Community Development Director

Overview

Lead Growth in Florida's Fastest-Growing City

The City of St. Cloud is seeking a visionary and hands-on Community Development Director to lead our City through an unprecedented period of growth and transformation. Recently named Florida's biggest boomtown by GOBanking

Rates, St. Cloud has experienced a remarkable 49.3 percent population increase since 2015, with projections showing continued growth to well over 100,000 residents by 2050. This isn't just a statistic; it's your opportunity to shape the future of a thriving lakefront community where affordability meets opportunity, and strategic planning drives sustainable development.

As Community Development Director, you will serve as the chief administrative and operational leader of a 29-person department responsible for guiding St. Cloud's transformation from a fast-growing city into a well-planned, sustainable community. Located just 30 minutes south of Orlando on the shores of East Lake Tohopekaliga, St. Cloud offers a blend of small-town charm and big-city opportunity. You'll oversee comprehensive planning, zoning, code enforcement, transportation planning, and Community Redevelopment Agency programs while managing the complexities that come with annexing new areas from our Joint Planning Agreement with Osceola County.

This role demands a dedicated leader who thrives in fast-paced environments and possesses the strategic vision to balance immediate development pressures with long-range planning goals. We have revised the Future Land Use and Transportation elements of our Comprehensive Plan, and you'll be instrumental in implementing these foundational documents while navigating the challenges of sustainable growth management. Your ability to communicate effectively with residents, developers, elected officials, and regional partners will be essential as we work together to preserve what makes St.

Cloud special while embracing the opportunities that growth brings.

Typically, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; however, this position also requires attendance at several evening public meetings, including, but not limited to, City Council, Planning Commission, and CRA meetings.

At the City of St. Cloud, our values guide everything we do, and we seek a leader who embodies these principles:

• Accountability: We set high standards, take responsibility for results, and ensure transparency in every action. As our Community Development Director, you'll establish clear performance expectations, deliver on commitments to the community, and hold yourself and your team accountable for outcomes.
• Empowerment: We cultivate an environment where leaders and employees are trusted, supported, and equipped to make impactful decisions. You'll mentor your team, delegate effectively, and create a culture where staff members feel empowered to innovate and excel.
• Innovation: We embrace creative solutions and forward-looking strategies to meet the evolving needs of our community. You'll bring fresh perspectives to traditional planning challenges, leverage technology and data analytics, and implement best practices from across the country.
• Ownership: We take pride in our work and our city, demonstrating commitment in how we serve our citizens and support one another. You'll approach each project with a sense of personal investment in St. Cloud's success and inspire that same dedication in your team.

• Supervises, directs, and evaluates assigned staff, processing employee concerns and problems, counseling, disciplining, and completing employee performance appraisals.
• Coordinates, assigns and reviews work and establishes work schedules; maintains standards; monitors status of work in progress; inspects completed work assignments; answers questions; gives advice and direction as needed.
• Oversees the day to day activities and provides long range direction of the Community Development Department.
• Prepares annual budgets and the documentation and research support the budget request; implements approved budgets and enforces spending limits; supports the implementation of budget objectives within the department's divisions.
• Causes or personally collects, analyzes, and evaluates economic, demographic, land use, and public service data for the purpose of conducting planning activities.
• Prepares the comprehensive plan of the City as the coordinator and instigator of efforts of public and private individuals, City staff, private interests, and as a drafter, designer and compiler of information and data.
• Administers the land development regulations; processes applications for land use change pursuant to these regulations.
• Causes the preparation of functional plans for specified purposes, such as in transportation, planning, housing, and other subjects of municipal interest.
• Causes the preparation of small area plans, for more concentrated evaluations of neighborhoods and other sub-districts of the City.
• Reviews, monitors, and evaluates proposed and…