Director, Planning

Salary: $128,174.00 - $143,989.00 Annually
Location : 110 SE Watula Ave, 3rd Floor, Ocala, FL 34471, FL
Job Type: Full-Time
Job Number: 101326
Department: Growth Management
Opening Date: 10/13/2026

Description

This is highly responsible, professional, and administrative work in planning providing direction for all phases of community growth and physical development activities of the city. This position reports to the Growth Management Director.

Examples of Duties

1. Plans, evaluates, and directs departmental policies, programs and operations.
2. Directs and supervises all aspects of comprehensive, current, and historical preservation planning for the City.
3. Supervises and evaluates department staff.
4. Responsible for Divisional preparation and implementation of the annual budget as part of the Growth Management budget. This duty is performed annually.
5. Develops and presents recommendations and strategies to the Growth Management Director, City Manager and City Council as needed to further the goals, objectives, and policies of the City's planning programs, including the Comprehensive Plan.
6. Directs staff in assisting various advisory boards in making decisions and recommendations in the development of the City.
7. Provides planning advisory service to other departments and service groups.
8. Make presentations to City Council, local civic groups and professional organizations.
9. Works with the Growth Management Director, City Manager, and various departments and boards to help define economic development and redevelopment programs, projects, and initiatives, including funding mechanisms, land acquisition, regulatory issues, and coordination with other entities as necessary.
10. Works with the Chamber and Economic Partnership (CEP). Provides procedural and entitlement information for prospective development proposals.
11. Oversees long range analysis for assigned projects including revenue and expenditure projections. Makes recommendations to the Growth Management Director, City Manager and the City Council regarding proposed public/private partnerships and City supported projects.
12. Coordinates and networks with county, state, regional, and national agencies; establishing and maintaining cooperative-working relationships at all levels and in a variety of locations.
13. Establishes and maintain a project management system to effectively and continuously monitor project status. Coordinates and presents regular progress reports on projects.

1. Works with various departments and advises those that are responsible to timely update the City's vision, comprehensive plan, and other master plans.
2. Attends meetings and conferences.
3. Perform any other related duties as required or assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty mentioned satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

• Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with major coursework in urban planning, geography or public administration. Master's degree is preferred.
• Minimum of ten (10) years of related experience, including supervisory experience.
• An equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered.

REQUIRED CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS

• Must possess and maintain a valid Florida operator's driver's license with an acceptable driving record.
• American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP).

Supplemental Information

RESPONSIBILITY FOR FUNDS, PROPERTY and EQUIPMENT
Annual Budget Authority: $1,800,000+/-

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES
Directly supervises up to 5 subordinate supervisor(s) who supervise(s) up to an additional 25 employee(s). Carries out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with the organizations policies and applicable laws. Responsibilities include interviewing, hiring and training employees; planning, assigning and directing work; appraising performance, rewarding and disciplining employees; addressing complaints and resolving problems.

COMMUNICATION SKILLS
Ability to write is critical for this position to include by not limited to staff reports, memorandums, presentations, speeches and articles for publication that conform to prescribed style and format; Ability to effectively present information to top management, public groups, and/or boards of directors.

MATHEMATICAL SKILLS
Ability to work with mathematical concepts such as probability and statistical inference, and fundamentals of plane, algebra, solid geometry and trigonometry.

CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS
Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions. Ability to interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions in mathematical or diagram form and deal with several abstract and concrete variables.

SUPERVISION RECEIVED
Under administrative direction, setting up own standard of performance. Virtually self-supervising. Reports to the Growth Management Director

PLANNING
Considerable responsibility with regard to general assignments in planning time, method, manner, and/or sequence of performance of own work, in addition, the organization and delegation of work operations for a division of employees engaged in widely diversified activities.

DECISION MAKING
Performs work operations which permit frequent opportunity for decision-making of major importance which would have considerable effect on the final attainment of multiple major activities and the organization's projects of a large organization component and organization's clientele. Organization's final decision maker and authority.

MENTAL DEMAND
Highly intense mental demand. Continual involvement with strategic and operational management functions which relate to both the short-term and long-term time periods.

ANALYTICAL ABILITY / PROBLEM SOLVING
General oversight. Activities covered by general organizational philosophy and objectives. Solving problems in novel, non-recurring or swiftly changing situations in which the approach is not fully defined.

USE OF MACHINES, EQUIPMENT AND/OR COMPUTERS
Regular personal computer support, technical help, and/or basic software support, database analysis, level I technician, project coordination, installation and help desk.

ACCURACY
Probable errors would normally not be detected in succeeding operations and may have serious effects in relationships with patrons and/or with the operations of other segments of the organization. Frequent possibilities of error would exist at all times, since the above mentioned areas are inherent in the job.

PUBLIC CONTACT
Extensive contacts with various diversified sectors of the public environment; wherein, the contacts are of major importance and failure to exercise proper judgment can lead to substantial losses to the organization.

EMPLOYEE CONTACT
Continuous contacts frequently involving difficult negotiations which require a well-developed sense of strategy and timing. Involves contacts with senior level internal officials.

PREFERRED CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS
Not indicated.

SOFTWARE SKILLS REQUIRED
Advanced: Presentation/PowerPoint, Spreadsheet, Word Processing/Typing
Intermediate: Accounting, Database, Payroll Systems, GIS
Basic: Contact Management, Enterprise Resource Planning, Human Resources Systems, Programming Languages

ADDITIONAL SOFTWARE SKILLS
Not indicated.

OTHER SKILLS
Not indicated.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES
The following physical activities described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential

functions and expectations.

While performing the functions of this job, the employee is continuously required to talk or hear; regularly required to stand, sit, use hands to finger, handle, or feel; and frequently required to walk, reach with hands and arms; occasionally required to climb or balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl, taste or smell.

The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 10 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include peripheral vision.

ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS
The following work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
While performing the functions of this job, the employee is occasionally exposed to outdoor weather conditions.
The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Knowledge of all aspects of the planning process including current and long range planning functions is essential.

Understanding of the planning process including planning theory, principles, and state and local regulatory procedures is required.

Thorough knowledge of the principles, practices, and techniques or urban planning.

Thorough knowledge of comprehensive land use planning and development regulations.

Ability to use sensory skills in order to effectively communicate and interact with other employees, officials, the public, and the media through the use of the telephone and personal contact as normally defined by the ability to see, read, talk, hear, handle or feel objects and controls.

Thorough knowledge of the principles, practices, and procedures of supervision, organization and administration.

Ability to plan, implement, and coordinate technical and administrative programs.

Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing.

Ability to use various office equipment including, but not limited to, telephone, personal computer, calculator, copier, and fax machine.

Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with the general public, co-workers, and elected and appointed officials.

Ability to maintain a flexible work schedule.