Deputy Community Development Director – Operations

The City of Thousand Oaks Community Development Department is seeking an experienced, collaborative, forward-thinking leader to serve as its next Deputy Director of Operations
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With an FY 2025/2026 Adopted Operating and Capital Budget of $13.6M million, and 50 FTE, the Community Development Department is comprised of seven operational areas:
Administration, Building and Safety, Code Compliance, Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) administration, Housing Services, General Planning, and support for the City’s Planning Commission.

The Deputy Director of Operations provides leadership and support for code compliance, including municipal code amendments and related policy changes, housing services, CDBG management, and department administration, including management of the budget and information technology systems, as well as oversight of the City’s contracted third-party provider for animal care and control.

The City is currently undertaking a comprehensive zoning code update and is in the entitlement phase of a new Downtown Master Plan. These and other strategic initiatives addressed in the City’s 2045 General Plan will significantly impact the work of the Community Development Department in coming years.

• Optimize the City’s current land use system: Lead optimization of the TO/24 (Tyler Energov) system to maximize efficiency in permitting, plan checks, and other related development services, ensuring full staff adoption and delivering a seamless, transparent digital experience for the community.
• Streamline the department’s legislative monitoring process: Establish a proactive legislative triage process to rapidly analyze fast-moving State and Federal mandates, particularly in the areas of environmental impact, housing, and federal funding streams, and provide clear, decisive response options to City leaders in close collaboration with the City Attorney’s Office and Legislative Affairs Manager.
• Implement new workforce development and resource allocation processes: Enhance structure within department by developing standard operating procedures (SOPs) for planning and code enforcement efforts, implementing a mentorship program for new staff, and establishing a project management framework for the department to standardize and streamline administrative workflows.
• Enhance cross-departmental collaboration: Foster intentional, high-level partnerships with the City Attorney’s Office, Public Works, and Legislative Affairs to align on complex initiatives such as homelessness solutions, code enforcement, economic development, and Downtown Master Plan implementation.
• Improve communication and staff engagement: In close collaboration with the Community Development Department Director and other senior leaders in the department, prioritize staff well‑being and open dialogue, model decisive leadership, effectively navigate external pressures, and consistently drive the team toward consensus and action.

The successful candidate for Deputy Director is a decisive, politically savvy servant‑leader with deep technical expertise and demonstrated success leading teams. The ideal candidate is comfortable navigating ambiguity and is highly adaptable to changes mandated by state and/or federal policy shifts. The next Deputy Director will be capable and experienced in triaging and interpreting fast‑moving legislation (e.g., accessory dwelling units (ADUs), solar mandates, street vending) and will be able to provide clear, actionable options to City leadership in partnership with the City Attorney’s Office and the City’s Legislative Affairs Manager.

A critical element of the Deputy Director’s portfolio is oversight of the department’s information technology systems. The successful candidate has successfully led the system optimization and related business process improvement efforts associated with a modernized enterprise permitting and land management system (Tyler Energov or comparable product). To improve transparency and internal operational efficiency, the City recently upgraded TO/24:
The City of Thousand Oaks’ Virtual Land Use Portal. The new Deputy Director will ensure that internal…