Planning Manager - Project Support Unit

Raleigh Planning and Development is seeking a Planning Manager to lead the new Project Support section within the department’s Project Support and Strategy Division.

The division includes three core functional areas

• Project Support, comprising customer-focused units responsible for project support and customer experience.
• Strategy, consisting of strategic process improvement units including process improvement, records, finance, and internal learning.
• Operations, encompassing the department’s operational business units: business operations, communications and engagement, and technology.

This position oversees the Project Support and Customer Experience units to ensure delivery of high-quality, timely, predictable, and customer-focused outcomes that align with City goals regarding customer support and orientation.

The Project Support unit serves as the City’s internal coordination and facilitation resource, helping projects move efficiently through the development review process by guiding complex projects, resolving cross-department issues, and assisting applicants.

The Customer Experience unit leads the department’s overall customer service strategy and ensures that service standards are consistent across all departments involved in development processes.

About You

The ideal candidate will demonstrate exceptional customer service and problem-solving skills while maintaining effective working relationships with staff, other departments, elected officials, and the public. Experience with and a solid understanding of development processes will support success in this role and help build strong relationships across the organization.

Candidates must be highly skilled in team building and leadership, including consensus building, facilitation, conflict resolution, and fostering cooperation among diverse interest groups. Strong project management abilities—such as planning, organizing, evaluating, analyzing issues, making sound decisions, and managing time and implementation plans—are essential.

Qualified candidates will clearly embody the City’s organizational values of Accountability, Collaboration, Equity, Ingenuity, and Integrity.

About Us

Raleigh has a long history of planning, from its intentional establishment as the Capital of North Carolina in 1792 to its growth into the second largest city in North Carolina.

We have grown from our initial William Christmas-planned 400-acre grid to over 150 square miles of corporate limits supporting a population of over 500,000. Raleigh Planning and Development oversees the development process throughout more than 180 square miles of corporate limits and planning jurisdiction; from the legislative beginning of the process including maintaining the City’s Comprehensive Plan and Unified Development Ordinance; through to completion of individual buildings, including site planning reviews, building permit issuance, and inspections.

Planning and Development has a vision “to partner with the community to plan for and develop a safe and sustainable built environment supporting a healthy and prosperous Raleigh.” This vision is supported by the City’s Comprehensive Plan, maintained by our department, as well as our mission “to provide timely, predictable, and customer-oriented services,” which is a key focus area of this role.

The intent of this job description is to provide a representative summary of the major duties and responsibilities performed by employees in this job. Employees may be requested to perform job-related tasks other than those specifically presented in this description.

• Lead and manage the Project Support section, advancing customer experience and project support priorities while ensuring alignment with the department’s mission, vision, and strategic plan
• Coordinate cross-department collaboration on complex or high-profile development issues, chair the Development Management Team (DMT), and support the Executive DMT and compliance with the Development Review Process MOU
• Provide guidance on complex cases, support plan and application intake staff, and ensure routine questions are directed to appropriate customer service channels
• Manage escalations and sensitive issues by identifying barriers, developing solutions, and facilitating resolution with City staff, development partners, and community members
• Implement processes, practices, and service standards that promote consistent, high-quality customer service across the development review process
• Oversee process improvement efforts by conducting after-action reviews, monitoring service quality and compliance, and maintaining documentation of complexity criteria, handoff procedures, and system-level process updates
• Support Customer Experience staff in advancing the City’s transition to a centralized customer care model in coordination with the Public Service Center and the Customer Relationship Management (CRM) program, ensuring clear communication and strong service delivery
• Supervise, manage, and evaluate assigned employees and make decisions about hiring, discipline and/or termination of employees; prioritize and assign work; develop and oversee employee work schedules and approves time away from work; provide and/or facilitate employee training and development; address employee concerns and/or problems; counsel and/or discipline as appropriate; complete employee performance appraisals; determine or make recommendations regarding new hire salaries and salary changes; and act as liaison between employees and management
• Serve as a representative and advisor to management, City officials, boards, commissions, authorities, external agencies, the public, and other organizations on matters related to assigned responsibilities; attend and facilitate meetings
• Contribute to the preparation and monitoring of division accounting, budget, and fiscal operations
• Maintain and communicate performance dashboards and reports on timeliness, workload, and customer experience, using data to inform decisions and improve outcomes
• Identify, develop, implement and maintain processes and practices that encourage, support and promote effective, comprehensive and meaningful community engagement
• Serve as the primary lead or as a contributing team member for departmental or Citywide special projects, initiatives, and cross functional efforts as assigned
• Conduct occasional site visits, field inspections, community meetings, and interdepartmental coordination activities that require the use of a City vehicle

Education and Experience

Bachelor's Degree in Planning, Urban Planning, Public Administration, or related field and 5 to 7 years' supervisory level professional planning experience in an area relevant to assigned department

OR

Any equivalent combination of training and/or experience that provides the required knowledge, skills and abilities may be substituted.

Licenses and Certifications

• Valid North Carolina Class C Driver’s License with a satisfactory driving record, or the ability to obtain within 60 days of hire

Preferred Qualifications

• American Institute of Certified Planners Certification

Knowledge of

• Applicable federal, state and local laws, codes, regulations including development ordinances
• Best practices in community engagement and survey design
• General engineering, landscape architecture, and land development principles and practices
• City planning and urban design principles, practices, history and trends
• Principles and practices of program administration and management
• Principles and practices of project management
• Principles and practices of grant administration
• Principles and methods of qualitative and quantitative research
• Principles and applications of critical thinking and analysis
• Best practices, trends and emerging technologies related to transportation planning and transit
• Principles and practices related to Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) implementation
• Federal Transit Administration’s Capital Investment Grant (CIG) Program
• Principles and practices of budget development and administration
• Customer service principles
• Modern office practices and procedures including the use of standard office equipment and computer applications such as word processing, database, and spreadsheet applications
• Supervisory principles, practices and techniques
• Relevant software applications including, but not limited to MS Office Suite, Adobe Suite, and ArcGIS

Skill in

• Supervising and evaluating staff performance
• Coaching and mentoring others
• Strategic visioning and planning
• Providing project management, organization and logistics coordination
• Managing project or program finances
• Providing consultation and serving as a program liaison and subject matter expert
• Monitoring compliance with applicable plans, standards, regulations and contracts
• Developing visual, written, and oral presentations
• Researching operational issues and articulating recommendations
• Exercising political acumen, tact and diplomacy
• Monitoring, evaluating and assessing projects, programs and functional operation
• Interpreting and applying applicable laws, codes, regulations and standards
• Utilizing a computer and relevant software applications

Ability to

• Engage with community stakeholders and disseminate information effectively
• Serve as subject matter expert in planning
• Research and assess operational issues and options
• Track and monitor budget approvals
• Oversee project management tasks and deliverables
• Maintain and update project reports and data
• Effectively convey and exchange information
• Prioritize competing demands

ADA and Other Requirements

Work Environment and Physical Effort

Sedentary: Exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally, a negligible amount of force frequently, and/or constantly having to lift, carry, push, pull, or otherwise move objects, including the human body.

Work Environment

Work is typically performed in an office or similar indoor environment. Employees may occasionally work in an outdoor environment or in a vehicle.

Work Exposures

Employees in this role will occasionally interact with individuals who are hostile or irate.

City of Raleigh is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer. Accommodations for individuals with disabilities are provided upon request.