Deputy Director for Land Development

City of Alexandria•Alexandria, VA

5d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Department of Planning & Zoning (P&Z) consists of 59.5 positions within five divisions, including the Leadership and Management Services division, the Land Use Services division, the Neighborhood Planning & Community Development division, the Development Planning division and the Development Engineering division. The Deputy Director for Land Development is a senior management role and reports to the P&Z Director. The position has lead responsibilities for overseeing development review functions and facilitating steady real estate investment that advances the community’s economic development, housing, and environmental goals.

Requirements

Highly motivated and bring an enthusiasm for building relationships and working collaboratively across staff, applicants, and stakeholder groups to solve challenges and facilitate successful project outcomes.
Demonstrated leadership and supervisory skills, project management, policy analysis, development review, and current trends in City Planning.
Comprehensive knowledge of the principles and practices of city planning; thorough knowledge of land use controls and of zoning and subdivision codes and their interpretation; thorough knowledge of the principles and practices of public administration and of the limits of feasible public action; ability to analyze and systematically compile technical and statistical information and to prepare technical reports; ability to develop and maintain effective working relationships with employees, officials, other agencies, other jurisdictions, community organizations and the general public; ability to effectively supervise staff; ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing.
Master's Degree
at least eight years’ experience at the division chief or comparable managerial level, either in a supervisory or project management role or both
at least five years in a supervisory role
has been the lead on complex development projects involving multiple staff, agencies, and interests
considerable experience writing about, analyzing, and presenting on planning issues.

Nice To Haves

Master's Degree
at least 10 years’ experience, including five years supervisory.
High level of expertise in one or more planning-related topics (e.g., design, housing, economic development);
membership/participation and/or accreditation in a planning professional organization; or any equivalent combination of experience and training which provides the required knowledge, skills and abilities.

Responsibilities

Oversees the City’s One Start program.
Actively monitors all stages of the City’s Development Pipeline, including entitlements, final engineering, permitting, and construction to facilitate the delivery of at least $550 Million in new assessed value annually and 1,600 new housing units.
Works across departments and with development stakeholders to implement process improvements for development review.
Reviews development proposals at a high level for alignment with Council priorities.
On an as-needed basis, works with review staff and applicants to resolve development conditions to meet public and private needs.
Promotes a culture of adaptation and change that continues to improve practices and procedures.
Encourages staff to suggest ways of improving practices and helps design pilot efforts to allow early testing and refinement with stakeholders.
Provides general supervision for the Development Planning Division Chief and the Development Engineering Division Chief.
Works with division chiefs to keep standard operating procedures updated on a regular basis.
Coordinate with Division Chiefs, Project Managers, and Applicants as needed to resolve policy and design issues
Review development conditions for conformance with City policy and legal authority
Supports community engagement by making information about development applications broadly accessible.
Serves as the Acting Director on an as-needed basis in coordination with the Deputy Director for Neighborhood Planning & Community Development and the Assistant Director.
Supports development and tracking of the annual operating budget.
Contributes to the development and tracking of short and long-range work programs.
Regularly attend evening and weekend meetings, approximately 4 meetings per month.
Represents P&Z on current planning matters before interdepartmental groups, the City Council, commissions, committees, the community and regional entities.
Provides responsible administrative and technical assistance to the P&Z Director by coordinating and executing the daily operations of the department and the two divisions responsible for development review in the City.
Responsible for process/policy improvements and for tracking and reporting on work program elements related to development.

Benefits

The City operates under a Council-Manager form of government, adopted in 1922.
The governing body consists of a Mayor and six Council Members elected at large for three-year terms.
The City Council and Planning Commission hold regular monthly meetings.
The City employs approximately 2,865 full-time staff (excluding school employees).
The Planning Commission consists of 7 members and holds a Public Hearing once a month in the evening, generally on the first Tuesday of the month.
Most land use cases that are reviewed by the Planning Commission are then forwarded to the City Council for a second Public Hearing.
In most cases, the Planning Commission’s recommendations are advisory and the City Council acts on the recommendations forwarded to them.
The Department of Planning & Zoning (P&Z) is led by Director Paul Stoddard, with 58 full-time employees across five divisions.
It currently has one Deputy Director and one Assistant Director.
Pursuant to P&Z’s vision, the department works closely with communities to carry out the City Council's priorities, fostering amenity-rich, service-oriented and equity-balanced neighborhoods; protecting historic and cultural resources; and supporting diverse and creative businesses.
In developing neighborhood plans, reviewing development proposals, and promoting economic vitality, P&Z continues its commitment to collaborate with all stakeholder groups to honor the character of each neighborhood and to strengthen and sustain them, and Alexandria as a whole, for now and in the future.
P&Z is also responsible for developing and administering the City's Master Plan , the Zoning Ordinance , and coordinates with other City agencies to develop the Long Range Planning Interdepartmental Work Program .