Community Development and Neighborhood Connections Director

Town of Apex • Apex, NC

7d • Onsite

About The Position

The Town of Apex is seeking a visionary, people-centered leader to strengthen neighborhoods, expand community connections, and turn resident needs into meaningful results. The Director of Neighborhood and Community Connections will provide strategic, operational, and people-centered leadership for the Town’s housing, community engagement, neighborhood connections, and resident service functions. The Director translates Town Council and organizational priorities into measurable programs, policies, projects, and community outcomes. The Director builds and sustains a positive, healthy, inclusive, and high-performing workplace culture grounded in trust, accountability, collaboration, professional respect, transparent communication, and employee development. The position leads a multigenerational and multidisciplinary workforce and works collaboratively across Town departments and with residents, community organizations, housing partners, developers, governmental agencies, and other stakeholders.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in public administration, community development, housing, urban or regional planning, public policy, business administration, organizational leadership, or a closely related field
• Six (6) or more years of related experience including supervisory responsibilities.

Nice To Haves

• Master's degree
• Demonstrated experience building organizational culture
• Demonstrated experience improving employee engagement
• Demonstrated experience managing change
• Demonstrated experience developing cross-functional partnerships
• Demonstrated experience implementing complex initiatives

Responsibilities

• Provides executive oversight for Ask Apex and resident information, customer service, service coordination, and issue-resolution functions.
• Establishes and sustains a positive, healthy, inclusive, and high-performing culture characterized by trust, teamwork, professional respect, open communication, psychological safety, and shared accountability.
• Leads a multigenerational and multidisciplinary workforce by adapting communication, coaching, recognition, and development approaches while applying policies, expectations, and performance standards consistently.
• Builds trust through visible, accessible, ethical, and transparent leadership; seeks employee input and communicates the rationale for significant decisions and changes.
• Empowers managers and employees through appropriate delegation, clear decision-making authority, and accountability for results.
• Monitors employee engagement, workload, morale, turnover, and workplace relationships and takes timely action to address organizational or cultural concerns.
• Addresses conflict, performance concerns, and disruptive workplace behavior promptly, fairly, consistently, and constructively.
• Models emotional intelligence, self-awareness, sound judgment, adaptability, humility, and respect in interactions with employees, colleagues, elected officials, residents, and partners.
• Translates strategic plans, Council priorities, organizational assessments, and community needs into work plans with schedules, responsible parties, budgets, performance measures, and deliverables.
• Establishes systems to track departmental commitments, policies, projects, contracts, grants, community initiatives, and Council-directed priorities; intervenes when progress is delayed or accountability is unclear.
• Provides the Assistant Town Manager with accurate, timely, and candid updates regarding progress, risks, barriers, resource needs, and emerging issues.
• Uses data and performance measures to evaluate program effectiveness, customer experience, community impact, and operational efficiency.
• Engages affected departments early, clarifies roles and decision points, resolves disagreements professionally, and elevates significant risks or unresolved policy questions in a timely manner.
• Leads organizational change with clarity, empathy, consistency, appropriate employee involvement, and continuity of service.
• Monitors and evaluates service delivery methods and procedures; assesses workload, support systems, and reporting relationships; identifies opportunities for improvement; and directs implementation of changes.
• Develops and maintains a high-performing workforce committed to customer service, results, and collaboration across the organization.
• Provides training and development, manages performance, and ensures accountability of department employees.
• Supports diversity, equity, and inclusion through hiring, promotions, training, career development, and implementation of inclusive work programs.
• Confers with and serves as an advisor to the Town Manager and Assistant Town Manager on departmental policies, strategies, and programs; coordinates activities with other departments and public and private agencies.
• Supervises departmental staff; applies Town policies accurately and consistently; establishes departmental policies as needed; maintains records; communicates short- and long-range direction; sets and monitors priorities; and uses staff time, systems, and resources effectively.
• Manages development and administration of the department budget; accurately forecasts needs, manages expenditures, controls costs, requests transfers as needed, and promptly reports unplanned expenses beyond the department’s capacity.
• Represents the department to other Town departments, elected officials, and outside agencies; explains programs and policies; and negotiates and resolves sensitive, significant, and controversial issues.
• Participates on boards, commissions, and professional groups and remains current on trends and innovations in the field.
• Provides regular feedback, coaching, recognition, professional development, succession planning, and opportunities for emerging leaders.

Benefits

• Free or low-cost medical, dental, vision, and life insurance for employees
• 5% contributions to the NC401(k) retirement plans (no matching required)
• Participation in the Local Government Employees' Retirement System (LGERS)
• Traditional sick and vacation leave
• 80 hours Peak Paid Time Off per year
• $1,200 Peak Lifestyle Benefit to pay for health and wellness activities (after completion of probation)
• 8 weeks of Paid Parental Leave
• 3 weeks of Paid Caregiver Leave
• Bereavement leave
• 13 paid holidays
• Longevity pay
• Tuition assistance
• Expansive wellness program

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director