Director of Planning, Building and Development

Director of Planning, Building and Development

Salary

$127,744.76 - $204,391.72 Annually

Location

City of Roanoke - 215 Church Ave SW, Roanoke, VA

Job Type

Full-Time

Job Number

03358

Department

Planning, Building and Development

Opening Date

05/27/2026

Closing Date

6/24/2026 11:59 PM Eastern

• Description
• Benefits

Description

The City of Roanoke is seeking a Director of Planning, Building, and Development whose work is both technical and deeply civic. This position is simultaneously regulatory and proprietary: the department administers public codes, ordinances, and adopted plans that govern what may be built and where, while also delivering permit, inspection, and plan review services essential to the Citys economic health and quality of life. The Director serves as a member of the senior leadership team, directly supporting the Mayor and City Councils vision for Roanokes future.

The Directors role is to implement that vision faithfully through adopted plans, ordinances, and formal policy direction, and to advise the City Manager and Council when plans, codes, or procedures need to evolve. A clear and practical responsibility of this position is recognizing that individual preference does not carry the same weight as adopted plans, codes, ordinances, and the public processes through which they are established. The Director must hold that distinction with professionalism and clarity, while remaining open to the legitimate policy conversations that may warrant changing the rules through the proper process.

The successful candidate will also understand that development decisions touch real people. A permit application is rarely just paperwork: it is someones home, business, or livelihood. Zoning decisions shape neighborhoods that residents care deeply about. And the outcomes of planning and land use decisions belong to the whole community, not just those at the table. The Director will need the skills and the temperament to navigate that reality every day.

The City of Roanoke is an Equal Employment Opportunity/AA/M/F/Disability Employer.

To elevate the performance of the organization, we are committed to respecting, celebrating, and embracing the collective mixture of differences and similarities between our employees as a rich tapestry. Our behaviors will demonstrate open communication, and we will seek opportunities to learn, recognizing and rewarding actions that promote acceptance while suspending judgment. By doing this, we will foster an inclusive, open work environment that delivers excellent service and creates a more vibrant and inviting community.

This is an exempt position.

Examples of Duties

SUMMARY

Leads, manages, and directs the Citys comprehensive planning, building safety, and development functions, including historic preservation, the Permit Center, and Building Commissioner operations. Oversees the divisions of Planning and Neighborhood Services and Building Safety. Accountable for the integrity, consistency, efficiency, and quality of all departmental activities, measured against clear performance standards and the expectations of the public the department serves.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include the following. Other duties may be assigned.

Leadership and Organizational Management

• Provide clear, consistent, and visible leadership to departmental staff, establishing a culture of professionalism, accountability, continuous improvement, and mutual respect.
• Lead, mentor, and develop division supervisors and staff, building a team that is technically skilled, equitable in its application of regulations, and empowered to exercise sound professional judgment.
• Establish measurable performance standards and hold the department accountable for cost-effective, high-quality results that advance the Mayor and City Councils vision for Roanoke.
• Manage overall department direction, coordination, and evaluation in accordance with City policies and applicable law, including all personnel responsibilities: hiring, training, performance appraisal, and disciplinary matters.
• Prepare and manage the departmental budget, ensuring efficient and transparent stewardship of public resources.

Regulatory Administration and Policy Oversight

• Administer the Citys zoning, subdivision, building code, stormwater management, and erosion and sediment control regulations with consistency, fairness, and fidelity to adopted policy and law.
• Direct comprehensive planning efforts, neighborhood planning initiatives, and long-range land use strategies that reflect community priorities, City Councils direction, and applicable state law requirements.
• Oversee building safety operations, including plan review, permitting, and inspections, ensuring both public safety and a predictable, consistent experience for applicants.
• Lead the development, maintenance, and periodic amendment of the Citys development codes, ensuring they remain clear, current, legally defensible, and aligned with adopted plans and Councils policy direction.
• Maintain the distinction between individual preference and adopted policy: administer codes and plans as adopted, and advise City leadership transparently when amendments may be warranted through the proper public process.
• Coordinate all applicable building code functions through the Building Commissioner.
• Conduct feasibility reviews of proposed developments and expansions in coordination with other City departments.
• Serve as ex-officio member of applicable service district boards.

Public Engagement and Civic Participation

• Design and lead public engagement processes for the development of plans, policies, and regulations that are genuine, accessible, and reflective of the full range of community voices.
• Recognize that planning and development decisions are publicly owned: the plans the City adopts, the codes it enforces, and the precedents it sets belong to the community, and the public has a legitimate right to meaningful participation in shaping them.
• Build and sustain transparent communication about regulatory requirements, pending decisions, and department performance through public hearings, community meetings, digital platforms, and direct neighborhood outreach.
• Develop engagement strategies appropriate to the nature of the decision, from citywide comprehensive plan updates to individual neighborhood initiatives, ensuring that community input is visible in outcomes.
• Foster trust between the department and the public it serves, recognizing that how the City handles development matters is as important as what it decides.

Partnerships, Interagency Collaboration, and Economic Development

• Partner actively with the City Managers Office, Economic Development, Public Works, utilities, and other City agencies to coordinate development review and support business attraction, retention, expansion, and neighborhood revitalization.
• Bring economic development awareness and sensibility to the Directors role, understanding how the regulatory environment affects investment decisions, what makes Roanoke competitive, and how the department can support economic vitality without compromising its regulatory responsibilities or the integrity of adopted plans. Experience in economic development is considered a significant advantage for this position.
• Serve as a coordinator and problem-solver for significant development projects, ensuring that applicants receive timely, consistent, and predictable responses from across City government.
• Build and sustain strong working relationships with neighborhood organizations, business associations, the regional development community, and state and regional planning partners.
• Identify regulatory and procedural barriers that discourage responsible investment and recommend code amendments or policy changes through the appropriate public process.

Development Services Administration

• Lead a service culture grounded in the recognition that applicants navigating permitting, zoning, plan review, and inspection processes are doing so in connection with something that matters to them, and deserve clear, consistent, and respectful service within the framework of applicable regulations.
• Establish service-level standards and performance metrics for permit processing, plan review turnaround, inspection scheduling, and responsiveness, and report regularly on results to City leadership and the public.
• Develop clear communication channels, accessible intake systems, and digital tools that set transparent expectations around timelines, requirements, and costs.
• Build a structured case-management approach for complex projects, ensuring applicants have a clear point of contact throughout the process.
• Conduct regular reviews of internal workflows, identify bottlenecks, and lead continuous improvement initiatives benchmarked against peer cities and best practices.

Advisory and Intergovernmental Responsibilities

• Provide, or arrange to provide, the technical and advisory information required by City Council, the Planning Commission, the Board of Zoning Appeals, the Architectural Review Board, the Building and Fire Code Board of Appeals, and other municipal officials on matters relating to development codes, planning policy, and building safety.
• Present well-prepared, objective recommendations on code amendments and policy matters, and represent the department effectively in public hearings, community meetings, and intergovernmental forums.
• Communicate complex regulatory and technical matters clearly and accessibly to a wide range of audiences, from individual applicants to elected officials to neighborhood groups.
• Stay current on regional, state, and national trends in planning, land use, building codes, and development services, and keep City leadership informed of emerging issues and opportunities.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

Manages division supervisors who collectively oversee approximately 36 employees in Planning, Building, and Development. Responsible for the overall leadership, direction, coordination, and evaluation of the department. Carries out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with City policies and applicable law, including interviewing, hiring, and training employees; planning, assigning, and directing work; appraising performance; rewarding and disciplining employees; and addressing complaints and resolving problems.

Typical Qualifications

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Minimum Education and Experience

• Bachelors degree from a four-year college or university with a major in public administration, urban planning, architecture, urban design, business administration, or a related field.
• Minimum of ten to twelve years of progressively responsible experience in planning, building, or development services, including considerable management and supervisory experience.
• Equivalent combinations of education and experience that demonstrate the ability to perform the essential functions of this position will be considered.

Preferred Qualifications

• Masters degree in a related field.
• Membership in the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) or comparable professional certification.
• Experience leading public engagement processes for plans, code amendments, or significant regulatory initiatives.
• Demonstrated experience working with or within an economic development function, or a track record of effective collaboration with economic development partners on complex projects. Experience in economic development is considered a significant advantage.
• Experience implementing or optimizing electronic permitting and plan review systems.
• Experience presenting to elected officials, appointed boards, and diverse public audiences on planning and regulatory matters.

KEY COMPETENCIES

The ideal candidate will demonstrate:

• Deep understanding of planning and development as both regulatory and proprietary public functions, with the judgment to administer those responsibilities consistently, equitably, and transparently.
• Commitment to advancing the Mayor and City Councils vision for Roanoke, and the professional capability to translate that vision into plans, codes, and operational performance.
• Genuine commitment to public engagement and the conviction that community participation in planning and regulatory decisions produces better outcomes and stronger public trust.
• Recognition that development decisions are personal and political, and the interpersonal and professional skills to navigate that reality with integrity and sound judgment.
• The ability to distinguish adopted policy from individual preference, and to administer the former faithfully while engaging the latter through the proper public process.
• Economic development awareness and the ability to work effectively with the development community and City economic development partners without compromising regulatory responsibilities.
• Strong leadership and change management skills, with the ability to build a high-performing, service-oriented organization.
• Excellent communication skills, including the ability to translate technical and regulatory content into plain, accessible language for a wide range of audiences.
• Political acumen and the ability to work effectively with elected officials, appointed boards, and diverse stakeholders.
• Integrity, transparency, and a commitment to equitable service delivery.

Supplemental Information

Language Skills

Ability to read, analyze, and interpret complex documents, regulations, and technical reports. Ability to respond effectively to sensitive inquiries or complaints orally and in writing. Ability to make effective and persuasive presentations on controversial or complex topics to City Council, management, public groups, and appointed boards. Ability to negotiate and resolve conflicts. Ability to organize, direct, and coordinate a complete range of administrative and regulatory activities to achieve maximum efficiency and public benefit.

Reasoning Ability

Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions. Ability to interpret an extensive variety of technical, legal, and policy information and deal with multiple

abstract and concrete variables. Ability to identify key stakeholders, facilitate competing interests, and build teams to address complex issues. Ability to think and plan strategically within a public policy and regulatory environment.

Physical Demands

The physical demands 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. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee is frequently required to stand, walk, sit, and reach with hands and arms. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 10 pounds. Specific vision abilities required include the ability to adjust focus.

Work Environment

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

The City of Roanoke is an Equal Employment Opportunity/AA/M/F/Disability Employer.

To elevate the performance of the organization, we are committed to respecting, celebrating, and embracing the collective mixture of differences and similarities between our employees as a rich tapestry. Our behaviors will demonstrate open communication, and we will seek opportunities to learn, recognizing and rewarding actions that promote acceptance while suspending judgment. By doing this, we will foster an inclusive, open work environment that delivers excellent service and creates a more vibrant and inviting community.

This is a job description and not an individualized position description. A job description defines the general character and scope of duties and responsibilities of all positions in a job classification, but it is not intended to describe and does not necessarily list the essential job functions for a given position in a classification.

Overview of Benefits for Full-Time Employees:

Paid leave is time off from work available for use by an employee upon approval by supervisor. The first 24 consecutive leave hours for any illness must be charged to paid leave with additional time charged to extended illness leave. Paid leave for employees of the city shall accrue as follows:

Years of Service Hours Per Month Fire 24-hr shift Employees

0 - 4 12 19.75

5 - 9 14 22.75

10- 14 16 25.50

15 - 19 17 26.75

20 - 24 18 28.75

25 + 20 32

Extended Illness Leave: shall accrue at the rate of six (6) hours per month. Fire suppression employees shall accrue extended illness leave at nine (9) hours per month.

Funeral Leave: for family, up to three consecutive days.

Military Leave: Twenty-one work days per Federal fiscal year.

Holidays: The City provides 96 hours of annual paid holiday time.

Mental Health & Well-Being Leave: Employees receive 24 hours (Fire Suppression receives 34 hours) of Mental Health & Well-Being Leave upon hire. Certification of mental health diagnosis is not required and leave will not be paid out upon separation.

Shared Leave Bank (effective 1/1/2023): Voluntary membership for full-time Employees who will be out for an extended period of time and has exhausted all other forms of leave. Members are required to provide 8 hours of their Extended Illness per fiscal year and at least 8 hours per assessment. Assessments will be limimted to 4 times per fiscal year (max of 40 hours per fiscal year).

Health Insurance: Four coverage types are available: Employee only, Employee + 1 Child, Employee + Spouse and Family. Coverage is available through payroll deduction.

Additionally, the city offers the following three Aetna Health Plan Options:

PPO 750 - Provides 100% coverage for preventive care; lower deductible and out-of-pocket maximums than other medical plans; and has higher employee premiums. This is comparable to the current insurance program.

PPO/HRA 1500 - Provides 100% coverage for preventive care; has higher deductible and out-of-pocket maximum than the PPO 300 plan; has lower employee premiums than the PPO 300 plan; and the employer makes contributions to an account through a Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA). The City of Roanoke contributes $500 for employee only coverage and $1,000 for all other tiers. Contributions are pro-rated dependent upon enrollment date.

PPO/HDHP-HSA - Provides 100% coverage for preventive care; has higher deductible and out-of-pocket maximum than other medical plans; has lower employee premiums; and both the employer and the employee make contributions to a Health Savings Account (HSA) to pay for medical expenses which apply to the deductible. The City of Roanoke contributes towards the Health Savings Account (HSA), $1,600 for employee only coverage and $3,100 for all other tiers. Contributions are pro-rated dependent upon enrollment date.

Optum RX (Pharmaceutical Benefits Manager) - Manages pharmacy benefits, processes employee pharmacy claims and answers employee pharmacy benefit questions.

Aetna Health Plan 2026 Monthly Rates

PPO 750

Employee Only: $81.94

Employee + Child: $306.26

Employee + Spouse: $718.38

Family: $785.44

PPO/HRA 1500

Employee Only: $53.06

Employee + Child: $260.06

Employee + Spouse: $660.64

Family: $669.94

PPO/HDHP-HSA

Employee Only: $25.10

Employee + Child: $195.72

Employee + Spouse $547.88

Family: $550.56

Dental Insurance: Four coverage types are available: Family, Employee and Spouse, Employee and Child, and Employee only. Coverage is available through payroll deduction.

Delta Dental 2026 Monthly Rates

Employee: $2.80

Employee/Child: $18.88

Employee/Spouse: $18.88

Family: $49.36

Life Insurance: Paid by the City at no cost to employees. Coverage is equal to the annual salary rounded to the next highest thousand and then doubled. For an accidental death, the coverage would be twice this amount.

Optional Life Insurance: Paid by the employee. Various amounts of coverage, including family members, available through payroll deduction.

Long Term Disability Insurance: Designed to provide a monthly benefit to assist employees with bills and maintaining a standard of living when disabled as a result of a covered sickness or injury. Coverage is available through payroll deduction. Annual cost is your annual salary multiplied by .00255. This amount is half of the total premium and the City pays the other half.

Retirement: Employees contribute 5% of salary and choose between participating in a traditional defined benefit plan or a hybrid program. Employees vest in the employer component of either plan upon completing five (5) years of service.

Defined Benefit Pension Plan: Normal retirement after 55th birthday, and when combination of age and creditable service equals 85; or, 65th birthday if completed at least five years of creditable service. For sworn officers in Police and Fire/EMS, normal retirement after 50th birthday, and when combination of age and service equals 75; or, 65th birthday or older with 5 years of creditable service. An annual retirement benefit equals 2.0% of salary (based on an average of the highest five years) times the number of creditable years with a maximum of 63%. Early retirement options are available and reductions may apply based on age and service.

Hybrid Program: Provides the characteristics of the traditional pension plan with that of a deferred compensation plan. The pension plan provides an annual benefit equaling 1% of salary (based on an average of the highest five years) times the number of creditable years with a maximum of 63%. The deferred compensation component provides for the employee contribution to be deposited in an account directed by the member. The combination of the two components is structured to provide approximately the same actuarial benefit as the Defined Benefit Pension Plan. International City Management Association - Retirement Corporation (ICMA-RC) provides the third party administration of this deferred compensation plan for participating employees.

Sheriffs Department Employees are covered b the Virginia Retirement System (VRS). Previous service covered by VRS may be portable to the Roanoke Retirement System.

Retirement Health Savings Plan: All employees contribute 1% of salary to a 401(h) health savings account. Employees vest in the City match of 1% upon completing five (5) years of service. International City Management Association - Retirement Corporation (ICMA-RC) provides the third party administration of this plan for participating employees.

Deferred Compensation: Employees may voluntarily contribute salary deferred dollars into a City Sponsored 457 Plan. International City Management Association - Empower provides the third party administration of this deferred compensation plan for participating employees.

Flexible Spending Account: Allows employees to set aside pre-tax dollars from their pay checks to pay for child care and/or medical and dental expenses not covered by the Citys health care or dental plans. You may also set aside pre-tax dollars to cover certain transit or parking expenses. Keep in mind only transit or parking expenses may be rolled over from year to year.

Virginia College Savings Plan: Two plans to choose from at a reduced application fee, Virginia Prepaid Education Program and the Virginia Education Savings Trust.

Employee Health Services: The City employee health services provides medical care for employees, retirees, and eligible spouses.

Employee Assistance Program (EAP): Support services available to assist employees facing life challenges.

Pay Days: Direct deposit is required for all new employees. Paid bi-weekly, 26 pay periods per year.

Vision Insurance: Paid by the Employee. Includes annual routine eye exam, discounts on eyeglass frames, eyeglass lenses and contact lenses.

CEC 2026 Monthly Rates

Employee: $6.68

Employee/Spouse: $12.69

Employee/Child(ren): $13.36

Family: $19.71

Voluntary Benefits: Critical Illness, Accident Insurance and Hospital Indemnity Insurance is offered by The Hartford. CHUBB offers Cancer Advocacy, Life Insurance and Long-Term Care. Identity Protection if offered through LegalShield and IDShield. Personal loans are offered through Purchasing Power and Kashable. Pet Insurance is offered through PetPartners. All voluntary benefits may be payroll deducted.

Employer City of Roanoke, Virginia

Address 215 Church Avenue S.W. Rm 212

Roanoke, Virginia, 24011

Phone 540-853-2231

Website http://roanokeva.gov/jobs