Director of Community Development and Planning

Location: City of Arlington, TX Download: City of Arlington, TX - Director of Community Development and Planning Brochure

The City of Arlington, TX
Director of Community Development and Planning

The Community:
The City of Arlington (pop. 370,000), now the seventh-largest city in Texas. Located in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex, Arlington is a full-service city supported by a total budget of $431 million and a full-time staff of 2,477. With a land area of approximately 99 square miles, Arlington is easily accessible by highway, rail and air.

The City of Arlington is a diverse metropolitan area located approximately 20 miles west of downtown Dallas and 12 miles east of downtown Fort Worth. What started as a small rural farming community of 1884 is now the nation's 50th largest city with more than 370,000 residents. From a regional perspective, Arlington is the seventh-largest city in Texas.

Arlington is a community where citizens, civic organizations, businesses and city government work together to ensure the community retains its hometown identity, high quality of life and natural beauty.

From shopping, dining and entertainment, Arlington continues to prove that it really is 99 square miles of culture, excellence and excitement.

Arlington is known for being a travel destination, boasting some of the area's and nation's top family-friendly attractions including AT&T Stadium (home of the Dallas Cowboys), Six Flags Over Texas, Six Flags Hurricane Harbor, Arlington is known for being a travel destination, boasting some of the area’s and nation’s top family-friendly attractions including AT&T Stadium (home of the Dallas Cowboys), Six Flags Over Texas, Six Flags Hurricane Harbor, Texas Live, a 250,000 million dollar entertainment venue, International Bowling Campus and Globe Life Park (home of the Texas Rangers).

In close proximity to DFW Airport, Dallas and Fort Worth, residents have access to world-class orchestras, theaters and some of the finest museums in the world, all within a 30-minute drive.International Bowling Campus and Globe Life Park (home of the Texas Rangers). In close proximity to DFW Airport, Dallas and Fort Worth, residents have access to world-class orchestras, theaters and some of the finest museums in the world, all within a 30-minute drive.

Arlington also is home to quality medical, research and learning institutions like University of Texas at Arlington, Tarrant County College, as well as Arlington, Mansfield, Kennedale and Hurst-Euless-Bedford independent school districts, and private home schools. Arlington has a diverse local economy evidenced by our major employers: General Motors, Texas Health Resources, AmeriCredit, L3 Communications, Lear, Aetna and Chase Bank. Arlington is a regional destination for retail shopping as well.

The local economy is strengthened even more by the presence of quality neighborhoods, parks, libraries, commercial development and the Arlington Municipal Airport, which provides excellence in corporate and leisure aviation services.

Government:
The City of Arlington operates under the Council-Manager form of government. The City has eight Council members and a Mayor. Five of the Council members are elected from geographic districts, three are elected at-large, and the Mayor is also elected at-large. The Council appoints the City Manager, City Attorney, City Auditor and Municipal Judges. Deputy City Managers and Department Directors are appointed by the City Manager. Directors are responsible for the oversight of day-to-day operations including decision making, community relations for their area of responsibility, national and regional association representation, and as an important contributor to city strategic planning and budgeting.

Each year, the City Council identifies community priorities that guide us in allocating the City's resources. The current Council priorities include the following:

Build a Thriving Community
Enhance Regional Mobility
Support Quality Education
Define an Identifiable Brand

Community Development and Planning Department:
The mission of the Community Development and Planning Department is to make Arlington a premier City by engaging in visionary planning, building vibrant neighborhoods, and serving our residents, businesses and visitors. The Department serves as the lead agency for all planning and development activities. The Community Development and Planning Department consists of four Divisions; Business Services, Development Services, Strategic Planning, and Housing and has 136 employees. The Director administers an annual operating budget of 6.8 million dollars (FY2015).

The Position:
The Director is the administrative head of the Community Development and Planning Department. This position serves as the Chief Planning Officer for the City. The Director plans, organizes, manages, and provides oversight for all functions and activities of the Community Development and Planning Department. These functions include the strategic planning, urban design, real estate, transportation planning, building permitting and inspections, housing, land development, engineering, and grants management.

Position Requirements:

Ability to direct the development, presentation, recommendations and implementation of the Comprehensive Plan and related special projects including coordination and communication with decision-making bodies, other departments, agencies and the public.
Ability to review, evaluate and recommend changes related to zoning, subdivision and other special development permits for approval by the Council and Planning and Zoning Commission as well as administering and making recommendations for modification to the Zoning Ordinance, Subdivision Regulations, Enterprise Zone and similar programs.
Ability to oversee the real estate, building permitting and inspections and housing functions for the City.
Ability to oversee a customer focused development services program.
Ability to manage, coordinate and make recommendations to the City Manager, City Council and other appropriate bodies concerning multi-department programs such as land use assumptions, impact fees, capital budgets, economic development projects, and the Development Review Committee.
Ability to select, place, promote, develop, discipline, and appraise department personnel and administer the department budget.
Ability to attend meetings of the City Council and Planning and Zoning Commission as departmental representative and investigate and report on matters requiring their action; and to represent the city in meetings with other agencies as authorized by the City Manager.
Ability to make presentations and communicate orally and in writing on various planning and development issues.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Required:

Extensive knowledge of the principles, methods, practices and theories associated with urban planning.
Knowledge of Federal, State and local laws governing planning, zoning and development.
Knowledge of the budget-making principles and procedures.
Skill in performing independent technical research and presenting findings in a clear and concise manner to various groups, such as the general public, City Council, etc.
Ability to prepare and monitor a large operating budget.
Ability to direct and supervise a large professional staff with a support staff.
Ability to collect, analyze and interpret economic and physical data pertaining to planning and zoning.
Ability to plan, organize, monitor and evaluate subordinates' work assignments to accomplish unit objectives.

Education and Experience
Interested candidates will have a Master's Degree from an accredited college or university with major coursework in Urban Planning or a related field and a minimum of ten years experience in urban planning. A minimum of five years' experience in leading a large planning agency is required. Experience that includes significant work in local government is desired; a combination of education, training and experience may be considered. AICP highly preferred.

The Ideal Candidate:
The ideal candidate will have extensive planning experience and a proven track record in navigating complex planning and development issues. The candidate will also have effectively managed a large multi-disciplinary organization. The Director must also have a strong knowledge of engineering, urban design, and building.

The ideal candidate will have experience in urban planning, land use, permitting/zoning, redevelopment, and housing and community development programs. This individual will have knowledge of current and emerging trends, and issues and strategies that affect and influence all aspects of planning and community development. The ideal candidate will be well versed in current planning trends and have experience in development services and strategic planning.

The ideal candidate will have experience in developing and monitoring departmental budgets. Excellent communication, interpersonal and presentation skills are essential along with strong leadership abilities placing a very high priority on customer relations; advanced written and oral communication skills are imperative. The ideal candidate should have proven experience in building and maintaining a broad spectrum of partnerships both internally and with the community to ensure that a common vision is enacted and supported; experience working with neighborhood groups will be essential. The City is interested in a candidate who has the ability to think critically and creatively and exercise excellent judgment.

Salary:
The City of Arlington is offering a competitive salary commensurate with experience and a comprehensive benefits package. Relocation assistance will also be available for a successful out of area candidate.

How to Apply:
Applicants should forward a cover letter and resume to:

resumes@affionpublic.com
Reference: ARLDCDP

Affion Public
2120 Market Street
Camp Hill, PA 17011
888.321.4922
Fax: 717-214-8004
www.affionpublic.com

**Deadline to receive resumes is November 24, 2017

Posted: 03/22/2022