Planning Director

Position Title:

Planning Director

Job Description:

Incumbent directs, manages and supervises the Department’s Planning & Design Division, ensuring high-quality planning, design, and the timely delivery of parks, trails, open space, and other public lands capital projects across Salt Lake City. This role includes oversight of division and project financials, ensuring resources are allocated effectively and projects are delivered within established budget parameters.

Collaborates closely with the Department Director, other Public Lands division directors, and the Architecture and Construction Management Division to proactively prioritize and advance the Department’s and City’s planning and design goals for projects pertaining to public lands. Applies a strong understanding of the construction management process, including project scoping, cost estimating, scheduling, and coordination through design and construction, to support successful project delivery.

Explores and implements effective approaches to complex planning, design, and implementation challenges, with a particular focus on internal and external coordination. Communicates clearly with staff, boards and commissions, and the public to ensure alignment, transparency, and high-quality outcomes in planning, design, and capital project delivery.

This position is eligible for full city benefits, including:

• Health Insurance (95% of premium paid by city)
• Dental, Vision and Life Insurance
• Paid vacation and personal leave
• 6-12 weeks of paid parental leave available
• Retirement contributions toward a pension plan and/or 401(k)
• A robust Employee Assistance Plan (EAP)
• Up to $4,000 tuition reimbursement annually
• Discounted supplemental benefits like pet insurance and legal services

TYPICAL DUTIES:

• Within the Public Lands Department, directs and oversees professional landscape architecture and planning professionals in the Planning & Design Division, who are assigned to various aspects of public lands planning and design.
  • Planning: Capital Improvement Planning, Impact Fee Development Planning, Development Review, Long Range Planning, Historic Preservation, Asset Management Planning, Acquisitions Planning, and other general planning sections.
  • Design: Urban Design, Park and Natural Lands Design, Landscape Management, Irrigation, Design Review, Construction Documents, and other aspects.
  • Other: Consultant Management, Project-Specific Public and Stakeholder Engagement, Political Processes, Funding, Construction Management, and other aspects.

• Ensures that communication between groups is coordinated and that professional standards are met. Works with Department Director regarding training, motivation, evaluations, and disciplinary actions of the Division’s employees.
• Hires, coaches, motivates, and manages employee job performance, as necessary. Works with Division employees to identify professional goals and necessary resources for professional success.
• Participates in staff preparation of presentations, public meetings and hearings aimed at discussing, approving, or adopting various planning and design projects. Assists staff in negotiations with interest groups. Performs various public relation activities aimed at obtaining the greatest public acceptance and support of City initiated public lands projects.
• Plans and issues project management and other work assignments to Division employees.
• Supports the preparation of and leads the administration of the Division’s budget and other financial activities.  Performs financial analysis on projects, as needed, to ensure proper accounting of costs and benchmarks for completion.
• Participates in and supervises related departmental capital improvement planning initiatives.
• Ensures City Council, committees, commissions, and advisory boards receive timely, high-quality staff support including   professional planning and design expertise related to public lands projects.
• Performs related duties as required.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Graduation from an accredited college or university with a bachelor’s degree in Urban Planning, Landscape Architecture, Design, or a closely related field and ten (10) years full-time, paid professional experience in planning or design, two years of which must have been in a programmatic management capacity including the supervision of multiple, high visibility planning and/or design projects and/or professional planning and/or design staff. An equivalent combination of education and full-time, paid professional experience in planning or design may be substituted on a year-for-year basis but must include a minimum of four (4) years’ experience in a programmatic management capacity.
• Ability to perform analysis of planning and design proposals and projects using professional standards, public policy, or other related methods, and to make appropriate recommendations for consideration by the Director and implementation by Planning & Design Division staff.
• Ability to coordinate the work of others and communicate effectively both orally and in writing with individuals of diverse backgrounds and professional levels. Ability to conduct and participate in-group decision making, perform budgetary analysis, and provide guidance and direction to both internal and external program participants.
• Working knowledge of contract administration related to municipal projects. Experience in managing professional services contracts with an emphasis on procurement, negotiation, and execution.
• Experience with a diverse range of project types with a proven record of achieving project objectives within specified budgetary constraints.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Master’s degree in Urban Planning, Landscape Architecture, Design, or other related field.
• Previous supervisory experience in planning, landscape architecture, design, public lands management, public administration, or other related field.
• Certification by the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP).
• Licensure as a Licensed Landscape Architect or Professional Engineer by the State of Utah, or licensure as a Licensed Landscape Architect or Professional Engineer in another state or jurisdiction.

WORKING CONDITIONS:

• Little or no physical effort, most work performed in office environment. Comfortable working positions, handling of light weights. Intermittent standing, sitting, or walking.
• Frequent exposure to stress as a result of overseeing simultaneously occurring large scale, high public visibility projects and other demands of the position.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by persons assigned to this job.  They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities and skills required of personnel so classified. 

All requirements are subject to possible modification to reasonably accommodate individuals with disabilities.

POSITION TYPE

Full-Time

 

POSITION SALARY RANGE

$  110,000 annually -   $165,000 annually

DEPARTMENT

Public Lands

Full Time/Part Time:

Full time

Scheduled Hours:

40