JOB
The Director of Planning and Community Development serves as the senior executive responsible for the strategic direction, regulatory administration, and organizational leadership of the County’s land use planning, development services, and community development functions. This position carries full accountability for long-range and comprehensive planning, zoning and subdivision administration, and the orderly management of growth across the County’s geographically and economically diverse landscape.
The Director provides executive oversight of all planning and development service operations, ensuring that growth management, regulatory compliance, and community development efforts are aligned with the County’s adopted plans, fiscal objectives, and the expectations of the Board of County Commissioners. The position requires a forward-looking leader with demonstrated experience guiding planning and development organizations through periods of sustained, high-volume growth while protecting community character, natural resources, and long-term resilience.
The Director exercises broad independent judgment and works in close coordination with the County Manager’s Office, the Board of County Commissioners, appointed boards and commissions, municipal partners, and state and federal agencies.
Distinguishing Characteristics
This position is distinguished from operational and supervisory planning roles by its emphasis on enterprise-level strategic planning, policy development, and external representation. While departmental staff are responsible for day-to-day case review, inspections, and enforcement, the Director is responsible for establishing organizational direction, shaping development policy, and building the capacity necessary to keep pace with one of the fastest-growing regions in North Carolina.
The ideal candidate will bring a track record of:
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Leading planning and development service organizations through periods of significant population and development growth;
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Developing and executing comprehensive plans, land use plans, and growth management strategies;
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Administering complex zoning, subdivision, permitting, and code enforcement programs in environments that balance rapid development with rural and coastal preservation; and
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Building and strengthening organizational capacity through staff development, process improvement, and the modernization of development review systems.
EXAMPLE OF DUTIES
Strategic Leadership and Planning
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Directs the development, adoption, and implementation of the County’s comprehensive plan, land use plans, small-area and corridor plans, and growth management strategies.
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Evaluates development trends, population growth, and service area conditions to anticipate future land use, infrastructure, and community development needs, locally and regionally.
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Advises the County Manager and Board of County Commissioners on planning policy, development regulations, and growth-related investment decisions.
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Leads the periodic review and revision of zoning, subdivision, and other development ordinances to reflect current law, best practices, and community priorities.
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Coordinates with developers, engineers, consultants, and regional planning entities on land use, infrastructure, and intergovernmental service matters.
Development Services and Regulatory Administration
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Directs and oversees zoning administration, subdivision review, and development permitting to ensure timely, consistent, and legally defensible application of County regulations.
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Establishes service standards and performance metrics for development review and permitting, continually analyzing processes for opportunities to improve efficiency, predictability, and responsiveness to applicants.
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Determines and ensures project compliance with adopted development regulations, long-range plans, and applicable state law.
Hazard Mitigation, Resilience, and Floodplain Management
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Directs the County’s floodplain management programs, ensuring compliance with the National Flood Insurance Program and Coastal Area Management Act requirements.
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Supports the County’s hazard mitigation planning and programs.
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Integrates resilience, flood-risk reduction, and hazard mitigation principles into land use planning, development review, and community development decisions.
Financial Management and Grants Administration
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Prepares and administers the department’s operating budget, monitoring expenditures and revenue performance against adopted benchmarks.
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Identifies, secures, and administers federal and state grants supporting planning, hazard mitigation, and community development, including Community Development Block Grant and others.
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Ensures sound stewardship of department resources and compliance with applicable financial, procurement, and grant requirements.
Organizational Leadership and Administration
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Hires, supervises, develops, and evaluates department staff, fostering a culture of accountability, professional growth, and public service excellence.
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Assigns, directs, and reviews the work of staff; coaches, counsels, and trains personnel; and administers rewards, discipline, promotion, and separation in accordance with County personnel policy.
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Develops, implements, and evaluates departmental policies, procedures, and organizational structures to support efficient and effective service delivery.
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Builds organizational capacity through workforce planning, succession strategies, and investment in staff training and development.
External Relations and Intergovernmental Coordination
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Serves as the primary public representative of the department, communicating clearly and professionally with elected and appointed officials, County employees, officials of other jurisdictions, citizens, property and business owners, builders, contractors, trade groups, developers, and the media.
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Prepares and presents reports, analyses, and recommendations to the Board of County Commissioners, appointed boards and commissions, civic organizations, and the public, occasionally after normal business hours.
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Provides staff and technical resource support to various boards and commissions, including the Planning Board and Board of Adjustment.
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Represents the County in intergovernmental and regional planning efforts and maintains productive relationships with municipal partners, the metropolitan planning organization, and state and federal agencies.
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION
This work requires the occasional exertion of up to 10 pounds of force; work regularly requires sitting, speaking or hearing, using hands to finger, handle or feel and reaching with hands and arms, frequently requires standing and walking and occasionally requires climbing or balancing, stooping, kneeling, crouching or crawling, pushing or pulling, lifting and repetitive motions; work requires close vision, distance vision, ability to adjust focus, depth perception, color perception and peripheral vision; vocal communication is required for expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word; hearing is required to perceive information at normal spoken word levels; work requires preparing and analyzing written or computer data, using of measuring devices, operating motor vehicles or equipment and observing general surroundings and activities; work occasionally requires exposure to outdoor weather conditions; work is generally in a moderately noisy location (e.g. business office, light traffic).
