Director of Development Services & Growth

Bellevue, Washington; Bellevue (WA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation assistance

Health care benefits

Excellent pension/retirement options

Job summary

The City of Bellevue seeks an experienced, collaborative leader to serve as Director of Development Services. This role provides strategic direction, oversight for land use, permitting, code development, and policy.

You will lead an enterprise-level team, drive continuous improvement, coach staff, and ensure high-quality, customer-focused services while aligning with Bellevue’s growth and community priorities.

Qualifications

• Graduation from a four-year college or university with a degree in urban planning, architecture, engineering, or closely related field.
• Ten or more years of progressively responsible experience in administration and supervision of a planning or development services department or related government role.
• Ability to simplify and streamline development processes and deliver high-quality customer service.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic and policy direction to the Development Services Department.
• Lead the department’s management team and respond to citywide issues.
• Manage day-to-day department administration, including budget and labor relations.
• Set expectations, provide feedback, and evaluate performance to meet goals.
• Recruit and retain qualified staff while ensuring compliance with laws.
• Develop and monitor short- and long-range strategic plans for department goals.
• Serve as an enterprise leader on the city’s senior leadership team.

Skills

Leadership through others

Enterprise leadership

Self-awareness

Trust and integrity

Conflict management

Talent development

Education

Bachelor degree in urban planning, architecture, engineering, or related field

Job description

The City of Bellevue seeks an experienced, collaborative leader to serve as Director of Development Services. This role provides strategic direction, oversight for land use, permitting, code development, and policy.

You will lead an enterprise-level team, drive continuous improvement, coach staff, and ensure high-quality, customer-focused services while aligning with Bellevue’s growth and community priorities.