Director of Planning

The City of Johnson City, Tennessee is accepting online applications for a Director of Planning. The employee performs complex professional, administrative, and managerial work in directing the City's planning and development functions. The Director of Planning provides leadership for current and long-range planning initiatives, development review, community development programs, and related departmental activities. The position directs, coordinates, and evaluates the work of assigned staff. Responsibilities include establishing priorities, managing resources, improving organizational productivity and service quality, ensuring compliance with applicable laws and regulations, and supporting effective development and growth throughout the City. Work is performed under the general supervision of an Assistant City Manager. This position performs complex professional, technical, administrative, and managerial work in directing the City's planning and development functions. The Director of Planning oversees current and long-range planning activities, development review processes, planning studies, and related programs and services. The position is responsible for achieving departmental objectives by establishing priorities, coaching and developing staff, managing workloads and resources, and ensuring the accuracy, quality, and timely completion of departmental work. The Director also provides professional expertise and leadership on complex, highly visible, and politically sensitive planning initiatives, development proposals, projects, and assignments.

Essential Functions of Position:

• Plans, directs, manages, and evaluates the daily operations, programs, services, and activities of the Planning Division.
• Develops and implements divisional goals, objectives, policies, procedures, priorities, work plans, and performance measures in alignment with City and departmental objectives.
• Assists in the preparation, administration, and monitoring of the division's budget and ensures the responsible and effective use of financial, personnel, and operational resources.
• Supervises, assigns, directs, and reviews the work of professional, technical, and administrative staff; establishes work priorities and ensures assignments are completed accurately, timely, and in accordance with applicable standards.
• Reviews project plans, schedules, and work products; assigns staff to projects; balances workloads; resolves conflicts; and monitors progress to ensure established goals, deadlines, and budgetary requirements are met.
• Provides leadership, coaching, training, and professional development to assigned staff; conducts performance evaluations and addresses performance or conduct concerns in accordance with City policies and procedures.
• Participates in the recruitment, selection, placement, promotion, discipline, and other personnel actions involving assigned employees.
• Coordinates planning activities and projects with other City departments, governmental agencies, consultants, developers, community organizations, and the public.
• Provides complex professional and technical assistance to the Assistant City Manager or designee regarding planning, development, land use, zoning, and community development matters.
• Prepares, reviews, and presents staff reports, recommendations, ordinances, resolutions, plans, studies, and other materials related to planning activities, projects, programs, and services.
• Presents information and recommendations to the City Commission, Planning Commission, Board of Zoning Appeals, other boards and committees, community groups, and the public.
• Directs and coordinates programs and activities related to comprehensive and long-range planning, current planning, development and design review, zoning administration, community planning, environmental planning, annexations, subdivisions, and related land-use matters.
• Provides professional expertise and guidance regarding complex, sensitive, or highly visible planning and development issues, projects, applications, and policy matters.
• Conducts and participates in public meetings, community engagement activities, presentations, and other public relations and outreach efforts related to assigned programs and initiatives.
• Applies accepted principles, practices, and methods of urban planning, land-use regulation, development review, and community development.
• Reviews and interprets site plans, building plans, development proposals, maps, technical reports, ordinances, regulations, and related documents.
• Maintains accurate records, reports, files, an