Director of Development Services
Position Brochure
Development Services Director.pdfIdeal Candidate Highlights:
The City of Richardson seeks a solutions-oriented, experienced leader to serve as its next Director of Development Services. The current Director is retiring after 17 years of service to the City of Richardson and 33 years of government service.
The ideal candidate should:
understand the technical aspects related to municipal management of development while also being a strong leader and coordinator of people
have excellent communication skills, both orally and in writing and the ability to effectively communicate technical information to all audiences
make effective presentations frequently at all levels, including for City Council, City Plan Commission, City Manager’s Office, Homeowners Associations, and the general public
be a proven coach and mentor to both new and tenured professionals
build a focused, strong and effective team
be politically savvy
Education and Experience Summary:
Bachelor's degree required in public administration, city planning or closely related field; Master's degree preferred.
American Institute of Certified Planners certification preferred.
Eight years required in municipal administration and/or private sector planning, including four years of management or supervisory experience.
Demonstrated ability to effectively coordinate and negotiate with elected and appointed officials, staff, developers, and the general public.
About the Department:
The City of Richardson Development Services Department has:
12 professionals
Operating budget of $1.8 million.
Manages processes associated with land development of the City; plans for future development and redevelopment, and assists in planning for public improvements and infrastructure necessary to support growth in accordance with the City’s Comprehensive Plan.
Provides technical support to the City Council, City Plan Commission and Zoning Board of Adjustment.
The department includes two divisions:
The Planning Division is responsible for long-range planning including comprehensive planning, area planning and plan implementation, reviewing and updating zoning requirements and development standards for compliance with long-range plans, administration of the zoning process through review of zoning proposals, variance requests, and other land use related functions including demographic analysis.
The Development and Engineering Division is responsible for processing development applications, including plats, site plans, landscape plans, building elevations and civil engineering plans, to ensure compliance with City regulations and policies. The division coordinates the inter-departmental review of all development proposals through the Development Review Committee, provides technical feedback and direction to applicants and confirms that plan deficiencies are addressed; advises the City Plan Commission regarding approval of development plans; and approves development plans where applicable.
Department accomplishments include:
Recognized for “Planning Excellence” for the 17th consecutive year by the Texas Chapter of the American Planning Association.
Managed and presented the 2023 Community Revitalization Awards Program, recognizing property owners for improvements substantially contributing to the betterment of residential and commercial areas.
Researched and facilitated adoption of a new tree protection and mitigation ordinance.
Guided adoption/revision of various development regulations to support Transit Oriented Development along the new DART Silver Line and at the Arapaho Center Station on the DART Red/Orange Light Rail Line.
Opportunities & Challenges:
The new Director of Development Services will need to focus on the following opportunities and challenges:
Completion and Implementation of the Envision Richardson Comprehensive Plan. Additional information regarding the Envision Richardson Comprehensive Plan can be found at www.EnvisionRichardson.com.
Redevelopment: Richardson is 97% developed. Therefore, much of the City’s focus has been and will continue to be on redevelopment, adaptive re-use and other activities typical of a built-out community.
Department Staffing and Mentoring: As with many organizations, Richardson and this department have seen significant turnover over the past few years. There are many new staff members in the department and several tenured staff members who are in new positions. The Assistant Director over the Planning Division is currently vacant as the incumbent was promoted to the Director of Economic Development. The new Director will lead the recruitment of a new Assistant Director. The chosen candidate will need to assess staff capabilities, the current department structure and needs to develop how best to utilize existing staff and recruit new team members.
Process Review and Technology: Beginning next year, the City anticipates transitioning to the Tyler Technologies enterprise permitting and software solution, Energov.
Resources
For more information, please contact:
Molly Deckert, Partner, DC Municipal Consulting
816-804-2818
Molly@dcmunicipalconsulting.com
