Category: 
Job


Location: Lake Wales, FL

Growth Management Director

Salary: Negotiable

Description
The fast-growing City of Lake Wales, Florida seeks to recruit a new Growth Management Director to lead planning and development services amid a dramatic renewal of the community’s commitment to grow responsibly through high-quality sustainable outcomes. Lake Wales is involved in a top-to-bottom overhaul of its rules, policies and customs, to be in keeping with its traditions as one of the Sunshine State’s most historic places and unique environmental settings.

Now, an impressive revitalization of the City’s core is underway, detailed in the award-winning “Lake Wales Connected” plan, which revived key concepts from the architectural plans developed by the Olmsted Brothers. Furthermore, the City and its planning partners have embarked on an ambitious, big-picture planning initiative, called “Lake Wales Envisioned”, which aspires to redirect development in and around the present city and boost conservation in its surrounding utility service area, encompassing a vast area.

The Growth Management Director will need to be both the inspiring chief content leader for planning and an administrator, charged with orderly operation of significant departments within the City government.

The Growth Management Director will have key leadership responsibilities for the implementation of “Lake Wales Envisioned.”

Candidates must be high performers with a background in planning and development, working familiarity with new urbanism, traditional neighborhood development, complete streets, planning for resilience/sustainability, and historic preservation.

General Purpose
Performs a variety of administrative, clerical and supervisory in planning, organizing and managing the activities of the department, including the major functions of Planning, Zoning, Building Safety, Permit Administration, Plan Review, and Code Compliance.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

  • Supervises assigned operations to achieve goals within available resources; plans and organizes workloads and staff assignments; trains, motivates and evaluates assigned staff; reviews progress and directs changes as needed.
  • Serves as a team leader in the development of short and long range plans; gathers, interprets, and prepares data for studies, reports and recommendations; coordinates department activities with other departments and agencies as needed.
  • Provides technical and professional advice; makes presentations to supervisors, boards, commissions, civic groups and the general public.
  • Determines work procedures, prepares work schedules, and expedites workflow.
  • Build and maintain strong professional working relationships with the business and development communities.
  • Provides staff support to the Planning & Zoning Board and Board of Appeals as needed and assigned.
  • Confers with and advise Directors and division heads on issues relating to various code interpretations, plans review, permit issuance, inspections, and administrative matters such as fee collections.
  • Develops and implements new systems to improve and simplify the development approval process.
  • Works to resolve problems and conflicts that surface during the development approval process among applicants, department staff, and other City departments.
  • Evaluates efficiency and effectiveness of department operations, procedures and use of resources; implements improvements.
  • Responsible for the planning, management and application of financial, human and capital resources to accomplish responsibilities assigned to the department in accordance with all laws and regulations.
  • Directs development services to support the growth and redevelopment efforts of the community: prepares plans, standards, ordinances, and guidelines for managing growth.
  • Resolves difficult and sensitive inquiries, complaints and requests for services from the development community and the public.
  • Directs the development and administration of the department budget; ensuring compliance with the provisions of the approved budget.
  • Represents the city and the department with various agencies/organizations.
  • Serves when needed as a member of a planning task force composed of City, County or State groups.
  • Prepares, facilitates, or delivers presentations to various agencies/organizations in relation to projects, plans, or studies; conducts public meetings and delivers presentations to community groups.
  • Demonstrates superior seamless customer service, integrity, and commitment to innovation, efficiency, and fiscally responsible activity.

Education and Experience

  • Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with a degree in land-use planning, urban planning, landscape architecture or a closely related field, and 
  • Four (4) years’ experience in municipal planning; or
  • Any equivalent combination of education and experience, additional education substituting on a year for year basis for the required experience.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

  • Knowledge of zoning laws and comprehensive plans including their formation, process of adoption, and enforcement; Knowledge of planning programs and processes; Working knowledge of Personal Computers and GIS applications;
  • Ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing with architects, contractors, developers, owners, supervisors, employees, and the general public; Ability to establish effective working relationships.

Preferred Requirements
American Institute of Certified Planner’s Certification (A.I.C.P.), in combination with registration with appropriate professional organizations. Valid Florida Drivers License

How to Apply
Apply online at: https://www.paycomonline.net/v4/ats/web.php/jobs/ViewJobDetails?job=46157&clientkey=F1562A6483904092014FD9D992DAC519