Community Development Director

Location:  City of Durango, CO Download:  City of Durango, CO - Community Development Director - Brochure

About Durango, CO 

Nestled deep within the San Juan Mountains, Durango, Colorado is an authentic mountain town full of old west character, outdoor recreation, and natural wonders off the beaten path.  Durango covers 17.10 square miles at an altitude of 6,512 feet and has a growing population of nearly 20,000. 

Durango is a friendly town with a tight knit, highly educated community. It is the home of Fort Lewis College, a four-year, public liberal arts college, and is known worldwide for the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, a heritage railway that travels from Durango to the historic mining town of Silverton, Colorado via steam-powered trains. 

With its combination of historic architecture, entertainment, and shopping, Durango boasts galleries, boutiques, restaurants, bars, and a robust downtown business district. Unique dining establishments consist of locally owned restaurants. 

Outdoor activities are part of the lifestyle in Durango, including miles of world-class skiing, hiking, rafting, horseback riding, and mountain biking trails. Durango offers national parks, archeological sites, and gold mines to explore. Purgatory Ski Resort, located 25 miles north of downtown Durango, has 105 trails, 11 lifts, a vertical drop of over 2,000 feet, and more than 1,600 acres of skiable terrain.

Government 

Durango, Colorado is a home rule city with a council-manager form of government. The Durango City Council serves as its legislative and policymaking authority. Under this form of government, the eligible electors of Durango elect five residents to serve a four-year term as members of the City Council to represent them and serve as the legislative and policy-making authority for the City. The council elects a mayor from among its members to a one-year term of office. 

The Position 

Reporting to the Assistant City Manager, the Community Development Director is a knowledgeable and visionary member of the City’s Executive Leadership Team responsible for leading a high-performing Community Development Department. The Director actively engages in all segments of the community to focus on community planning and livability, citizen engagement, interagency collaboration, Durango’s Urban Renewal Authority, land use permitting, and code compliance. The Director must exercise a high degree of independent judgment, be capable of crafting solutions to complex problems, be a skilled negotiator, and conduct all work with tact and diplomacy. The Director coordinates assigned activities with other City departments, works in partnership with the Housing and Tourism Office, and collaborates with outside agencies while also providing highly responsible and complex policy and program support to the City Manager and Assistant City Manager. 

Responsibilities and Duties 

  •      Initiates and leads the implementation of the Community Development components of the City’s Strategic Plan. Ensures that Strategic Plan goals and objectives are integrated into the operations of the Community Development Department.
  •      Leads the establishment and the communication of the vision and strategic direction to staff, partner entities, and the community.
  •      Assumes full management responsibility for all Community Development Department services and activities, including the development and implementation of Department goals, objectives, policies, and priorities for each service area; maintains sensitivity to the impacts of decisions, including legal liability, community perception, and statutory violations.
  •      Identifies and facilitates departmental initiatives to foster community and economic development opportunities by setting broad objectives and maintaining accountability for overall results.
  •      Serves on the City’s Executive Leadership Team and leads efforts to foster interdepartmental collaboration and alignment.
  •      Serves as the overall authority on the Department budget by initiating and facilitating the creation of an effective annual budget for the Department; approves the forecast of funds needed for staffing, equipment, materials, and supplies; approves expenditures and implements budgetary adjustments as appropriate and necessary.
  •      Monitors, pursues and secures funding for community development activities and programs.
  •      Provides support for the City Manager’s Office in communicating about complex community issues, analysis, and policy options to elected and appointed officials and partner organizations.
  •      Manages sensitive or confidential information regarding personnel, real estate transactions, policy discussions, and legal positions and exercises discretion and integrity to achieve City-wide goals. 
  •      Manages the development and implementation of Department goals, objectives, policies, and priorities for each assigned service area.
  •      Establishes, within City policy, appropriate service and staffing levels; monitors and evaluates the efficiency and effectiveness of service delivery methods and procedures; allocates resources accordingly.
  •      Plans, directs and coordinates the Department's annual work plan; assigns projects and programmatic areas of responsibility; reviews and evaluates work methods and procedures; meets with management staff to identify and resolve problems.
  •      Supports the work of the Durango Urban Renewal Authority (URA).
  •      Oversees and directs planning activities, including project reviews, plan reviews and design reviews; formulates research and analyze policies.
  •      Directs and oversees the interpretation, amendment and enforcement of codes and ordinances, particularly the City’s Land Use and Development Code.
  •      Attends a variety of meetings including City Council meetings, study sessions, and related meetings; prepares documentation and presentation materials and present these materials as needed.
  •      Responds to citizen requests in an appropriate and prompt manner.
  •      Provides primary responsibility and accountability for Department Budget. Facilitates the creation of an effective annual budget for the Department; approves the forecast of funds needed for staffing, equipment, materials, and supplies; approves and monitors expenditures and implements budgetary adjustments as appropriate and necessary. 
  •      Represents the Community Development Department to other City departments, elected officials and outside agencies; coordinates Department activities with those of other departments and outside agencies and organizations.

 Knowledge of: 

  •      Principles and practices of strategic planning, program development and administration.
  •      Principles and practices of municipal budget preparation and administration.
  •      Principles and practices of urban planning, including land use planning, site planning, architecture, landscape architecture and urban design.
  •      Principles and practices of economic development and small business development and retention.
  •      Principles and practices of real estate finance and development.
  •      Land use and building permitting and inspection and code compliance principles and practices.
  •      Pertinent Federal, State, and local laws, codes and regulations. 

Education and Experience 

Qualified applicants will have a bachelor’s degree in public administration, business administration, urban planning or a related field, with at least seven (7) years of increasingly responsible experience in urban planning, public administration, and building inspection, including three years of supervisory and administrative responsibility. A master’s degree in public administration, community planning, business administration or a related field is preferred.  An American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) Certification is preferred. 

The Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in urban planning, community planning/livability, inter-agency collaboration, land use permitting, building inspection, and code compliance. The ideal candidate should have the ability to foster community and economic development opportunities, and have experience in strategic planning, and developing and monitoring departmental budgets. 

The ideal candidate must exhibit strong collaboration and relationship-building skills needed for citizen engagement and inter-agency collaboration, and to establish and maintain effective working relationships with the City Manager, City Council, the Housing and Tourism Office, Durango’s Urban Renewal Authority, State and Federal officials, and the community.  

The ideal candidate will be a visionary leader who has the capacity and interest to be an effective mentor and inspires staff to achieve excellence. Effective communication along with strong team-building skills will be necessary for this individual to be successful.  Advanced written and oral communication skills, along with advanced project management and presentation skills are imperative. 

Salary

 The City of Durango is offering a competitive salary along with a comprehensive benefits package. The full salary range is listed between $119,136 - $184,660; the hiring range will be between $135,000 -$151,898, depending on qualifications.  Relocation assistance will be available for the successful out of area candidate. 

How to Apply 

Interested applicants should forward a cover letter and resume to:

resumes@affionpublic.com
Reference: DURANGOCDD

Affion Public
PO Box 794
Hershey, PA 17033
717-214-4922
www.affionpublic.com 

*The deadline to receive resumes is October 04, 2024* 

 The City of Durango is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate on the basis age 40 and over, color, disability, gender identity, genetic information, military or veteran status, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation or any other applicable status protected by state or local law. It is our intention that all qualified applicants be given equal opportunity and that selection decisions are based on job-related factors.

Posted: 09/06/2024