Community Development Director

City of Claremont

Help shape the future of one of Southern California's most distinctive communities.

The City of Claremont is seeking an experienced, collaborative, and solutions-oriented leader to serve as its next Community Development Director. This executive-level position offers an opportunity to lead a multidisciplinary department responsible for the planning, development, infrastructure, and preservation of a community known for its distinctive character, tree-lined neighborhoods, historic resources, and highly engaged residents.

As a member of the City's executive management team, the Director will oversee a Community Development Department of approximately 23 positions encompassing Planning, Engineering, Building, and Community Improvement. The Director will work through experienced professional staff and division leadership to establish priorities, strengthen coordination across functions, streamline processes, and ensure responsive and effective service delivery.

Claremont is seeking more than a technical expert. The successful candidate will be an experienced people leader and mentor who can develop staff, establish clear expectations, navigate challenging conversations, and create an environment of accountability, collaboration, and professional growth. At the same time, the Director must bring sufficient technical knowledge and municipal experience to provide sound guidance across the Department's diverse responsibilities and confidently advise the City Manager, City Council, commissions, staff, applicants, and community.

The position reports directly to the City Manager and provides direct and indirect supervision over professional, technical, and administrative staff.

RECRUITMENT TIMELINE: Candidate applications will be screened for minimum qualifications as well as against the pool of qualified applicants who apply. Successful candidates will be invited to attend a panel interview, and may be subject to a pre-screen phone call. Dates for recruitment processes are subject to change. Recruitment may close after a sufficient number of qualified applicants are received. All candidates will be notified of their standing in the recruitment process via email.

OPEN DATE: October 5

FIRST REVIEW OF APPLICATIONS - October 26

The Community Development Director plans, organizes, directs, and evaluates the programs, services, and activities of the Community Development Department. The Director provides executive leadership across these functions while empowering division leaders and professional staff to effectively manage their respective areas. Key responsibilities include establishing departmental priorities and performance expectations; developing and mentoring staff; facilitating collaboration across divisions; evaluating and improving operational processes; overseeing departmental personnel and administrative matters; managing the Department's budget; and ensuring high-quality, responsive service to internal and external customers.

The Director also serves as a key advisor to the City Manager, City Council, Planning Commission, Architectural and Preservation Commission, and Traffic and Transportation Commission. The position requires an individual who can translate complex technical and regulatory issues into clear information, provide thoughtful recommendations, and effectively facilitate discussions involving competing interests and viewpoints.

Key priorities for the incoming Director will include:

Leadership & Staff Development. Provide visible, consistent leadership to the Department's management and professional staff. Establish clear expectations, provide meaningful feedback and coaching, support employee development, and effectively address personnel and performance matters when they arise.

Process Improvement & Customer Service. Evaluate existing development review and departmental processes to identify opportunities for greater efficiency, consistency, coordination, and transparency. The Director will be expected to bring a solutions-oriented approach while balancing customer service with regulatory requirements and the City's established standards.

Technology Modernization. Help lead Community Development's implementation of a new permitting system in partnership with Information Technology. The Director will play an important role in ensuring the implementation is not simply a technology project, but an opportunity to evaluate workflows, streamline processes, and improve the experience of staff and customers.

Community & Stakeholder Engagement. Build productive relationships with residents, applicants, developers, businesses, consultants, community organizations, and other stakeholders. Claremont has an engaged community, and the Director must be comfortable listening to concerns, explaining complex processes and requirements, managing expectations, and navigating challenging or competing interests professionally.

The ideal candidate will have progressively responsible municipal experience, preferably at the Assistant Director, Deputy Director, Director, or comparable management level, and a demonstrated ability to lead professional and technical staff through subordinate managers and supervisors.

Experience: Six years of responsible professional experience in urban planning or engineering, including four years of management and supervision of technical management staff.

Education: A Bachelor's Degree from an accredited college or university in city or regional planning, civil engineering, or a related field. A Master's Degree in a related field is desirable.

License: Possession of a valid California Class C driver's license and satisfactory driving record at the time of hire.

The successful candidate will:

• Be a confident and approachable leader who provides direction while empowering managers and subject-matter experts to lead their respective areas.
• Have demonstrated experience coaching, mentoring, and developing staff and establishing clear expectations and accountability.
• Be comfortable addressing difficult issues and having constructive conversations with employees, applicants, residents, and other stakeholders.
• Understand municipal planning and development processes and possess sufficient breadth to effectively oversee Planning, Engineering, Building, and Community Improvement functions.
• Look beyond individual divisions and identify opportunities to improve workflows, eliminate unnecessary barriers, and create efficient and coordinated processes.
• Exercise sound judgment when balancing regulatory requirements, community expectations, development interests, organizational priorities, and practical considerations.
• Communicate complex and sometimes sensitive information clearly to elected and appointed officials, employees, applicants, and members of the public.
• Be politically astute without being political and able to successfully operate in a highly engaged community.
• Build trust through consistency, transparency, follow-through, and respectful communication.
• Bring a collaborative, solutions-oriented approach and be willing to make decisions when needed.

Department heads are appointed by the City Manager and is an at-will position represented by the Claremont Management Association.

Community Development is a multidisciplinary department of approximately 23 positions providing services through four primary functional areas: Planning, Engineering, Building, and Community Improvement. The Department's responsibilities range from land use and environmental review, affordable housing, and historic preservation to capital improvements, traffic engineering, building safety, permitting, inspections, and code compliance.

The Director leads the Department through an experienced team of professional staff and division leadership, creating an opportunity for the next Director to focus on executive leadership, staff development, organizational effectiveness, cross-divisional coordination, and exceptional service to the Claremont community.

The City of Claremont is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to applicants as required by the Americans with Disability Act (ADA) and Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA). Individuals with qualified disabilities who need reasonable accommodation during the selection process or in the performance of their duties must specify the accommodations needed, in writing, at the time when the employment application is submitted.

The City of Claremont is an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to supporting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives to build and sustain an environment that values diversity, welcomes opportunities to engage and understand others, and fosters a sense of belonging.