Development Services Director

Smokymountains; Maryville (TN); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Smokymountains is seeking a Director of Development Services to lead the county's unified development functions in Tennessee. The role consolidates long-range planning, zoning, permitting, building code enforcement, and stormwater compliance under one executive.

The Director advises the County Mayor, Planning Commission, BZA, and County Commissioners, directing staff and budget for the department. The position requires strategic oversight of policy development, review processes, and enforcement

Qualifications

• Experience leading a county development services department.
• Strong knowledge of Tennessee Code Annotated regulations and local zoning laws.
• Budget administration and personnel supervision.
• Advising the County Mayor, Planning Commission, BZA, and Board of County Commissioners.

Responsibilities

• Direct planning and zoning administration, preparing agendas and reviews for planning bodies; ensure alignment with Master Comprehensive Growth Plan.
• Oversee building permit intake, plan review, fee collection, and permit issuance; supervise inspectors and code enforcement actions.
• Manage MS4 stormwater program compliance, SWPPP reviews, and erosion control oversight.
• Provide executive leadership for fiscal operations and staff management within the department; advise county leadership.

Skills

Leadership

Staff management

Budget management

Planning & zoning

Regulatory compliance

Code enforcement

Stormwater management

Job description

The Director performs administrative and highly technical professional work managing the county's unified development services department. This executive-level role consolidates long-range community planning, land-use zoning, building permit issuance, building code enforcement, and environmental stormwater compliance into a single point of authority. The Director ensures all public and private county development aligns with Tennessee Code Annotated (T.C.A.) regulations, local county zoning laws, state residential/commercial building codes, and TDEC environmental mandates. The position manages department personnel, administers budgets, and acts as the primary advisor to the County Mayor, County Planning Commission, Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA), and the Board of County Commissioners.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

Planning and Zoning Administration

• Commission Liaison: Directs staff in preparing agendas, public legal advertisements, and technical reviews for the County Planning Commission and Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA).
• Development Review: Evaluates subdivision plats, commercial site plans, and zoning text or map amendments to guarantee alignment with the county's Master Comprehensive Growth Plan.
• Facilitates policy improvements as directed by the Planning Commission and County Commission.
• Prepares and maintains policy plans, land use plans, major road plans, and related plans;
• Prepares yearly report on implementation of plans and participates in other local and regional planning activities;

Building Permits and Codes Enforcement

• Permit Program Management: Oversees the intake, plan review, fee collection, and issuance of local residential and commercial building permits.
• Inspection Supervision: Manages the county's certified building inspectors to verify field compliance with the International Code Council (ICC) standards as adopted by the State of Tennessee.
• Code Enforcement: Directs code enforcement actions to resolve structural safety violations, illegal dumping, and hazardous land conditions.

Stormwater Management and TDEC Compliance

• MS4 Permit Management: Serves as the county's legally responsible official for the federal Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) program, ensuring full enforcement of local illicit discharge and land disturbance rules.
• SWPPP Engineering Review: Reviews site-specific Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plans (SWPPPs) and issues county land disturbance permits before any earth-moving construction occurs.
• Erosion Control Oversight: Coordinates field inspections of active construction sites to check that sediment control barriers meet state standards and protect local watersheds from runoff pollution.

Executive Department Leadership

• Fiscal Operations: Prepares and presents the comprehensive departmental budget before the County Commission.
• Staff Management: Directly hires, trains, supervises, and evaluates a multi-disciplinary team of planners, permit technicians, building inspectors, and stormwater technicians.