Current Planning Manager - City of Lafayette

Are you passionate about planning and community development and interested in working for a City that is creative, eclectic, inclusive and diverse? If you have leadership experience and enjoy a variety of tasks, from reviewing development projects to improving processes and software, this position is for you. You’ll also have opportunities to contribute to a rewrite of the City’s Land Use Code, assist with permitting software implementation, and contribute to Lafayette’s first area planning project. 

The planning division includes three senior planners focusing on development review and historic preservation, two planning managers for current and long-range planning efforts, and the Planning and Building Director, who also oversees the Building Division and Code Enforcement in addition to the Planning Division. An administrative coordinator provides department-wide support.

The City of Lafayette is seeking an experienced and innovative city planning professional to lead Current Planning efforts and serve as a key member of the department’s leadership team. 

The Current Planning Manager position will primarily be responsible for managing the City’s development review process and coordination of that work across various departments and external agencies. This position also coordinates the work of the city’s Historic Preservation Program and serves as the liaison to the Planning Commission. The long-range planning program is primarily managed by the Long-Range Planning Manager with support from the Director, the Current Planning Manager and the broader planning team. 

The Current Planning Manager also serves as a contributor and provides guidance on the workplan of the entire planning division staff and may assist the Planning and Building Director with budgeting and operational aspects of the Department. 

The Department and broader City organization are focused on elevating our customer service and delivery of services and process improvements will be a key focus of this position. In addition, the Department is working on foundational changes and planning efforts to implement the City’s award-winning Legacy Lafayette Comprehensive Plan. 

The Department has an ambitious set of projects currently underway and planned in the near future that this position will be instrumental in, including: 

• Process improvements related to development review. 

• Creation of a new Land Development Code.  

• Implementation of new Project Tracking and Permitting Software. 

• Implementation of a new Development Review Projects Website and Community Engagement Platform. 

• Implementation of our Housing and Economic Development Plan through Proposition 123 grant funding. 

• Implementation of the Comprehensive Plan. 

• Implementation of the recently adopted Multi-modal Transportation Plan, Wildlife Plan, and Climate Action Plan.  

• Implementation of an accessory dwelling unit expansion effort and a short-term rental program. 

• Coordination with State legislative changes and implementation of planning-related bills (e.g., Transit-Oriented Communities). 

• Assist in the in an upcoming area planning process. 

The City is also experiencing steady growth with several large residential development projects underway, significant annexation interest, infill projects in our historic old town neighborhood, and new mixed-use transit-oriented development adjacent to multiple planned bus rapid transit lines. 

We are a small but very talented and dedicated group of professionals, and the Current Planning Manager position offers an exciting and challenging opportunity for an experienced leader with a passion for building high-performing teams and systems. The ideal candidate has a wide variety of planning and urban design experience, is an excellent communicator, is well organized, and is customer and employee focused. 

Lafayette is a thriving, diverse community of approximately 30,000 residents, encompassing 9.54 square miles at the foothills of the Rockies. Lafayette is located at the southeastern edge of Boulder County, allowing for easy access to Boulder, Denver, Denver International Airport, and the Rocky Mountains. Our community enjoys robust services and amenities, including the Great Outdoors Water Park, an award-winning skate park, the Hale Irwin designed Indian Peaks Golf Course, a senior center, The Collective Community Arts Center, Art on the Street public art program, exciting and diverse events like Art Night Out and the Lafayette Peach Festival, Waneka Lake park and boathouse, 20 community parks, 1,465 acres of open space, 20 miles of trails, Lafayette Public Library, NRPA Gold Medal Award-winning Bob L. Burger Recreation Center, and a vibrant downtown. Lafayette has appeared on numerous national lists of top places to live and raise a family, including #31 on Money Magazine’s 2022 list of the 50 Best Places to Live. 
 
The pay rate ranges from $103,000 to $144,200 depending on qualifications. Additionally, the City provides a comprehensive and generous benefits package: