Planning Manager

City Equity Statement:
It is a priority for the City of Westminster to welcome diverse, qualified candidates from the broadest base possible. We are interested in finding the best candidates for our positions, not just to fit in but to belong. We value life and professional experiences, equivalent combination of knowledge, skill set and education.
 
Pursuant to city values, the successful candidate will have a passion and commitment to serving a diverse population and must respect and uphold the tenets of justice, diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging.
 
We encourage you to think broadly about your background and skill set for the role, and urge those with less traditional backgrounds to apply.

The Planning Manager is a City leader who serves as a key member of the Division Manager Leadership Team translating the City’s strategic plan into action through development of policies, leadership, care of people, innovation, and resource allocation and management. The position manages department activities in fulfillment of the City’s Mission Statement, Vision and Values.

POSITION PURPOSE 
This Planning Manager manages the entire planning function for the City of Westminster and reports to the Community Services Director. The Planning Division is responsible for all short and long range planning and zoning activities in the City. These activities include the coordination of the review and approval process for all proposed land development, many large and small area plans, coordination with the Regional Planning Council and other area governments, and coordinates with code enforcement on performing inspections to enforce development and landscaping plans.
 
The position acts as technical advisor to the Planning Commission, the Community Services Director, City Council and other municipal officials on planning and zoning and other matters relating to community planning and development.
 
City leaders must embody the values of the City organization as defined by SPIRIT in decision-making and actions, and strive to develop employees and a work environment that reflects these organizational values. Developing strong relationships with collaboration as a strong mindset, and employee engagement with respect and appreciation as a focus.
 
In order to be considered for this position, all candidates must attach a cover letter and resume (maximum of two pages for each document) to the online application at the time of submittal. The full salary range for this position is stated above. The starting range of pay is dependent on qualifications and experience of each individual candidate. The City of Westminster has a Multilingual Stipend Program to encourage and reward benefited employees who are conversationally fluent in languages other than English. Benefited employees have the opportunity to test their language proficiency skills and qualify for a bi-weekly stipend that will vary based on the employee’s level of proficiency and usage.The City's work culture encourages passionate, positive and enthusiastic employees who, along with our City Council and City Manager, are strong supporters of our mission: Westminster’s purpose is to provide core services and foster economic resilience to give our community the opportunity to thrive. Westminster is a city of beautiful, safe, well-maintained neighborhoods and destinations with a vibrant, diverse economy, rich and resilient environment and a strong sense of community belonging. Our core values are embodied in our SPIRIT (Service – Pride – Integrity – Responsibility – Innovation – Teamwork).
 
This position supports the goals of the Community Services Department, which attracts, plans, buildings, preserves and retains an attractive and high-quality living and working environment by facilitating job creation, balanced housing, redevelopment, sustainability, appropriate land use and infrastructure decisions ensuring that the community is developed in a safe, aesthetically pleasing and maintainable manner.
 
Every employee is accountable to:

• Value diversity through strategic recruitment and promotions
• Demonstrate a cultural awareness for differences; display sensitivity and adapt behaviors and communication to accommodate these differences
• Demonstrate a high level of customer service; encourage others to focus on the customer; foster an environment where customer service is a priority
• Communicate with customers to ensure that, where possible, they are satisfied, and their needs are being addressed; solicit and evaluate customer feedback
• Act as an ambassador by understanding and fostering the organization's mission, vision and values
• Exhibit pride in self, the Department, the City, and the community; conduct self in a professional manner
• Demonstrate integrity and build trust through credibility, reliability, commitment, loyalty, and ethical behavior
• Address difficult or contentious issues in a constructive manner
• Support and promote change; demonstrate flexibility and take calculated risks when appropriate
• Participate in personal growth opportunities, and attend trainings designed to enhance capacity to bring new skills and ideas to the job and the organization
• Work to continuously improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the service or product being delivered
• Demonstrate support for team efforts by accepting new roles and responsibilities, and helping others achieve objectives

 
GENERAL COMPETENCIES
Citywide - Every employee in this position is accountable to:

• Establish effective interpersonal relationships through honest, open communication and follow-through on commitments
• Recognize personal strengths and weaknesses, and target areas for personal self-development
• Demonstrate initiative in performing job tasks
• Exhibit problem-solving skills leading to sound judgment and quality decisions
• Achieve goals, and handle assigned workload and new assignments effectively; demonstrate an ability to work independently
• Communicate effectively with individuals and groups using clear and concise verbal and written communications
• Demonstrate accountability for work, and take ownership in job performance
• Demonstrate concern for the accuracy and quality of work; take steps to correct mistakes and improve the overall product
• Establish effective interpersonal relationships through honest, open 
• Model communication, collaboration and team approaches for the department, division and organization
• Be effective in providing constructive feedback and even a challenging different viewpoint 
• Develop a clear plan to set priorities that support the City mission, vision and strategic plan

Job Specific – Every employee in this position must be able to:

• Extensive knowledge of the principles and practices of City planning as they pertain to the design and development of urban areas, planning research, zoning and community conservation and renewal activities
• Thorough knowledge of the principles of research and of sources and uses of socio-economic and related information
• Knowledge of economics, municipal finance and sociology as applied to municipal planning
• Ability to plan, organize, coordinate and direct the activities and personnel in the Planning Division
• Ability to effectively plan and supervise the conduct of complex planning studies and to formulate substantive recommendations for the development of comprehensive and subsidiary plans
• Ability to interpret objectives and policies to community groups, public officials and the public
• Ability to supervise and perform technical research on economic and sociological problems, to analyze and systematically compile technical and statistical information and to prepare technical reports
• Ability to express ideas clearly and concisely, orally and in writing
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with associates, consultants, contractors, developers, City employees and the general public
• Ability to analyze professional and administrative problems and make sound recommendations to address these concerns
• This is primarily sedentary office work, performed indoors; must demonstrate the ability to meet the physical demands of the job including the ability to retrieve information from various locations in the office when needed, exposure to periods of high activity and high stress under demanding conditions; the position requires a great deal of communication with City employees, the public, and outside agencies

Leadership/Supervisory – Every employee in this position is accountable to:

• Support and promote diversity, equity, and inclusivity (DE&I) goals
• Act swiftly to encourage behavior throughout the department is aligned with SPIRIT values 
• Effectively supervise, mentor and motivate in a team environment
• Foster an environment of community engagement
• Foster a participatory organizational climate that is open, positive, reinforcing, and supportive
• Encourage employees to be accountable for their work and take ownership in what they do
• Demonstrate leadership and courage by making or supporting decisions that reflect the organizational mission and goals even when the decision may be unpopular to some
• Demonstrate collaboration and conflict resolution skills with other departments and employees
• Help employees to see the value of developing their skills, and assist them in eliminating barriers to their development; encourage employees to step outside of their comfort zone to develop their skills
• Provide meaningful, timely employee feedback and appraisals, and effectively address employee performance problems
• Effectively supervise, mentor, and motivate in a team environment
• Develop relationships with colleagues that encourage constructive feedback and new ways to look at projects, policies, and service delivery

Essential Job Functions, Duties, Responsibilities, and Tasks
1.   Prepares and administers the comprehensive land use plan within the policies of the City Council, City Manager and Planning Commission, supervises the development of comprehensive plan elements including land use, circulation and public facilities plans, directs development of plan implementation legislations such as zoning ordinance amendments, sign ordinances, subdivision regulations, landscape regulations, growth management ordinance, and other ordinances, regulations and guidelines, helps to negotiate Planned Unit Development (PUD) provisions with developers
2.   Plans, organizes and manages the activities of the Planning Division personnel engaged in the compilation, analysis, and interpretation of data affecting community planning; determines work assignments and provides for scheduling, completion dates and follow-up of staff activities

• Coordinates and administers the development review process
• Processes requests for annexation to the City

3.   Represents the municipal government at public meetings and at conferences with other public and private groups, participating and negotiating as authorized in the solution of community planning problems
4.   Gives advice to, and cooperates with municipal officials in connection with new or contemplated capital improvements
5.   Prepares comprehensive reports based upon careful research and study of planning concerns
6.   Meets with developers, consultants, architects, citizens and other community and regional officials to coordinate submitted development plans

• Visits sites relative to development plans
• Prepares recommendations after coordination with other City staff; presents recommendations to Community Services Director, City Manager, City Council and Planning Commission

7.   Maintains regular and punctual attendance
Other Duties and Responsibilities
Incumbent is accountable for all duties of this job, and other projects and responsibilities may be added at the City’s discretion.Education, Experience, Skills, Formal Training, Licenses, and Certifications
Required:

• Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited college or university in City/Urban planning or related field required
• Minimum five (5) years of experience in long range planning, current planning, annexations, zoning, site planning, subdivision planning, capital improvement programs
• Extensive supervisory and administrative experience in municipal government, preferably at a division head level

Preferred:

• Master’s degree in related field preferred
• Experience in growth management and urban renewal/redevelopment
• Experience with PUDs
• AICP certification

Physical Requirements
Work is sedentary in nature and requires sufficient physical stamina and strength for:

• Constant sitting to perform daily tasks; occasional walking through a multilevel facility to retrieve information; frequent standing, sometimes for extended periods
• Frequent squatting, reaching above shoulder, and twisting to file documents and lift supplies and material; occasional bending, kneeling, climbing, balancing, and reaching below shoulder to store documents, material, and supplies
• Constant light grasp, fine manipulation, and handling to perform daily duties; occasional firm grasp to safely use equipment
• Frequent lifting, carrying, and pushing and/or pulling of up to ten (10) pounds to move material and supplies; occasional lifting and pushing and/or pulling of up to 25 pounds with dollies and carts

 
WORKING CONDITIONS
Work is constantly performed indoors. This is primarily sedentary office work. Must demonstrate the ability to meet the physical demands of the job, including the ability to retrieve information from various locations in the office when needed. Exposure to periods of high activity and stress under demanding conditions. The position requires a great deal of communication with City employees, the public, and outside agencies.
Required Materials and Equipment
General office equipment including personal computers, telephone, cellular phone, copy machine and calculator. May operate a motor vehicle to visit project sites.

PRE-EMPLOYMENT REQUIREMENTS

• Background checks will include employment references and criminal history, and when applicable, credit check, driver license record, and education verification
• Drug screen
• Must be legally entitled to work in the United States