Deputy Director Community Development

City of Arcata; Arcata (CA); On-site; USD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, dental & vision coverage

Health insurance opt-out option

Management leave (14 days)

Vacation accrual and longevity pay

Deferred compensation contributions

Job summary

City of Arcata seeks a Planning Director to lead Planning, Economic Development, Housing, and Building Divisions within the Community Development Department. You will supervise staff, manage budgets, secure funding, and guide long-term goals and priorities.

Responsibilities include coordinating contracts, environmental compliance, and interagency collaboration, with a focus on community development and affordable housing initiatives.

Qualifications

• Equivalent to a Bachelor's Degree in Planning, Public Administration, Business Administration, or a closely related field and at least five (5) years progressively responsible experience.
• Experience in community development, housing, planning and/or economic development, including supervisory and budgetary experience.
• Substitution of additional related experience for education is allowed.

Responsibilities

• Plan, organize, coordinate, manage, and supervise assigned personnel and activities within Planning, Economic Development, Housing, and Building Divisions.
• Develop goals, policies, priorities, and procedures to improve service delivery and efficiency.
• Oversee daily functions and programs across divisions, including grant, loan, and program funding activities.
• Prepare contracts, RFPs, scopes of work, and environmental documentation; ensure compliance with CEQA/NEPA.
• Staff supervision, training, performance evaluation, and budget administration.
• Coordinate with City Council, committees, and external partners; respond to inquiries and maintain public notification.
• Manage and administer Division budgets; pursue grants and other funding sources.
• Represent the department in meetings after hours or travel as needed.

Skills

Urban planning

Budget management

People management

Grant administration

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Planning or related field

Tools

MS Office

Job description

Are you an adept problem-solver who is a clear communicator and thrives in a team-oriented environment?

• Unmatched Natural Beauty: Towering Redwoods, stunning coastlines, and miles of hiking, walking, and biking trails—just outside your door.
• A Supportive, Close-Knit Community: Arcata residents are dedicated, resilient, and passionate about supporting one another. Your work will make a lasting impact and help build a brighter future for all of us.
• A Relaxed Pace of Life: Say goodbye to traffic and city stress. With fewer crowds, less noise, and more space, you'll have the chance to reconnect with what truly matters.

Enjoy GREAT BENEFITS including:

• the City currently pays the majority of the medical coverage premium for employees(and their dependents) and 100% of the premium for dental and vision coverage
• If applicable, the City also offers a$400/month health insurance opt-out option
• 14 days of Management Leaveannually
• vacation accrual increases with service
• immediate City contribution to deferred compensation, increasing withservice
• longevity pay, etc.

See more in the "Benefits" tab.

DESCRIPTION

Under general direction of the Director of Community Development, plans, organizes, coordinates, manages, and supervises assigned personnel, programs and activities within the Planning, Economic Development, Housing, and Building Divisions of the Community Development Department; provides highly complex and responsible support to the Director of Community Development in areas of expertise; and performs all other related duties as assigned.

• Manages and participates in the development and implementation of goals, objectives, policies and priorities for assigned Divisions; develops and standardizes procedures and methods to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of Division programs and activities; continuously monitors and evaluates the efficiency and effectiveness of service delivery methods and procedures; identifies opportunities for improvement and recommend to the Director.

• Plans, manages, and oversees the daily functions, operations, and activities of the Planning, Economic Development, Housing, and Building Divisions; various economic and business development activities; affordable housing development activities; grant, revolving loan, and program income funded programs and projects, and building and safety, plan checking, permit processing, building inspection and code enforcement activities; manages and coordinates the work plan for the assigned Divisions; assesses and monitors workload, administrative and support systems, and internal reporting relationships; meets with staff to identify and resolve problems; assigns work activities, projects and programs; monitors work flow; reviews and evaluates work products, methods and procedures.

• Manages and participates in the Arcata Community Development Agency's Housing Project and Program funds as outlined in the goals and objectives of the Agency's Implementation Plan; community development project planning and construction management, project funding acquisition and administration, property acquisition and management; development and negotiation of contract documents, and contract management.

• Manages and participates in the economic development activities of the City as outlined in the goals and objectives of the City’s Economic Development Strategic Plan; identifying and fostering community economic development opportunities; securing funding for economic development activities and programs; assisting local organizations, businesses and individuals with establishing economic development plans and projects; and promoting the community in order to expand economic development opportunities.

• Prepares contracts, Requests For Proposals (RFPs), scopes of work for and conducts research and evaluation of planning, community development, economic development, and affordable housing proposed projects; marketing studies; preparation of initial study reports and environmental assessments, and the preparation of all documentation required by the California Environmental Quality Act and National Environmental Policy Act.

• Participates in the selection, trains, motivates, and evaluates assigned personnel; provides or coordinates staff training; works with employees to correct deficiencies; implements discipline and termination procedures.

• Manages and participates in the development and administration of assigned Division budgets.

• Applies for, coordinates, and administers grants and other funding sources.

• Prepares and presents reports to City Council; serves as liaison between assigned Committees/Commissions and City.

• Meets and coordinates work with a wide variety of the general public, non-profit and private businesses, other governmental and regulatory agencies, developers, planning and environmental consultants, architects, and others; responds to inquiries, requests, and complaints as it relates to division and department functions, and takes appropriate action; ensures the public is kept updated and aware of programs, projects, and other related activities through the department’s public notification policies and procedures.

• Performs duties of the Director, as assigned, in their absence.

• Performs all other related duties as assigned.

See job description for full list of duties.

EXPERIENCE AND TRAINING

Any combination of training and experience that would provide the required knowledge, skills, and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the required qualifications would be:

Equivalent to a Bachelor's Degree in Planning, Public Administration, Business Administration, or a closely related field and at least five (5) years progressively responsible experience in community development, housing, planning and/or economic development, including at least three (3) years related supervisory and budgetary experience.

Additional related experience can be substituted for the education requirement on a year by year basis.

Knowledge of:

Principles, practices, techniques and methods of comprehensive urban and environmental planning; California planning and zoning law, the Subdivision Map Act, Coastal Act, California Environmental Quality Act, , applicable building activities, including plan review, building permitting, inspection and enforcement; and other pertinent laws and regulations; principles and practices of personnel and program management, including goal setting, program development, implementation, evaluation, project management, and supervision, training, evaluating, and disciplining of staff, either directly or through subordinate levels of supervision; legal descriptions of real property and land surveys; the principles, practices, techniques and methods of real estate appraisals, financing and loan packaging; principles and practices of grant administration; standard office computer software; the principles and practices of public sector budget development and administration; research methodologies, and the techniques of quantitative and qualitative analysis; standard report writing principles and practices; English usage, grammar, spelling, vocabulary, and punctuation; techniques for dealing effectively with those contacted in the course of work, in person, on the telephone and electronically.

Ability to:

Read, interpret, explain, and ensure compliance with a wide variety of technical, legal, and other complex laws, rules, regulations, and guidelines; evaluate and develop improvements in operations, procedures, policies or methods; research, analyze, and evaluate new service delivery methods, procedures and techniques; plan, organize, schedule, assign, review and evaluate the work of staff; read, analyze, and evaluate architectural and site plans and related technical reports; read and understand title reports, deeds and legal descriptions of real property, easements, covenants, conditions and restrictions, and similar real property documents; prepare applications for grant funding; prepare clear and concise technical and administrative reports, procedural guidelines, standards and correspondence; present complex reports, both orally and in writing; conduct quantitative and qualitative analysis; prepare and administer assigned budgets; operate a computer and necessary software applications, and other applicable standard office equipment; establish and maintain cooperative and effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work.

OTHER REQUIREMENTS

• Possess a valid California Driver's License.
• A commitment to support inclusion in the workplace.
• Willing and available to attend meetings after normal work hours; to travel for trainings and/or meetings; and to work extended hours, nights and/or weekends as necessary to complete assigned tasks.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

Work is generally performed in an office environment. Must be able to perform the physical aspects of the job, including sitting and standing for periods of time; operating standard office equipment, including a computer; hearing and speech to communicate in person and over the telephone; lift, push, pull, and carry up to 25 lbs.; interact with a diverse range of people.