Planning & Community Development Director

Performs difficult professional work planning, directing, coordinating and supervising planning, code enforcement, building inspections and permitting, hazard mitigation and community development programs, services, staff and functions, coordinating work with the County Manager's office and department directors, providing staff and technical resource support to various boards and commissions, other local jurisdictions, regional, state and federal agencies, and related work as apparent or assigned. Work involves setting policies and goals under the direction of the Assistant County Manager. Departmental supervision is exercised over all personnel within the department. Assist with other duties as needed or assigned.

Qualification Requirements

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential function satisfactorily.  The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or ability required.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individual with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Plans, directs and supervises activities and programs in the Planning and Community Development Department, including land use planning, zoning enforcement, building inspections and permitting, hazard mitigation, and community development. Serves as principal communicator regarding the County's regulations, policies and procedures on all planning and community development matters to elected and appointed officials, County employees, officials from other political jurisdictions, citizens, property and business owners, real estate developers and the media.
• Oversees personnel affairs of the department; recruits and selects department personnel; assigns, directs, inspects and evaluates the work of assigned staff; rewards, transfers, promotes, demotes, suspends and terminates department personnel in accordance with approved personnel policies; coaches, counsels and trains staff; develops staff schedules. 
• Providing guidance and direction to staff as needed; serving as communicator and facilitator with builders, contractors, and trade groups; analysis of processes for opportunities for improvement in efficiency and responsiveness.
• Collecting data from Planning and Permitting sources, analysis of that data and providing that data to relevant stakeholders for the benefit of decision making and strategic planning, analysis of data as it pertains to long term growth locally and regionally.
• Creates, coordinates, and implements all department policies and procedures.
• Prepares and administers department operating budget, and maintains compliance with all applicable laws regarding building permit revenue.
• Prepares projects and makes recommendations through presentations and written report to County Boards and Commissions, civic groups and public groups, occasionally after normal business hours.
• Analyzes, interprets, researches and solves complex planning, zoning, development, building inspections and permitting, hazard mitigation, and community development issues.
• Determines project compliance with local development regulations and long-range plans.
• Directs project tasks to supervisory staff for implementation.
• Advises elected and appointed officials, County employees, officials from other political jurisdictions, citizens, property and business owners, real estate developers and the media on planning, zoning, code enforcement, building inspections and permitting, and other community development matters.
• Serves in an emergency management role when necessary, including responsibilities for staff training, procedural development, and objectives as directed through the Emergency Management director

Comprehensive knowledge of the principles and practices of urban and regional planning, building inspections and permitting, and public administration as applied to natural resources, population, cultural features and other economic development and social matters; comprehensive knowledge of zoning policies, procedures and regulations including methods of devising and revising zoning and subdivision ordinances and in obtaining compliance; comprehensive knowledge of state laws pertaining to urban and regional planning and building inspections and permitting; general knowledge of management techniques; ability to write professional and technical planning and personnel reports and papers; ability to identify, write and administer federal and state grants; ability to plan and direct a comprehensive planning program; ability to plan and supervise the work of subordinates; ability to deal tactfully and effectively with public officials, community leaders and professional groups; ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with associates. 

Bachelor's degree with coursework in planning, geography, or related field and considerable experience in municipal planning including supervisory experience, or equivalent combination of education and experience. Master's degree preferred.

Possession of or ability to obtain AICP designation within one year of employment. Possession of CZO and CFM designation preferred.

Valid driver's license in the State of North Carolina

This work requires the occasional exertion of up to 10 pounds of force; work regularly requires sitting, speaking or hearing, using hands to finger, handle or feel and reaching with hands and arms, frequently requires standing and walking and occasionally requires climbing or balancing, stooping, kneeling, crouching or crawling, pushing or pulling, lifting and repetitive motions; work requires close vision, distance vision, ability to adjust focus, depth perception, color perception and peripheral vision; vocal communication is required for expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word; hearing is required to perceive information at normal spoken word levels; work requires preparing and analyzing written or computer data, using of measuring devices, operating motor vehicles or equipment and observing general surroundings and activities; work occasionally requires exposure to outdoor weather conditions; work is generally in a moderately noisy location (e.g. business office, light traffic).

Salary : $87,956 - $130,835