Planning & Development Director

cityofgainesville; Gainesville (FL); On-site; USD 131,000 - 221,000; Full time

Job summary

City of Gainesville seeks a Director of Sustainable Development (Planning and Development Services) to lead the department, oversee code enforcement, building permitting, and real property programs, and guide business start-up processes in Gainesville.

The role reports to the City Manager, directing staff and multi-departmental reviews while partnering with the City Commission and stakeholders to advance development in the city’s urbanized area.

Responsibilities

• Serves as managerial and administrative lead for the City's Planning and Development Services Department.
• Directs long- and short-range strategies for planning, zoning, and growth management.
• Oversees budget planning for Planning and Development Services and manages staff performance.
• Coordinates with City Commission, other departments, and external agencies.

Job description

If you are an Internal City Employee, Retiree or Dependent/Survivor of a City Employee please apply internally via Career Icon in your Workday account.

Make a difference in the community you live in! As a Community Builder-an employee with the City of Gainesville- you will have a direct hand in building and improving your community and making a visible impact on the lives of your neighbors. Working for local government is more than a job, it's a chance to contribute to community success and to help enhance the Gainesville way of life.

Department

GG_Sustainable Development: Planning and Development Administration

Salary Range Minimum

$130,977.60

Salary Range Maximum

$220,777.53

Closing Date

10/12/2026

Job Details

This is managerial and administrative work directing the City's Department of Sustainable Development; overseeing planning, code enforcement, building permitting, real property and special project programs. The Planning and Development Services Director (working title is Director of Sustainable Development) serves at the will of the City Manager and may be appointed or removed at will by the City Manager. Work in this class is distinguished from other classes by its management responsibilities directing the City's business permitting processes for private development and code compliance.

Job Description

SUMMARY

This is managerial and administrative work directing the City's Planning and Development Services Department, also known as the "Department of Sustainable Development", staff in facilitating, assisting and guiding customers through the steps involved in the process of starting or growing a business in Gainesville. The Planning and Development Services Director serves at the will of the City Manager and may be appointed or removed at will by the City Manager. Work in this class is distinguished from other classes by its management responsibilities directing the City's business start-up or growth process.

EXAMPLES OF WORK

This section of the job description is not intended to be a comprehensive list of duties and responsibilities of the position. The omission of a specific job function does not absolve an employee from being required to perform additional tasks incidental to or inherent in the job. Performance of lower level duties may be required.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

• Serves as a strategic partner with Charter Officers, department directors, and the City Commission, as appropriate.
• Provides a leadership role.
• Develops, implements and monitors long- and short-range strategies for the department that are aligned with and support the City's organizational values, goals and objectives.
• Plans, directs, coordinates and administers all activities and personnel of the City's Planning and Development Services staff in facilitating, assisting and guiding customers through the many steps involved in the process of starting or growing a business in Gainesville.
• Stays abreast of and applies knowledge of cutting edge practices, technological platforms, software and programs that support business development, planning, zoning and community development functions.
• Envisions processes and scenarios that do not exist today and encompasses a willingness to let go of old processes to expand the capabilities of the organization in new directions.
• Coordinates interests of private developers with those of the general public to encourage the most suitable ultimate development of the City's urbanized area.
• Provides professional advice and assistance to business leaders, industry and other groups and agencies regarding general planning and development of the City's urbanized area.
• Coordinates planning and development activities with functions of other City departments and other agencies, both private and public.
• Administers planning staff activities including long-range planning and growth management, development plan review, concurrency management, mapping and historic preservation.
• Manages the multi-departmental development review process, including planning and building functions.
• Oversees activities of the First Step Citizens Assistance Program, provides professional planning advice to the City Commission, coordinates planning activity with state agencies, Alachua County, adjacent local governments and the University of Florida.
• Prepares annual budget for Planning and Development Services department involving multiple individual funding sources for various divisions.
• Tracks financial reports monthly and participates in annual program and finance audits for numerous separate funding sources.
• Serves as staff support to the City Plan Board, Historic Preservation Board, Board of Adjustment and Development Review Board. Presents staff recommendations concerning re-zoning requests, ordinance changes, site plan review and special studies. Presents Plan Board recommendations to the City Commission and answers related