Director Of Citywide Planning

Description:

The San Francisco Planning Department currently has an opening for the Director of Citywide Policy Planning. The Citywide Policy Planning Division (“Citywide”) is the Department’s long-range planning division guiding land use policy for the City. Citywide develops plans for the City’s existing and evolving neighborhoods to meet the needs of current and future residents, workers, and visitors. Our work centers on inclusivity, sustainability, and economic vitality.

Citywide maintains the City's General Plan, which provides guidance to all City agencies and departments regarding land use, transportation, housing, urban design, open space, resilience, and other issues. Citywide also develops policies and regulations through community-based planning efforts and city-wide initiatives that implement the General Plan.

This position oversees a current staff of approximately 25 and a budget of $3 million. The position serves as one of seven senior managers in the Planning Department. The other six senior managers include the Director of Administration, the Director of Current Planning, the Environmental Review Officer, the Director of Community Equity, the Director of Commission Affairs, and the Chief of Staff all report directly to the Director of Planning. The position also contributes to the overall management of the Department through overseeing various interdivisional project teams.

The position is principally responsible for advising the Planning Director on key land use, transportation, design and resiliency issues, amending and interpreting the General Plan, developing implementation programs, developing community plans, and conducting studies and reports as necessary to consistently implement the goals, objectives, policies and principles of the General Plan. This responsibility includes the development of ordinances and policies through adoption by the Planning Commission, Historic Preservation Commission, and the Board of Supervisors. To implement policy into action, the position must be skilled at interagency convening, coordination, and change management.

The position develops and oversees the organizational structure, the annual work program, and the budget and staffing of the Citywide Division and assists in and coordinates with the Chief Administrative Officer in the preparation of the Department’s work program and budget.

As a principal deputy, the Director of Citywide Planning represents the Department and the Director at all times and officiates on the Director’s behalf as needed. The Director of Citywide Planning represents the Department and the Director at meetings with the public, elected officials, other agencies and departments of the City, and other Planning Department stakeholders.

The ideal candidate for the Director of Citywide Policy Planning will be an excellent planner, collaborator, and manager, with a commitment to advance inclusivity, sustainability, and economic vitality.

The position requires strong leadership, excellent personnel management skills, and the ability to effectively develop and provide for implementation of significant planning policy for the City. The position requires the ability to effectively manage the functional areas described, as well as to provide policy guidance and counsel on professionalism to staff. The position will work to repair harm for historically disadvantaged communities and will effectively work across all of San Francisco’s diverse communities. Knowledge of state-of-the-art planning practice is important, as is knowledge of the current trends, impacts and issues facing growth and development in dense cities. Experience in the creation, administration, and monitoring of budgets is important. The ability to effectively mentor staff and manage functional performance is essential. Clear and compelling communication is paramount.

Qualifications
Minimum Qualifications

• Possession of a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university, with a specialty in urban planning, architecture, public policy or administration or a related field AND
• Six (6) years of verifiable full-time management experience in the area of urban planning, architecture, public policy or administration, land use law, or a related field, of which all experience must include supervising professional planning staff.