Director of Community Development

Alvarado, City of (TX); Alvarado (TX); On-site; USD 90,000 - 135,000; Full time

Job summary

City of Alvarado seeks a Community Development Director to administer Planning, Zoning, Building Inspection, and GIS functions. You will liaise with the City Manager to deliver services across divisions and supervise department staff.

Responsibilities include policy interpretation, ordinance revisions, staff reports, and coordination with commissions. Strong leadership and communication are essential for guiding development and public engagement.

Qualifications

• Minimum five (5) years progressively responsible professional experience in planning, urban design, or development.
• Bachelor’s Degree in Planning, Urban Planning, Public Administration, Business Administration, or related field.
• Valid Texas Driver's License; driving record compliant with City policy.

Responsibilities

• Establish policies and procedures and enforce zoning, subdivision, and building code regulations.
• Manage planning, zoning, building permitting, inspections, GIS, and development functions.
• Oversee GIS mapping database development and liaison with Public Works for infrastructure mapping.

Skills

Urban planning

Zoning

Public administration

Planning policy

Team leadership

Communication

Education

Bachelors in Planning

Public Administration

Job description

Position Summary:

Under general supervision, the Community Development Director administers the operation of the Planning and Zoning, Building Inspection, and GIS (Geographic Information Systems) functions, acting as a liaison to the City Manager to ensure the effective delivery of all services of the various divisions to all customers of the City.

Reporting Structure:

This position reports to the City Manager and supervises various positions within the Community Development Department.

The duties listed below represent the various types of work that may be performed. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them if the work is related to, or a logical assignment for, this class.

• Establish policies and procedures and interpret, administer, and enforce the zoning ordinances, subdivision regulations, development application procedures, and building code regulations of the City of Alvarado. Supervise all full-time/part-time staff and applicable consultants.
• Manage and organize all activities relating to the City's planning and zoning, building permitting and inspections, GIS, and development functions to ensure enforcement of adopted ordinances, comprehensive plans, and policies created by the City Council and the Planning and Zoning Commission.
• Oversee the creation, development, updating, and distribution of a new GIS mapping database. Serve as liaison to the Public Works Department to ensure that all existing City infrastructure, new infrastructure, and changes to existing infrastructure are correctly represented on the GIS mapping database.
• Serve as staff liaison for the Planning and Zoning Commission and other ad-hoc committees under the direction of the Planning and Zoning commission. Prepare staff reports and draft ordinances for planning, zoning, and development matters.
• Periodically review, recommend, and draft revisions to relevant ordinances, agreements, and pertinent resolutions. Review petitions for annexation, zoning, preliminary plats, conditional use permits, variances, appeals, and exceptions to be heard by the City Council, Planning and Zoning Commission, and the Board of Adjustment.
• Attend meetings of all bodies serving as the City’s witness during each hearing. Review and analyze all proposals of private or public development in the City of Alvarado.
• Review all residential and commercial plans for compliance with the zoning ordinance, subdivision regulations, comprehensive plan, technical specifications, and other plans, policies, and procedures pertinent within the Planning and Development.
• Meet with and coordinate staff’s meeting with all customers to provide professional consultation assistance in explaining, preparing, and processing the City’s development applications, procedures, and policies pertaining to proposed annexations, zoning changes, subdivision, conditional use permits, variances, and complaints of possible zoning/code violations.
• Coordinate, manage, and facilitate the preparation of the City’s Comprehensive Plan amendments and periodic review of all applicable sections of the Comprehensive Plan.
• Provide research, comments, and recommendations to public participants, Planning and Zoning Commission, and the City Council of the City’s past, existing, and future growth.
• Responsible for preparing, managing, controlling, and reporting of all financial transactions of the Planning and Zoning Department and the Building Inspection Department.
• Monitor inner-departmental needs and ensure proper means for staff performance.
• Report on a regular basis to the City Manager regarding the status of all development and construction activities within the City.
• Supervise, manage, and prepare annual performance evaluations of all staff personnel, assuring satisfactory work performance and their compliance with all adopted personnel policies and procedures.
• Prepare the Department’s annual operating budget and Capital Improvement Program and their implementation upon approval.
• Effectively perform as a member of a team in carrying the role of team liaison to other City departments and is effective in carrying out the City’s organizational development plan philosophy.
• Perform other tasks and duties assigned.

Knowledge of:

• Principlesandpracticesofurbanandregionalplanning,economicdevelopment,communitydevelopment,publicadministration,andmunicipalbudgeting.
• Federal,State,andlocallaws,regulations,codes,andordinancesgoverningmunicipalplanning,zoning,landuse,buildingconstruction,anddevelopment,includingapplicableTCEQandenvironmentalregulations.
• Citypolicies,procedures,enforcementrequirements,personnelstandards,andmunicipaloperations.
• Principlesandpracticesofpersonnelmanagement,includingrecruitment,supervision,training,mentoring,coaching,performanceevaluation,anddisciplinaryprocedures.
• Modernofficetechnology,includingcomputers,mobiledevices,andapplicablesoftware.
• Occupationalhazards,workplacesafetystandards,andsafeworkingpractices.

Ability to:

• Effectivelyleadandmanagedepartmentaloperations,personnel,programs,andresourceswithinestablishedpoliciesandbudgetaryconstraints.
• Interpret,apply,andenforceapplicableFederal,State,andlocallaws,regulations,ordinances,policies,andprocedures.
• Communicateclearly,professionally,andeffectively,bothorallyandinwriting,withCityleadership,employees,electedofficials,developers,contractors,communitystakeholders,andthepublic.
• Presenttechnicalinformation,recommendations,andguidancethroughpublicmeetings,presentations,reports,anddirectinquiries.
• Develop,implement,andevaluatedepartmentalinitiativesconsistentwiththeCity'sStrategicPlan,ComprehensivePlan,andotheradoptedplansandpriorities.
• Organizeandprioritizemultipleresponsibilities,managecomplexprojects,andexercisesound,independentjudgment.
• Analyzecomplexsituations,performtechnicalcomputations,solveproblems,andmakeinformeddecisionsunderpressure.
• Conductstudies,evaluatecost-effectivesolutions,andpreparecomprehensivetechnical,operational,andfinancialreports.
• Maintain confidentiality and exercise discretion when handling sensitive information.

Education, Training, and Experience:

• Minimum five (5) years progressively responsible professional experience in planning, urban design or development.
• Graduation from an accredited college with a Bachelor’s Degree in Planning, Urban Planning or Design, Public Administration, Business Administration, or a related field.
• Valid Texas Driver's License - driving record must be in compliance with City policy
• May be required to work flexible hours, work during emergency conditions, and may require call back status (in cases of emergencies)

PHYSICAL AND MENTAL DEMANDS:

The physical and mental demands described here are representative of those that must be met by employees to successfully perform the essential functions of this class. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Physical Demands:

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, walk and stand; talk and hear; use hands to handle, feel or operate objects, tools or controls; reach with hands and arms; and perform repetitive movements of hands or wrists. Specific vision abilities required for this job include close vision and the ability to adjust focus.

Mental Demands:

While performing the duties of this class, an employee uses written and oral communication skills; reads and interprets data, information and documents; analyzes and solves problems; uses math and mathematical reasoning; performs highly detailed work; deals with multiple concurrent tasks; and interacts with others encountered in the course of work, including frequent contact with customers and/or the public and dissatisfied/abusive individuals.

Work Environment:

Work is performed primarily in an office setting with some potential for exposure to safety and health hazards related to electronics work. Work may require exposure to outside weather conditions.