Salary : $146,628.00 - $195,132.00 Annually
Location : City Hall, 1055 South Grady Way Renton WA 98057, WA
Job Type: Non-Represented
Job Number: 26-00080
Department: CED - Development Services
Opening Date: 09/11/2026
Closing Date: 10/2/2026 11:59 PM Pacific

Job Description

The City of Renton is seeking an experienced Development Services Director to join our Community & Economic Development Department. The Development Services Director will provide strategic planning programs, policy development and implementation, and staff supervision. The position will direct the City's Development Services Division including plan review, code enforcement, building inspection, and permitting functions; ensuring proper review and approval of development within the City. In addition to technical expertise, strong communication skills and a commitment to delivering exceptional customer service are essential for success in this role.
Telework Program

The City of Renton supports workers performing in a hybrid capacity (partial telework/in-office) where job responsibilities can be performed remotely. This position may be eligible for a telework arrangement, up to 2 days remote, based on the operational needs of the City and specific Department. Regardless of job title or telework arrangement, City of Renton employees must reside in Washington State and within a reasonable distance to their worksite to respond to workplace reporting requirements.

Working for the City of Renton comes with an excellent benefits package, including:

• Deferred compensation with the City contributing 4% of the employee's salary.
• Medical, dental, vision and life insurance at affordable rates
• Paid leave for vacation, sick, eleven holidays and two "personal" holidays a year
• State of Washington Department of Retirement Systems Public Employee Retirement Systems (PERS) plan enrollment

NOTE: We have adopted an anonymous application process that prevents hiring managers from seeing personal identifiers during the initial application review, such as candidates' names, contact information, etc. For that reason, you will not have the ability to attach any documents to your application, including a cover letter or resume. You must thoroughly complete the applications' education and work experience section in chronological order. You must also provide a thorough response to each of the Supplemental Questions. Please make sure to submit a complete, detailed, and updated job application as described above without any personal identifiers included. Failure to do so may result in elimination from further consideration.
EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE, AND LICENSE REQUIREMENTS:

• Bachelor's degree in Urban Planning, Engineering, Building Technology or related field.
• Minimum 8 years of progressive experience in planning, building, engineering or related field.
• Or minimum 12 years of relevant education and experience.
• ICC Certification as a Building Official.
• 5 years supervisory experience.
• Valid Driver's License.
• Successful passing of a required driving record check and background check.

Essential Functions:

• Ensure the Development Services Division operations are provided in a manner that achieves the City's business plan and goals and delivers outcomes important to the community.
• Direct inspections of buildings and building systems including energy conservation, electrical, plumbing and mechanical installations.
• Explain, interpret, and enforce building codes and ordinances involving land use, permitting, and code compliance; issue citations and stop work orders as appropriate.
• Recommend revisions to City ordinances pertaining to code enforcement and inspection services.
• Develop and administer policies, procedures and standards for permitting, plan review, building inspection and code enforcement functions.
• Communicate with City departments, contractors, and outside agencies to coordinate inspection and enforcement activities, exchange technical information, and resolve issues.
• Present proposed programs and projects to community groups and public meetings; make presentations to the City Council as necessary; represent the City on committees and boards regarding local and regional issues as required.
• Provide technical expertise and respond to complex questions; resolve conflicts and interpret various codes and ordinances; develop and revise procedures, ordinances and other materials related to development services and activities.
• Direct the maintenance of records, files, and documentation; oversee and participate in the preparation of reports related to revenues, plan review status, permit activity and other development issues.

To review a complete job description, see -
PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

• Drive to offsite locations to perform essential functions.
• Move throughout City facilities and buildings.
• Operate a computer and other office equipment.
• Communicate with City employees and residents.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

• Work is performed in a typical office environment.
• Work evening and/or weekend hours as assigned.
• Night meetings may be required.
• Noise level indoors is moderately quiet.

Accommodation:

Individuals needing accommodation in the application, testing, or interview process may contact at least 2 days prior to the need.
Selection Procedure
The City of Renton embraces a diverse and inclusive workforce and prides itself on promoting collaboration and teamwork in a positive environment while providing high quality services to the community. For more information about the City of Renton, please visit the following website: Economic Development | City of Renton

The City has adopted an anonymous application process that prevents hiring managers from seeing personal identifiers, including candidates' names, addresses, and other similar information. This eliminates the possibility of unintentional or implicit bias during the screening of applications. For that reason, you will not have the ability to attach any documents to your application, including a cover letter or resume. Please make sure to submit a complete, detailed, and updated job application.

Communication from the City of Renton:

We primarily communicate via e-mail during the application process. E-mails from rentonwa.gov and/or governmentjobs.com should be placed on your safe domain list to ensure you receive notifications in a timely manner. As a precaution, you may also want to check your junk e-mail folders. We also communicate via text and encourage you to sign up for text alerts when completing your job application.

Recruitment Process:

The screening process will include a review of minimum qualifications and applicants selected for an interview will be invited via email to self-schedule a time through the Government Jobs account. At minimum, this position will be subject to a standard criminal background check and professional reference check. This position requires driving and is also subject to a driving record check from the WA State Dept of Licensing (or other state equivalent). Driving records will be evaluated based on a points system depending on the infraction and severity.
This position is Non-Represented and the applicable benefits are as follows:

Medical/Dental/Vision Insurance

• Employees are offered a choice of medical/vision coverage through either Kaiser Permanente or the City's self-insured plan. Preferred Provider Option is available through the self-insured plan. Rates for both plans are available on the Benefit webpage. Please click on the link at the bottom of the page for details.
• The dental insurance plan covers services such as regular checkups, x-rays, fillings and crowns. Orthodontia coverage is also provided.

Deferred Compensation Program

• The City contributes 4%of the employee's base wage rate into a deferred compensation retirement plan.
• Employees may also set aside a percentage of their earnings on a tax-deferred basis.

Retirement Plan

• Employees are enrolled in the State of Washington Department of Retirement Systems Plan (PERS).
• Both the employee and employer contribute to the plan.

Life Insurance

• A group term life insurance policy is provided to each employee at a value equivalent to the annual salary, up to $50,000.
• Each eligible dependent is also provided with a $1,000 policy. There is no cost to the employee.
• Optional supplemental insurance is available for employees and their dependents at group rates.

Long Term Disability Protection

• Many employees are provided with a long term disability policy up to the equivalent of 60% of their salary.

Flexible Benefits

• The City offers employees the opportunity to open two separate tax-free accounts through salary reduction. One account is to pay for expenses not covered by health insurance and the other account is for child care costs.

Vacation

• Employees accrue vacation beginning with the first day of employment as follows: 12 days per year (0-5 years); 18 days per year (6-10 years); 21 days per year (11-15 years); 24 days per year (16-20 years); and 27 days per year (21+ years).

Sick Leave

• Upon employment, the employee receives a sick leave bank of 24 hours, with an additional 24 hours awarded after three months.
• Thereafter, sick leave accrues at the rate of four hours each pay period.

Employee Assistance Program

• A confidential counseling assessment and referral service is available without cost to employees and family members for help with personal, family or job-related problems.

Paydays

• The City of Renton pays employees on the tenth and the twenty-fifth of each month (24 pay periods each year).

Holidays

• The City recognizes eleven holidays and offers two "personal" holidays each calendar year for most employees.

Hours of Work

• Flexible work schedules are available in many departments.

Transportation

• Unlimited free rides on various bus systems as well as various carpool and rideshare options are available for City employees.

Management Leave

• All non-represented employees that are non-overtime eligible shall be given a management leave bank of non-accruable leave in the following amounts: 56 hours for Administrators, Deputy Administrators, Directors, and the City Clerk; 40 hours for Managers, Analysts, and Others
• Non-accruable management leave is to be used within the calendar year that it is credited to employee's leave bank.
• Management leave may not be "rolled over" from one year to the next.

Please see the City of Renton Benefits webpage for more information.
01

Please explain why you are interested in applying for this position with the City of Renton.
02

Please state your degree and major. Example: Master's degree in Urban Planning or Bachelor's in Engineering.
03

Please state the years and type of experience you have in a paid Planning, Engineering, Building Technology or related role. Your work history in the application must show this information. You will not be allowed to add attachments (such as a resume or cover letter).
04

How many years of experience supervising other do you have?

• Under 1 year of experience
• 1 year to 3 years of experience
• 3 years to 5 years of experience
• 5 years to 8 years of experience
• 8 or more years of experience

05

Please describe your leadership style and how it has helped your team to grow and succeed?
06

Do you have an ICC Certification as a Building Official?

• Yes
• No

07

What software systems are you experienced in? Check all that apply.

• Civic Access Self-Service Portal (CASSP)
• Blue Beam
• Tyler Identity Community (TID-C)

08

Briefly describe your role in preparing and monitoring budgets, approving expenditures, capital purchases and budget updates.
09

Thank you for your interest in joining the City of Renton team. We have adopted an anonymous application process that prevents hiring managers from seeing personal identifiers, such as candidates' names, contact information, etc. For that reason, you will not have the ability to attach any documents to your application, including a cover letter or resume. You must thoroughly complete the education section (if applicable to the qualifications of this position) and work experience section in chronological order. You must also provide a thorough response to each of the Supplemental Questions.Please make sure to submit a complete, detailed, and updated job application as described above without any personal identifiers included. Failure to do so may result in elimination from further consideration.Have you read and understood the information listed above?

• Yes, I have read and understood the information listed above.

Required Question