The Community Development Director is responsible for the operations, strategic direction, and personnel of the Community Development Department. The department is comprised of the County’s land use planning, building permitting, code compliance, solid waste management and water quality programs. The Director oversees policy initiatives, program development and outcomes of assigned programs while ensuring program outcomes, advancement of Board of Commissioners priorities, and accountability to the public. This position is responsible for decisions that significantly impact individual property owners, environmental quality, and community livability. Additionally, the Director will oversee the activities of both the County’s Planning Official and Building Official, to ensure compliance with state standards, rules, and regulations. This position collaborates and works closely with other County Directors in assuring delivery of integrated services. The Community Development Department Director is an at-will position and serves at the pleasure of the County Administrator and reports directly to the Assistant County Administrator.

Community Development builds on a history of developing innovative programs and initiatives, and this position is critical in continuing that effort by leading key initiatives such as: Shifting from a solid waste management approach to one that focuses and prioritizes full life cycle materials management.

Evolving the code compliance program into a pro-active, community-based problem-solving program; and Re-evaluating and improving critical community development business and program functions to meet the needs of the community more efficiently and effectively.

The following minimum qualifications are required for this position:

• Bachelor’s degree (Master’s preferred) in planning, geography, public administration, or a closely related field.;

AND

• 10 years of experience in land use planning and/or building code regulation, including both
• 5 years of government experience, with a preference for those that have worked at the local jurisdictional level, in areas such as land use planning, solid waste management, economic development, or building code regulation/enforcement. AND
• 5 years of experience supervising staff that have managed, lead, or performed functions related to land use planning, water quality programs, solid waste and/or full cycles material management, regulating/enforcing building code regulations, or other governmental programs or activities that are focus on community development type activities. (Supervisory experience includes the authority to hire, terminate, assign, reward and discipline other employees)
• Certification from American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP)
• An equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered.

Special Requirements

• A cover letter is required to be submitted with your application. It should be no more than two pages in length and describe your experience related to the minimum qualifications listed above, and experience establishing and maintaining positive, professional, collaborative relationships with a variety of internal and external partners, stakeholders and community members.
• Significant knowledge of Oregon’s land use planning system.
• Public Speaking Experience.

Ideal Candidate
Benton County’s next Community Development Director will be an adaptable, strategic, service-oriented, unconditional team player, and an open communicator. The ideal candidate must be collaborative, inclusive, consistent, fair, and thoughtful but decisive in decision-making and problem resolution as well as committed to stewardship of County resources.

• In addition, the ideal candidate will possess experience in the following areas: Master’s Degree in planning, geography, public administration or another related field.
• Strategic planning, program development and administration.
• Municipal budget preparation and administration.
• Economic development and small business development and retention.
• Real estate finance and development.
• Oregon Building Codes and Construction.
• Pertinent Federal, State, and Local laws, codes, and regulations.

The first review of applications will be on October 25, 2024.
Applications that are submitted after this date may or may not be considered for interviews. The posting may close without notice after the first review date when a sufficient number of qualified candidates are received.

Your Total Compensation/Benefits

We offer a comprehensive benefits package designed to meet the needs of our employees and their families. Competitive benefits and an active employee wellness program are a top priorities for the County.

Annual salary range of: $142,700.06 - $204,968.61.

This position is eligible for up to two salary raises within your first year. Increases may be given at the end of the 6 month probationary period, depending on starting salary and at the 1 year anniversary, as long as your performance is in good standing! Increases are given until the maximum of the salary range is reached.

The strength of our organization lies in the diversity of our workforce and the perspectives our employees bring to their work at Benton County.

We encourage applications from members of historically underrepresented racial/ethnic groups, women, individuals with disabilities, veterans, and LGBTQIA+ community members.

How to Apply
To apply for this position, click on the "Apply" button to fill out all information in the online application and complete the questionnaire. Failure to do so may result in your application being removed from consideration. Only complete applications received by the posted application deadline date, or the first review date will be considered.

Answer all supplemental questions and attach a cover letter.

After you Apply
You will get an email stating your application has been submitted. Log in to your Neo Gov account before the job announcement closes to see if you have any pending tasks or notifications, and make sure to complete these tasks before the job announcement closes. These can be found under the “My Applications” section. Be sure to check both your email and NeoGov account for updates regarding this recruitment.

Tentative Interview Schedule:
First interviews will be November 12th, 2024.
Second Interviews will be November 19th, 2024