Position Summary

The Community Development Director is a full-time, exempt, position under general direction of the Assistant City Manager. The Community Development Director plans, directs, and oversees the City's community development functions, including planning, zoning, development review, permitting, inspections, code enforcement, and long-range planning. The Director provides strategic and operational leadership for the department; supervises staff; administers and interprets the City's development regulations; coordinates development activities across City departments and with public and private stakeholders; and advises the City Manager, elected officials, and boards and commissions on land use, development, infrastructure, and community development matters.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Directs, manages, and provides strategic leadership for the Community Development Department, establishing departmental goals, priorities, policies, procedures, and performance standards.
Supervises, trains, evaluates, and provides professional guidance to departmental personnel, ensuring effective coordination of planning, permitting, inspection, and code enforcement functions.
Oversees the City's development review and permitting processes, including site plans, subdivisions, lot splits, rezoning, special use permits, planned unit developments, variances, appeals, and other development applications.
Administers and interprets the City's Unified Development Code, zoning regulations, subdivision regulations, and related development standards, ensuring consistent application and compliance with applicable laws and adopted plans.
Oversees building inspection, property maintenance, and code enforcement operations within the Community Development Department, ensuring consistent, fair, and legally defensible enforcement practices.
Coordinates development review and community development activities among City departments, public agencies, utilities, consultants, developers, and other stakeholders to ensure efficient and timely project review.
Leads implementation and periodic updates of the City's Comprehensive Plan and other long-range planning initiatives, including land use, transportation, housing, infrastructure, and community development strategies.
Develops recommendations for growth management, annexation, redevelopment, economic development, housing, infrastructure, transportation, and other strategic community development initiatives.
Advises the City Manager, Assistant City Manager, Mayor, City Council, Planning Commission, Board of Adjustment, and other City leadership on land use, development, zoning, infrastructure, and community development policy matters.
Prepares and presents staff reports, findings of fact, ordinances, resolutions, policies, presentations, and other technical materials for elected and appointed officials and the public.
Serves as staff liaison to the Planning Commission, Board of Adjustment, and other boards, commissions, and advisory bodies as assigned.
Develops and administers departmental budgets, contracts, consultants, grants, and other financial resources and identifies funding opportunities that advance the City's community development objectives.
Oversees the use and maintenance of GIS, mapping, data, dashboards, and other technology supporting development review, planning, code enforcement, public communication, and decision-making.
Builds and maintains effective relationships with developers, property owners, businesses, contractors, consultants, governmental agencies, community organizations, and residents, serving as a senior point of contact for complex development and community concerns.
Ensures the Community Development Department operates in compliance with applicable federal and state laws, Oklahoma statutes, City ordinances, adopted plans, and due process requirements, while promoting efficient, transparent, and customer-focused municipal services.

Skills in:

Technical writing and preparation of clear, defensible staff reports and findings of fact

Public presentation and meeting facilitation for boards, commissions, and community groups

Project and workflow management across multiple departments and deadlines

Conflict resolution and negotiation with developers, contractors, and the public

Data analysis and interpretation, including GIS mapping and development trends

Organizational and time management skills in a high-demand municipal environment

Ability to:

Interpret, apply, and enforce complex zoning and building regulations consistently
Supervise, train, and evaluate professional and technical staff
Make sound, defensible decisions on complex development and inspection issues
Manage and prioritize multiple projects while meeting statutory deadlines
Communicate effectively with diverse audiences, including in high-conflict situations
Coordinate cross-departmental operations and align planning with inspection functions
Conduct site visits and inspections in various weather conditions
Operate standard office equipment and computer systems

Minimum Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in Urban Planning, Public Administration, Geography, Community Development, Architecture, Engineering, or related field, and 5 years of progressively responsible municipal planning, community development, development services, or related experience, including supervisory or management experience.
A master's degree, AICP, ICC certifications, economic-development certification, or comparable credentials are preferred

City of Catoosa jobs

Community Development Director

Community Development Director