What are the responsibilities and job description for the PLANNING DIRECTOR 2026-03171 position at City of Fayetteville, Arkansas?
Salary: Commensurate with qualifications and experience, consistent with the City’s adopted pay plan.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: Note: All City of Fayetteville supervisory positions require employees to demonstrate leadership competencies by exhibiting appropriate role modeling, and setting proper examples. In addition, all City of Fayetteville positions require employees to provide good customer service to both internal and external customers, maintain positive and effective working relationships with other City employees (especially members of their own team), and have regular and reliable attendance that is non-disruptive. Other essential duties of this position include the following:
1. Perform supervisory responsibilities which may include interviewing, hiring, and training employees; planning, assigning, and directing work; appraising performance, rewarding and disciplining employees; addressing complaints and resolving problems. Carry out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with the City's policies and applicable laws.
2. Administer and interpret zoning and development ordinances throughout the city limits and within the city's planning area. Ensure staff apply interpretations consistently and document them.
3. Coordinate efforts between departments and divisions to evaluate development and land use applications and to enforce current ordinances through investigation and prosecution. Escalate unresolved cross-departmental issues to the Development Services Director.
4. Direct current planning activities, including zoning changes, variances, site plans, platting, and subdivisions; provide case management in accordance with policies and procedures established for the development review process.
5. Within the development review process set by the Development Services Director, serve as a primary facilitator for ensuring all development-related activities are consistently evaluated for efficiency and effectiveness, working with multiple divisions to pool resources, skillsets and personnel in order to achieve common goals of the department.
6. Speak with citizens, developers, attorneys, architects, engineers, etc. regarding land use proposals before the city; explain applicable regulations to guide the proposal in the process. Help applicants find code-compliant paths to approval.
7. Report to the Planning Commission and City Council on matters pertaining to zoning, development, sign regulations, and planning code enforcement. Provide independent professional recommendations on applications and policy.
8. Supervise staff to maintain efficient and consistent daily operations, especially through the development review process. Meet published review timelines for planning applications and report performance to the Development Services Director.
9. Manage activities of Planning Commission, Board of Adjustment, Subdivision Committee, and Technical Plat Review Committee in the land use and development review process. Ensure staffing of the Historic District and Black Heritage Commissions.
10. Oversee the preparation of maps, site plans, and other graphics; make site visits as needed; and ensure staff maintain and update official City maps, including the zoning, overlay district, and similar maps.
11. Develop review programs and establish broad priorities and work sequences to meet published review timelines and improve the review process.
12. Support long-range planning through the Long Range Planning team, including updates to the comprehensive plan, amendments to zoning and development ordinances, and historic preservation.
13. Assist the Department Director as needed.
14. Perform other duties as assigned.1. Perform secondary duties as assigned.
1. Bachelor's degree (B.A. or B.S.) from a college or university in City and Regional Planning or related field and eight years of progressively responsible management and administrative experience in public-sector planning and development or comparable private-sector planning practice, at least three of which were at a supervisory level. Master's degree in City and Regional Planning preferred and may substitute for four years' experience.
2. Thorough knowledge of zoning, subdivision, and land use law and practice.
3. Experience preparing and presenting staff recommendations to a planning commission or governing body.
4. Experience leading comprehensive or long-range planning work, such as a plan update or major code amendment.
5. Demonstrated record of meeting review timelines and resolving issues with applicants.
6. Valid Driver's License.
7. AICP Certificate required within 1 year of employment.
8. Effectively communicate with others orally and in writing, often under complex conditions that require good judgment.
9. Must possess public presentation skills to provide presentations to staff, the public, various boards and committees, and City Council in a clear, effective manner.
10. Must be proficient in the use of a computer and software programs such as word processing and spreadsheets and must be able to become proficient in the use of other related software programs such as permit tracking software and GIS applications. Must be able to effectively operate standard office equipment.
11. While performing the functions of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to stand, walk, and sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 10 pounds. Specific vision abilities to accomplish computer and office work.
12. While performing the functions of this job, the employee is occasionally exposed to wet and/or humid conditions, moving mechanical parts; fumes or airborne particles; outside weather conditions and risk of injury by visiting various project locations, operational departments, equipment demonstrations and construction sites.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: Note: All City of Fayetteville supervisory positions require employees to demonstrate leadership competencies by exhibiting appropriate role modeling, and setting proper examples. In addition, all City of Fayetteville positions require employees to provide good customer service to both internal and external customers, maintain positive and effective working relationships with other City employees (especially members of their own team), and have regular and reliable attendance that is non-disruptive. Other essential duties of this position include the following:
1. Perform supervisory responsibilities which may include interviewing, hiring, and training employees; planning, assigning, and directing work; appraising performance, rewarding and disciplining employees; addressing complaints and resolving problems. Carry out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with the City's policies and applicable laws.
2. Administer and interpret zoning and development ordinances throughout the city limits and within the city's planning area. Ensure staff apply interpretations consistently and document them.
3. Coordinate efforts between departments and divisions to evaluate development and land use applications and to enforce current ordinances through investigation and prosecution. Escalate unresolved cross-departmental issues to the Development Services Director.
4. Direct current planning activities, including zoning changes, variances, site plans, platting, and subdivisions; provide case management in accordance with policies and procedures established for the development review process.
5. Within the development review process set by the Development Services Director, serve as a primary facilitator for ensuring all development-related activities are consistently evaluated for efficiency and effectiveness, working with multiple divisions to pool resources, skillsets and personnel in order to achieve common goals of the department.
6. Speak with citizens, developers, attorneys, architects, engineers, etc. regarding land use proposals before the city; explain applicable regulations to guide the proposal in the process. Help applicants find code-compliant paths to approval.
7. Report to the Planning Commission and City Council on matters pertaining to zoning, development, sign regulations, and planning code enforcement. Provide independent professional recommendations on applications and policy.
8. Supervise staff to maintain efficient and consistent daily operations, especially through the development review process. Meet published review timelines for planning applications and report performance to the Development Services Director.
9. Manage activities of Planning Commission, Board of Adjustment, Subdivision Committee, and Technical Plat Review Committee in the land use and development review process. Ensure staffing of the Historic District and Black Heritage Commissions.
10. Oversee the preparation of maps, site plans, and other graphics; make site visits as needed; and ensure staff maintain and update official City maps, including the zoning, overlay district, and similar maps.
11. Develop review programs and establish broad priorities and work sequences to meet published review timelines and improve the review process.
12. Support long-range planning through the Long Range Planning team, including updates to the comprehensive plan, amendments to zoning and development ordinances, and historic preservation.
13. Assist the Department Director as needed.
14. Perform other duties as assigned.
2. Thorough knowledge of zoning, subdivision, and land use law and practice.
3. Experience preparing and presenting staff recommendations to a planning commission or governing body.
4. Experience leading comprehensive or long-range planning work, such as a plan update or major code amendment.
5. Demonstrated record of meeting review timelines and resolving issues with applicants.
6. Valid Driver's License.
7. AICP Certificate required within 1 year of employment.
8. Effectively communicate with others orally and in writing, often under complex conditions that require good judgment.
9. Must possess public presentation skills to provide presentations to staff, the public, various boards and committees, and City Council in a clear, effective manner.
10. Must be proficient in the use of a computer and software programs such as word processing and spreadsheets and must be able to become proficient in the use of other related software programs such as permit tracking software and GIS applications. Must be able to effectively operate standard office equipment.
11. While performing the functions of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to stand, walk, and sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 10 pounds. Specific vision abilities to accomplish computer and office work.
12. While performing the functions of this job, the employee is occasionally exposed to wet and/or humid conditions, moving mechanical parts; fumes or airborne particles; outside weather conditions and risk of injury by visiting various project locations, operational departments, equipment demonstrations and construction sites.