successful completion of a pre-employment background check.