Planning Manager

City of Goodyear; Goodyear (AZ); On-site; USD 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

City of Goodyear seeks a Planning Manager to drive performance, outcomes, and continuous improvement of short- and long-range planning within the Planning and Zoning Division. You will lead a team of planners, coach staff, and align current activities with the General Plan and development policies.

The ideal candidate has a bachelor’s degree in Planning and at least five years in municipal planning, with AICP certification preferred.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Planning or closely related field.
• Minimum five years of experience in a municipal planning environment or equivalent.
• AICP certification preferred; master’s degree in Planning preferred.

Responsibilities

• Oversee planning review processes to ensure timely, accurate decisions.
• Connect near‑term planning activities with long‑range goals and the General Plan policies.
• Provide policy guidance and staff coaching to supervisors and lead planners.
• Manage division resources, budget, and consultant efforts to support objectives.
• Lead continuous improvement of planning systems, policies, and performance metrics.
• Advise Leadership, Planning & Zoning Commission, and City Council with clear policy recommendations.

Skills

Leadership

Staff Development

Strategic Planning

Policy Interpretation

Education

Bachelor's degree in Planning

Master’s degree in Planning or related field (preferred)

Job description

The Planning Manager is primarily responsible for the overall performance, outcomes, and continuous improvement of short- and long-range planning functions within the Planning and Zoning Division. Leads division operations to support consistent, accurate, and timely case review and to connect near-term planning activities with long-range goals. Establishes strategic direction, defines performance expectations, and ensures alignment between current planning activities and the City’s General Plan and development policies. Provides leadership by guiding and coaching supervisors and lead-level planners, monitoring performance, evaluating service delivery, and driving system-level improvements that enhance efficiency, consistency, and the customer experience. Supervises and develops staff by setting expectations, supporting coaching systems, and advancing professional planning competencies. Offers policy-level guidance on complex or sensitive planning issues to ensure consistent and defensible application of codes and regulations. Advises Department leadership, the Planning and Zoning Commission, and City Council by translating planning analysis into clear, policy-aligned recommendations. Oversees resource allocation, budget, and consultant efforts, and leads coordination on high-level issues and long-range planning initiatives to advance the City’s vision. Champions policy and guideline updates by evaluating emerging trends and recommending refinements that improve development outcomes and reflect community priorities.

The ideal candidate will be a self-motivated, respectful, high-performing individual who possesses a bachelor’s degree in Planning (or a closely related field). The ideal candidate will also have at least five years of experience in a municipal planning environment or equivalent, including conducting complex planning analysis, managing planning and zoning cases, preparing professional staff reports, and presenting to planning commissions, councils, and community audiences. As Goodyear continues to experience rapid growth, the Development Services Department is committed to continuously improving our processes, service delivery, and planning outcomes to meet the city’s long-term vision with excellence.

The ideal candidate will demonstrate advanced leadership abilities, including the capacity to oversee long-range and current planning programs, guide teams through major initiatives, lead strategic decision-making, develop policy, and mentor and coach staff at all levels. The candidate will also bring strong operational and organizational leadership skills, such as evaluating and improving division processes, coordinating planning activities across teams and departments, establishing clear service and quality standards, supporting data-driven workload management, and fostering seamless collaboration with the Planning Supervisor to ensure efficient and consistent execution of planning and zoning responsibilities.

The ideal candidate will exhibit the values of empathy, optimism, integrity, innovation, adaptability, and initiative, while modeling professionalism and accountability in all interactions with staff, applicants, development partners, and the public. A master’s degree in Planning or a related field and American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) certification are preferred.

At the City of Goodyear, you will be a part of an organization that values its employees as its greatest asset. You will become part of a dedicated team of IT professionals that will be challenged to learn and grow in an environment that values employee development and career-building. You will thrive in a culture of innovation. We believe that successful employees are those that possess six core values: Integrity - Initiative - Empathy - Optimism - Innovation - Adaptability

EXAMINATION PROCESS

Only a limited number of the most highly qualified applicants meeting the City's requirements will be invited for an interview. The examination process for this position will include a panel Interview and may include a written assessment.

All communication regarding application status and interview notifications will be sent via email- please monitor your junk/spam email for communication as messages will come from a system generated source.

This information is intended to be descriptive of the key responsibilities of the position. The following functions do not identify all duties performed by the incumbent. Other duties and responsibilities will be performed as assigned.

• Establishes and holds accountability for division performance outcomes, ensuring planning services are delivered consistently, accurately, and aligned with long-range goals.
• Establishes performance expectations, coaching systems, and talent development strategies; evaluates leadership effectiveness through supervisors.
• Interprets and administers City policies and codes by applying the General Plan, Zoning Ordinance, Subdivision Regulations, and Design Guidelines to guide defensible development decisions. Provides policy-level interpretation and guidance on complex, sensitive, or precedent-setting planning issues.
• Collaborates with departments, agencies, applicants, and stakeholders to evaluate review processes, resolve cross-discipline issues, and maintain transparent communication systems.
• Manages resources and budgets by aligning workloads, monitoring operations, and directing consultant efforts to support division objectives.
• Prepares and presents staff reports and recommendations to leadership, commissions, and elected officials, linking research findings to adopted policy frameworks.
• Leads continuous improvement of division systems, policies, and performance metrics to improve service delivery and development outcomes.
• Champions long range planning and policy updates by evaluating emerging trends, recommending amendments, and integrating community input to improve development outcomes.

• Formal Education/Knowledge: Work requires broad knowledge in a general professional or technical field. Knowledge is normally acquired through four years of college resulting in a Bachelor's degree or equivalent.
• Experience: Minimum five years of experience in a related field.
• Certifications and Other Requirements: Valid Driver’s License
• Reading: Work requires the ability to read technical information, general plans, zoning ordinances, subdivision codes, Engineering Design Guidelines, state statutes, municipal policies and regulations, staff reports, and trade journals at a college level.
• Math: Work requires the ability to perform general math calculations such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, division and to conduct college level algebra and statistical calculations.
• Writing: Work requires the ability to write staff reports, letters, and memorandums at a college level.
• Managerial: Complex – Work requires supervising and monitoring performance for a regular group of employees including providing input on hiring/disciplinary actions and work objectives/ effectiveness, performance evaluations, and realigning work as needed. A first line supervisor typically performs these functions.
• Budget Responsibility: Moderate - Oversees budget preparation of a program budget. Reviews and approves expenditures of significant budgeted funds for the department or does research and prepares recommendations for city-wide budget expenditures.
• Policy/Decision Making: Significant - The employee normally performs the duty assignment according to his or her own judgment, requesting supervisory assistance only when necessary. Projects and daily work are managed with little oversight, however special assignments and significant work products may be reviewed upon completion. Typically positions in this category are supervisor to mid-management jobs.
• Technical Skills: Comprehensive Application - Work requires advanced skills and knowledge in approaches and systems, which affect the design and implementation of major programs, solutions for highly complex issues, and/or processes organization-wide. Independent judgment and decision-making abilities are necessary to apply technical skills effectively.
• Interpersonal/Human Relations Skills: High - Interactions at this level typically result in recommendations regarding policy development, changes in policy, and implementation of policies. Interactions at this level are typically concerned with providing communications at higher levels of organizational operations and may utilize activities such as evaluating customer satisfaction, developing cooperative associations, and allocating resources to improve work operations, work quality, overall achievement of organizational goals and objectives, and customer satisfaction.

PLANNING MANAGER

12-MONTH OBJECTIVES

First 3 Months

• Evaluate the pre-application process to ensure Quality at the Source and Excellence in Customer Service.
• Fully reassign planner-level casework and realign calendar to the Planning Manager role expectations.
• Establish baseline metrics for workload distribution, review timelines, staff capacity, and long-range initiative status.
• Launch a clear communication cadence: weekly planning huddle, weekly DSD manager huddle, and weekly management team meeting.
• Evaluate all major division processes (case intake, assignment, routing, report development, staff report preparation).
• Strengthen workflow alignment with the Planning Supervisor to ensure seamless coordination of current planning activities and long-range efforts.

First 6 Months

• Develop a process for the Annual Zoning Ordinance Text Amendments update.
• Develop a complete draft of the 2026 Goodyear General Plan Trends Report.
• Implement initial process improvements with staff and the Planning Supervisor.
• Strengthen staff understanding of development services’ customer service expectations and regulatory purpose.

First 12 Months

• Conduct formal and informal timely quarterly check-ins, performance conversations, and coaching sessions with all division staff.
• Establish quarterly progress checkpoints for major strategic initiatives involving the Plan Review Management team.
• Demonstrate improved trust and partnership with development stakeholders, supported by feedback, reduced friction points, or improved timeliness metrics.
• Deliver measurable progress on General Plan, Design Guidelines, and Zoning Ordinance efforts.
• Implement at least three operational improvements that increase transparency, consistency, and timeliness.