Community Development Director

Salary: $181,337.52 - $219,079.08 Annually
Location : City Hall - 207 Harvard Avenue Claremont, CA
Job Type: Full Time
Job Number: 2026-033
Department: Community Development
Opening Date: 10/05/2026
Closing Date: Continuous

The Position

The Community Development Director plans, organizes, directs, and evaluates the programs, services, and activities of the Community Development Department. The Director provides executive leadership across these functions while empowering division leaders and professional staff to effectively manage their respective areas. Key responsibilities include establishing departmental priorities and performance expectations; developing and mentoring staff; facilitating collaboration across divisions; evaluating and improving operational processes; overseeing departmental personnel and administrative matters; managing the Department's budget; and ensuring high-quality, responsive service to internal and external customers.
The Director also serves as a key advisor to the City Manager, City Council, Planning Commission, Architectural and Preservation Commission, and Traffic and Transportation Commission. The position requires an individual who can translate complex technical and regulatory issues into clear information, provide thoughtful recommendations, and effectively facilitate discussions involving competing interests and viewpoints.

Key priorities for the incoming Director will include:

Leadership & Staff Development. Provide visible, consistent leadership to the Department's management and professional staff. Establish clear expectations, provide meaningful feedback and coaching, support employee development, and effectively address personnel and performance matters when they arise.

Process Improvement & Customer Service. Evaluate existing development review and departmental processes to identify opportunities for greater efficiency, consistency, coordination, and transparency. The Director will be expected to bring a solutions-oriented approach while balancing customer service with regulatory requirements and the City's established standards.

Technology Modernization. Help lead Community Development's implementation of a new permitting system in partnership with Information Technology. The Director will play an important role in ensuring the implementation is not simply a technology project, but an opportunity to evaluate workflows, streamline processes, and improve the experience of staff and customers.

Community & Stakeholder Engagement. Build productive relationships with residents, applicants, developers, businesses, consultants, community organizations, and other stakeholders. Claremont has an engaged community, and the Director must be comfortable listening to concerns, explaining complex processes and requirements, managing expectations, and navigating challenging or competing interests professionally.

To view the complete job description

Ideal Candidate
The ideal candidate will have progressively responsible municipal experience, preferably at the Assistant Director, Deputy Director, Director, or comparable management level, and a demonstrated ability to lead professional and technical staff through subordinate managers and supervisors.

Experience:
Six years of responsible professional experience in urban planning or engineering, including four years of management and supervision of technical management staff.

Education:
A Bachelor's Degree from an accredited college or university in city or regional planning, civil engineering, or a related field. A Master's Degree in a related field is desirable.

License:
Possession of a valid California Class C driver's license and satisfactory driving record at the time of hire.

The successful candidate will:

• Be a confident and approachable leader who provides direction while empowering managers and subject-matter experts to lead their respective areas.
• Have demonstrated experience coaching, mentoring, and developing staff and establishing clear expectations and accountability.
• Be comfortable addressing difficult issues and having constructive conversations with employees, applicants, residents, and other stakeholders.
• Understand municipal planning and development processes and possess sufficient breadth to effectively oversee Planning, Engineering, Building, and Community Improvement functions.
• Look beyond individual divisions and identify opportunities to improve workflows, eliminate unnecessary barriers, and create efficient and coordinated processes.
• Exercise sound judgment when balancing regulatory requirements, community expectations, development interests, organizational priorities, and practical considerations.
• Communicate complex and sometimes sensitive information clearly to elected and appointed officials, employees, applicants, and members of the public.
• Be politically astute without being political and able to successfully operate in a highly engaged community.
• Build trust through consistency, transparency, follow-through, and respectful communication.
• Bring a collaborative, solutions-oriented approach and be willing to make decisions when needed.

Additional Information
THE POSITION: Department heads are appointed by the City Manager and is an at-will position represented by the Claremont Management Association.

THE DEPARTMENT
Community Development is a multidisciplinary department of approximately 23 positions providing services through four primary functional areas: Planning, Engineering, Building, and Community Improvement. The Department's responsibilities range from land use and environmental review, affordable housing, and historic preservation to capital improvements, traffic engineering, building safety, permitting, inspections, and code compliance.

The Director leads the Department through an experienced team of professional staff and division leadership, creating an opportunity for the next Director to focus on executive leadership, staff development, organizational effectiveness, cross-divisional coordination, and exceptional service to the Claremont community.

01

Which best describes your highest level of management experience in a municipal or other public-sector Community Development, Planning, Engineering, or closely related function?

• Director/Department Head
• Assistant/Deputy Director
• Division Manager or equivalent
• Supervisor
• Lead/Project Manager without formal supervisory responsibility
• I do not have management experience in these areas

02

How many years of experience do you have directly managing or supervising professional, technical, or management-level staff?

• Less than 2 years
• 2-3 years
• 4-5 years
• 6-9 years
• 10+ years

03

Please identify the functional areas in which you have professional or management-level experience. Select all that apply.

• Current/Long-Range Planning
• Engineering/Public Infrastructure
• Building & Safety
• Code Enforcement/Community Improvement
• Housing/Affordable Housing
• Economic Development
• Capital Improvement Program
• Development Review/Permitting
• None of the above

04

Briefly describe the largest or most complex team or department you have managed. Include the approximate number of employees, your level of responsibility, the types of functions you oversaw, and whether you supervised managers or supervisors.
05

Why are you interested in serving as the City of Claremont's Director of Community Development, and what experience do you believe best prepares you to lead a multidisciplinary department encompassing Planning, Engineering, Building, and Community Improvement?
Required Question