Community Development Director

The Department & Position

Operating with a 2026 budget of $1,973,930 and 11 FTEs including the Director, the Community Development Department is responsible for planning, engineering, and permitting functions that guide growth and development. The department administers land use planning and development regulations, oversees building and development permitting, and provides engineering services for city streets and infrastructure. In addition, the department manages city capital projects and administers activities within the public right-of-way, ensuring that public investments and private development meet adopted standards for safety, functionality, and long-term maintenance.

Reporting to the City Administrator, the Director of Community Development plans, supervises, and coordinates professional engineering and planning work in support of complex projects for the City. The Director provides executive direction for planning, development, and capital engineering initiatives, oversees the work of subordinate and consulting professional and technical staff, and is accountable for the administration and supervision of the Community Development Department.

The Director functions as the City’s senior authority for zoning administration; long-range land use, infrastructure, and transportation planning; development code administration, and regulatory oversight. The role provides executive-level advisory support to elected officials and executive leadership, represents the city in public and intergovernmental settings, and ensures regulatory compliance across development activities. The Director is accountable for departmental governance, including budgeting in a priority-based budgeting framework, performance management, staff development, and external funding, and advances economic development, redevelopment, and resilience initiatives supporting long-term community sustainability.

Upcoming Priorities

The department is completing the city's periodic comprehensive plan update, which must be adopted by December 31, 2026. Following the completion of the comprehensive plan update, the department will be embarking on an across-theboard update of the city's development code. The city is also in the process of reviewing multiple large projects that will reshape the landscape and character of the city's commercial sector. The incoming Director will be responsible for overseeing all these efforts, as well as providing leadership for developing a new economic development strategy.

The Ideal Candidate

Education & Experience

• Graduation from an accredited four-year (4) college or university with a degree in urban/regional planning, architecture, engineering, economics or closely related field.
• A minimum of five (5) years of increasingly responsible professional management experience in planning, economic development, housing, engineering, or real-estate development.

Necessary Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Management of personnel resources, including motivating, developing, directing, hiring, training, coaching, evaluating, and, when necessary, disciplining employees in accordance with policy and law.
• Critical thinking, sound professional judgment, and decision-making skills to evaluate alternatives, assess costs and benefits, and select effective, timely solutions.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to prepare reports, correspondence, and procedures, and present information clearly to diverse audiences.
• Demonstrated commitment to delivering and modeling exceptional internal and external customer service across all stakeholder interactions.
• Intermediate computer and technical proficiency, including effective use of word processing, spreadsheet, internet, and other standard professional software applications.
• Strong time management and organizational skills, with the ability to manage competing demands, prioritize work, and meet deadlines consistently.
• Adaptability and analytical ability to respond effectively to change, synthesize complex information, conduct research, and apply experience and data to new situations.
• Dependability, attendance, and accountability, including following written and verbal instructions, responding to management direction, and reliably completing work as scheduled.
• Interpersonal and service orientation skills, including cultural awareness, sensitivity to diverse populations, and the ability to build and maintain effective working relationships.

Compensation & Benefits

• $127,014 - $151,793 DOQ
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance.
• Life and Long-term disability insurance.
• Employee assistance program.
• $1700/individual or $3,400/family annual VE- BA deposit.
• Washington PERS.
• 401(a).
• Optional 457 deferred compensation.
• 4 hours of vacation accrue semi-monthly.
• 40 hours of sick leave frontloaded upon hire. After 6 months, 4 hours of sick leave accrue semi-monthly.
• 12 paid holidays and 4 floating holidays. Floating holidays are prorated upon hire.
• The City of Liberty Lake does not contribute to Social Security.