The Community Development Director is appointed by and reports to the City Manager.

Performs executive level administrative, supervisory, and public contact work necessary to direct the building inspection and planning divisions of the Community Development Department.

Plans, organizes and supervises the operations of the Planning Division including, Development Services, Current Planning, Long Range Planning, and the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) programs. This position involves hands on planning related work including research, drafting staff reports, and providing verbal presentations to boards, committees, and City Council on a frequent basis.

Exercises direct supervision over professional, technical and clerical planning staff of Building Inspection, Development Services, Current Planning, Long Range Planning, MPO and CDBG. Recommends applicants for employment; trains, promotes, counsels, disciplines and evaluates performance of divisional staff.

Responsible for managing the majority of the City's construction, development, project review, permitting, and inspection services.

Maintains primary responsibility for the efficient delivery of Community Development Department services. Directs subordinate supervisors and departmental employees activities to ensure the most efficient and equitable delivery of department services.

Under the direction of and approval by the City Manager, prepares and defends the proposed departmental budget before the city council. Manages the adopted departmental budget to ensure that the department complies with the City Councils annual financial plan for the City.

Manages departmental operations in compliance with the personnel ordinance and related administrative regulations. Maintains responsibility for all departmental recruitment, hiring, performance evaluations, commendations, and disciplinary actions under the provisions of the personnel ordinance.

Communicates policy directives of the City Council and administrative directives of the City Manager to departmental personnel in an accurate and timely manner. Ensures that department personnel cooperate fully with personnel from other City departments on joint projects. Informs the City Manager of department progress and activities and of significant contacts with the public and the media.

Maintains responsibility for conducting the regular meetings for the Administrative Review Board, Planning and Zoning Commission, Electrical Code Advisory Committee and the Metropolitan Redevelopment Agency Commission. Reviews, interprets and suggests revisions to the UDC, land use, and zoning development.

Responsible for the analysis, development, and presentation of recommendations on complex planning, zoning and development proposals; responsible for providing technical expertise in the formulation of recommendations.

Responsible for advising contractors, architects, developers and members of the public on code interpretations, code requirements, and plan deficiencies.

Responsible for dealing with complaints of potential code violations relating to signing, building occupancy, nuisances, hazardous sidewalks or other conditions, housing conditions, construction, land use, zoning, animals, noise, dumping, clearing, grading, filling, polluting, or other code related matters.

Evaluates operations and activities of assigned responsibilities; recommends improvements and modifications; prepares various reports on operations and activities.

Prepares special reports and supervises the performance of professional staff and outside consultants in the preparation of specialized planning reports including urban design proposals and other field studies.

Presents information and recommendations on projects and documents of a specialized nature for a various community boards and meetings.

Confers with engineers, developers, architects, various outside agencies, and the general public in acquiring information and coordinating planning and zoning matters; provides information regarding City development requirements.

Using excellent customer service skills, establishes and maintains effective working relationships with other employees, officials, and all members of the general public.

Operates a motor vehicle to assist in carrying out the business of the department and the City.

Performs related duties as required.

NON-ESSENTIAL DUTIES

The duties listed above are intended only as illustrations of the various types 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 a logical assignment to the position.

QUALIFICATIONS

Bachelors degree in urban/municipal/community planning or a related field is required; graduate degree or graduate level coursework preferred.

Ten years of experience in urban/municipal/community planning with a minimum of seven years of supervisory experience at a similar or larger-sized organization required.

AICP certification from the American Planning Association is preferred, or otherwise required within five years of employment. Experience in municipal planning preferred.

Thorough knowledge of municipal planning principles, practices and methods; thorough knowledge of applicable City policies, laws, and regulations affecting division activities.

Ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, with employees, consultants, other governmental agency representatives, City officials and the general public; ability to conduct necessary research and compile comprehensive reports.

Skill in public relations involving various community and infrastructure problems under stressful conditions.

Ability to represent departmental/divisional issues before elected officials, advisory boards, and citizen groups.

Valid New Mexico driver's license with acceptable driving record for the past three years.

Considerable knowledge of building inspection and planning and zoning policies and procedures.

Skill in dealing with the public, subordinate supervisors and employees from a responsible management perspective.

Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with elected officials, advisory boards and commissions, the City Manager, fellow department heads, subordinate supervisors, employees, and the general public.

In addition to the above identified characteristics and experience, the following attributes are also important qualities for the Community Development Director:

• Positive, responsive and customer-oriented attitude;
• Confident and comfortable in dealing with pressure coming from a variety of sources simultaneously;
• Energized by major challenges and accomplishments;
• Knowledgeable about contemporary development services technological applications;
• Communicates with confidence, integrity and professionalism;
• Superior decision maker; takes risks courageously and judiciously;
• Exceptional and proven manager of people;
• Displays genuine concern for staff development and quality of work life;
• Possesses sound judgment and excellent intuition;
• Fosters and rewards innovation and creativity at all levels; and,
• Proactive problem solver.

This position is subject to the City's Drug and Alcohol Free Workplace Program which includes: pre-employment testing, post-accident testing, reasonable suspicion testing, return to work testing, and follow-up testing.