Senior Managing Director, Growth Management Services (WMS 3)

State of Washington•Multiple Locations Statewide, WA

9d•Hybrid

About The Position

At the Department of Commerce, we’re reimagining what’s possible in government. We’re builders, thinkers, and change-makers, working at the intersection of innovation, community, and impact. From unlocking critical funding to fueling inclusive economic growth, we’re turning big ideas into real-world solutions that uplift people and places. Our agency’s strength lies in the diversity of our workforce and the breadth of the lived experiences and perspectives employees bring to the work. We believe equity is not just a value but a practice, which is reflected in how we design programs, engage communities, and deliver outcomes. We foster a workplace culture where curiosity is encouraged, bold thinking is welcomed, and collaboration drives our impact. Let’s build what’s next, together. The Local Government Division (LGD) partners with local governments, nonprofits, and others to strengthen the ability of all forms of local government and community-based organizations to fund and develop critical services to their citizens. The division provides leadership in local government finance and statewide infrastructure initiatives that help create and retain jobs. We also provide grants, loans, and planning and technical assistance to local governments for community development needs, infrastructure improvements, and economic development opportunities. Position Objective: The Senior Managing Director (SMD) of Growth Management Services provides leadership to a unit of 54 FTEs who provide guidance, assistance, and training to cities and counties in the state to plan for growth and development, watershed management, land use issues, and collaborates with other Commerce programs on affordable housing, military base and airfield expansions and contractions, and school siting. This position is responsible for ensuring communication and collaboration between the unit’s programs and programs within Commerce and other state, federal, and local organizations. The Senior Managing Director of Growth Management Services reports to the Assistant Director for Local Government and serves as a member of the division’s and agency’s management teams. This position needs to be within 50 miles of our Olympia, Seattle, or Spokane duty stations.

Requirements

A minimum of three years of experience managing and leading staff within a team environment, able to effectively delegate assignments, provide feedback and maintain open communications among staff.
Supervision and professional development of staff, including hiring staff, balancing workload requirements, performance evaluation, training, mentoring, and staff coaching to ensure ongoing and adequate staffing to meet program requirements, and effective leadership.
A minimum of two years of professional experience developing, drafting and implementing executive and administrative policies.
Knowledge of the Washington State Planning Enabling Act, Growth Management Act, State Environmental Policy Act, Shoreline Management Act, Regulatory Reform Act, and other related laws; local land use planning practice; local and state governance; capital improvement planning, financing and project management; sustainable development principles; conflict resolution techniques; management principles and practices; state and federal grants administration; state legislative processes; information systems management; and state budgeting processes.
Education involves urban and regional planning, business, public administration/policy or related field.
Qualifying education post High School or equivalent may be substituted year for year for experience.
Ability to provide advanced-level communication to the department’s executive management, divisions, program managers and other state agency representatives.
Ability to work effectively and collaborate with staff, management, stakeholders, constituent groups, and others.
Ability to effectively balance multiple work priorities.
Ability to intuitively anticipate problems and the impact of potential changes.
Strong interpersonal skills including building relationships, problem solving, teamwork.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree in urban and regional planning.
Master’s degree in urban and regional planning or related field
American Institute of Certified Planners preferred.
Experience as a local government planning director or planning manager with GMA implementation responsibility.

Responsibilities

Set the strategic direction for the unit’s programs, including managing the unit’s financial resources to stay within established allotments, and seeking other external funding opportunities.
Distribute state and federal funding to local government, community-based nonprofits and tribes based on state policy priorities ensuring that contracts comply with agency, state, and federal rules and regulations.
Represent Commerce and the state’s growth management program to stakeholders.
Develop and maintain strong partnerships with stakeholders and participate in Growth Management Act (GMA) planning processes with other state, local, and federal organizations.
Collaborate on GMA related activities with the Puget Sound Partnership, Washington State Department of Ecology, Washington State Department of Transportation, local regional councils and others, and provide advice on the state’s role in the GMA and the role of local planning in implementing state policy priorities.
This position is directly responsible for working the members of the legislature in support of the agency and the Governor’s legislative agenda related to the Growth Management Act.
This includes providing testimony to the legislature on bills during session, working with members of draft legislation and working with other stakeholders to find common ground and develop mutually beneficial solutions to issues that are brought to the legislature.
This position reviews and approves bill analysis and fiscal notes for the program.
This position directly manages a staff of six WMS FTE’s, this includes knowing the diverse work they carry out, setting appropriate expectations to ensure the diverse work of the group is carried out in a way consistent with the service orientated approach of Local Government and the GMS unit.
This includes holding inclusive staff meetings, managing performance, conducting performance evaluations, providing oversight, leadership and direction to supervisors and to program staff who deliver technical assistance to local communities’ special purpose districts, tribes, and citizens.
Technical assistance includes outreach that results in strong working relationships with local governments and stakeholders, providing written guidance on all aspects of community planning, direct consultation with local governments on planning issues.
Oversight, leadership, and direction for the regional teams that includes reviewing and approving comments provided to local governments on over 1,200 draft proposals sent to Commerce each year, coordinating comments with other state agencies to ensure compliance with the Principles for State Agency Correspondence, providing conflict resolution services, and managing education and training programs.
Oversight, leadership, and direction for the climate and ecosystem team to include defining climate goals that include maximizing economic, environmental, and social co-benefits and prioritizing environmental justice in order to avoid worsening environmental health disparities.
Oversight, leadership, and direction for the housing team that includes direction to local governments to plan for and accommodate housing affordable to all economic segments of the population, promote a variety of residential densities and housing types, and encourage preservation of existing housing stock.
Oversight, leadership, and direction for the Tribal Planning team to include guidance and direction for tribal and local governments on collaborative planning efforts that may help identify mutual priority actions and strategies.
Develop and analyze GMA policy proposals, including legislation and other agencies’ submittits.
Conduct Rule making for GMA, including determining the need for rule revisions.
Ensure all unit staff adheres to agency, state, and federal rules and regulations and that associated policies are implemented accurately and with a high degree of integrity.
Contribute to agency policy-setting as a member of the agency Management Team.