Planning Director

Position Title: Planning Director

Department: Planning

Reports to: Town Manager

Grade Level:  Grade 12 Personnel Policies, Management Provision (Effective July 1, 2025 - Grade 13)

FLSA Status: Exempt- Full-Time, Benefit eligible

Salary Range: Begins at $80,732 - $113,026 (Effective July 1, 2025, Salary Range - $97,332-$131,398)

Nature of Work:  The Planning Director (“Employee”) performs professional and administrative duties in planning, organizing, and coordinating the Town of Duxbury’s (“Town”) planning, land use, and community development functions and activities.  Employee is required to perform all similar or related duties.

Supervision Received:  Employee works under the direct supervision of the Town Manager and the Town’s Planning Board (“Board”), working from organizational policies and objectives, establishing short- and long-range plans and objectives for the Planning Department, establishes personnel performance standards and assumes direct accountability for the results of a department of the Town.  Employee consults with the Town Manager where clarification, interpretation, or exception to organizational policy may be required.  The Employee exercises responsibility for the development of department policies, procedures, goals, objectives, and operating budgets.  The Employee is expected to attempt to resolve conflicts that arise and coordinate with others as necessary.

Supervisory Responsibility:  The Employee is accountable for the direction and success of programs.  Analyzes program objectives, determines work operations, and estimates and allocates the financial and staff resources required.  Oversees the personnel function of the Planning Department (“Department”) including recommending hiring, training, and disciplining of employees.  The Employee is responsible for the supervision of subordinate position(s), developing job direction, and assigning tasks and instructions.  Oversees the work of outside consultants on Town projects.

Confidentiality:  Employee has regular access to confidential information of the department, including personnel records, lawsuits, and client and department records such as bid documents and contracts.  Confidentiality must be maintained with regard to this information in accordance with Departmental Policy and the Public Records Act.

Accountability:  Duties include department level responsibility for technical processes, service delivery, and oversight and the development of municipal-wide planning goals and objectives and fiscal responsibility for the department including department equipment and staffing utilization.  Consequences or errors, missed deadlines, or poor judgment could severely jeopardize department operations or have adverse public relations, jeopardize programs, or cause extensive financial and legal repercussions to the Town. 

Judgment:  Work is performed based on administrative or organizational policies, general principles, legislation, or directives that pertain to a specific department or functional area.  Extensive judgment is required to develop new or adapt existing methods and approaches for accomplishing objectives or to deal with new or unusual requirements within the limits of the guidelines or policies.  The Employee is recognized as the department of functional area’s authority in interpreting the guidelines, in determining how they should be applied, and in making recommendations for operating policies, standards, or criteria.

Complexity:  The work consists of employing many different concepts, theories, principles, techniques, and practices relating to the planning field.  Assignments typically concern such matters as studying trends in the field for application to the work; assessing services and recommending improvements; planning and managing long-range projects; and devising new appropriate and applicable techniques for application to the work.

Nature and Purpose of Public Contact:  Employee has constant interactions with local, state, and federal government officials, community leaders, and many other individuals to protect and promote the municipality’s overall interest.  Employee must possess a high degree of diplomacy and judgment.  Duties require a well-developed sense of strategy and timing in representing the municipality effectively in critical and important situations that may influence the well-being of the municipality.  Excellent communication and customer service skills are required involving courtesy, tact, and diplomacy with the public and public officials.

Essential Functions:  The essential functions or duties listed below are intended only as illustrations of the various type of work that may be performed.  The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related, or logical assignment to the position. 

1.  Serves as technical advisor to the Planning Board, Duxbury Affordable Housing Trust, and other Town boards/committees as directed by the Town Manager or Board by preparing reports and recommendations and serving as the liaison between the Board and the public, developers, and other Town boards and commissions.

2.  Acts as principal contact for all manner of development proposals in the Town and coordinates the review of subdivisions, site plans, and special permit applications for commercial, recreational, office, industrial, and residential development with pertinent staff members and members of other departments. Coordinates the reviews conducted by the interdepartmental Development Review Team or DRT.

3.  Carries out a Comprehensive Plan/Town Plan for the Planning Board and assists the Town Manager and Board of Selectmen with Long-Range Strategic Planning.

4.  Administers existing land use regulations falling under the authority of the Planning Board under the provisions of state statute, Town Bylaws, and Town Zoning Bylaws. Develops and initiates planning and zoning policies and regulatory programs, addressing planning and land use issues in a manner consistent with state law, Town Bylaws, Zoning Bylaws, Subdivision Rules and Regulations, and land-use planning objectives.  Assists the Board in making recommendations and developing proposals for consideration by the Town regarding land use.

5.  Conducts field inspections for planning studies and development proposals to ensure compliance with approvals and regulations.

6.  Provides comments and advice to the Town Manager, Board of Selectmen, Planning Board, and other Town boards and committees as requested; researches and assists the Planning Board with drafting zoning and subdivision regulations and design guidelines.

7.  Oversees the maintenance and updating of the inventory of Town maps and related information concerning wetlands, open space, and areas of ecological, biological, geological or hydrological significance; maintains contact with FEMA, and maintains an electronic inventory of GIS maps with Assessors.

8.  Conducts statistical and narrative research pertaining to economic, social, and physical factors affecting the Town; makes projections for growth and impacts by analyzing growth trends, population data, and development pressures.

9.  Provides information and guidance to members of the public and land owners as required pertaining to land use and zoning matters.

10. Prepares documents for legal appeals and provides legal testimony in court as required.

11. Serves as staff advisor to Planning Board and other boards and commissions on planning-related matters and initiates and coordinates planning studies.

12. Coordinates and oversees the Town’s GIS and web-based projects by vendors/consultants.

13. Prepares and administers the Planning Department’s operating budget.

14. Serves as Town representative with local, county, state, federal, regional planning, and economic development agencies.

15. Serves as the Town’s Floodplain Administrator and coordinates directly with local, state, and federal agencies and is responsible for reviewing all building permit applications with respect to compliance and correct documentation of floodplain information on plans.

16. Serves as the Town’s delegate to the Old Colony Planning Council and the Metropolitan Area Planning Council – voting, submitting requests for Direct Local Technical Assistance, and Transportation Improvement Program representing the Town.  Serves as the Town’s designated contact and/or portal administrator for state funding programs and others as may arise.

17. Maintains public-facing resources on the Planning Department and Planning Board web pages.

18. Attends all Planning Board meetings.  Reviews the agenda for Planning Board meetings and hearings.  Oversees preparation of Planning Board meeting minutes, and drafts, and solicits comments from the Planning Board to finalize decisions, bonds, covenants, and other legally binding documents.

19. Attends classes and educational seminars to maintain and expand knowledge of planning laws, best practices, and/or regulations, and to maintain professional certification(s) and licenses

20. Performs other duties and functions as required or directed.

Minimum Qualifications: 

Required Education and Experience:  Bachelor’s degree in Planning or a related field; five to seven (5-7) year municipal planning experience or any equivalent combination of education, training and experience which provides the required knowledge, skills and abilities to perform essential functions of the job.

Required Qualifications:

Valid Massachusetts Class D Driver’s License

Certification as Planner by the AICP or the ability to obtain within twelve (12) months of hire

Preferred Qualifications:

Municipal planning experience and supervisory experience preferred. 

Knowledge, Abilities and Skill 

Knowledge:  Thorough knowledge of municipal planning, research data, and the collection of data in support of the Town’s planning services.  Working knowledge of federal, state, and local land use regulations and permit procedures. 

Abilities:  Ability to meet and deal with the public effectively to accomplish the Town’s planning goals and objectives; ability to take the initiative required to handle problems effectively; ability to communicate clearly, both orally and in writing; ability to operate a computer; ability to maintain confidential information; ability to maintain, manage, and organize records; ability to deal appropriately with clients, Town employees, Town officials and other governmental agencies.  Ability to deal with sensitive inquiries and complaints.  The ability to conduct short- and long-term planning projects and produce results.

Skill:  Excellent written and oral communication skills.  Excellent organizational and data processing skills.  Proficient computer and mathematical skills.

Work Environment:  The work environment involves everyday discomforts typical of offices, with occasional exposure to outside elements when conducting field inspections.  Employee must exercise caution when conducting field inspections.  Noise or physical surroundings may be distracting, but conditions are generally not unpleasant.  Employee may be required to work beyond normal business hours to attend evening meetings. 

Occupational Risk:  Duties generally do not present occupational risk to the Employee.  Minor injury could occur, however, through Employee failure to property follow safety precautions or procedures when conducting site inspection work in the field.  Examples of injury include minor bruises from falls, minor cuts or burns or minor muscular strains. 

Physical and Mental Requirements:  The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the position’s essential functions. 

Physical Skills:  Work requires agility and physical strength when in the field accessing construction work sites or standing or walking for extended periods of time. Occasionally, work may require lifting (up to 30 lbs.), pushing, carrying, or pulling objects. 

Motor Skills:  Duties involve assignments requiring application of hand and eye coordination with finger dexterity and motor coordination.  Examples include operating a motor vehicle, using a personal computer, or climbing a ladder.

Visual Demands:  Visual demands require the Employee to constantly read documents for general understanding and analytical purposes as well as to interpret non-written materials such as maps; Employee must be able to distinguish colors.

Salary : $80,732 - $113,026