Director of Planning, City of Spartanburg

Location: Spartanburg SC (Relocation Assistance available)

Compensation: $94 to 144K depending on relevant experience plus excellent benefits

Do you have an undergraduate degree and 5-35 years urban planning experience? Have you earned or are you earning your Masters in community and/or urban planning? Do you have or plan to obtain your AICP? If you said yes to two or more of these questions, please read on. Whether youre looking to launch your career to the next level, or seeking a capstone project to top off your career, this opportunity may be a fit for you. The Director of Planning will spearhead the implementation of a new Comprehensive Plan. The approved $750M implementation plan includes investments by local, regional and national developers. Phase one includes a new $350M minor league baseball stadium, surrounded by significant mixed-use development.

About the Opportunity: The City of Spartanburg (population 38,401) is in the Upstate of South Carolina near the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains and serves as the seat of Spartanburg County (population 328,000). The City has enjoyed a sustained resurgence in economic investment in recent years, most visibly in the redevelopment of Spartanburgs downtown core, and in its award winning Northside neighborhood. Major employers in the area include Keurig/Dr. Pepper, BMW, Michelin, Milliken and Kohler: there are 25,106 jobs within 1.5 mile radius of downtown Spartanburg.

With a residential population that has more than doubled over the past decade, Downtown Spartanburg is enjoying the highest level of private investment in the Citys history. Home to dozens of restaurants and unique retail shops, art galleries, live music venues, and recreation opportunities. Spartanburg has significantly reinvested in its neighborhoods: the Northside community has emerged as a national model for resident-led, equitable community redevelopment and a symbol of the citys overall resurgence. With over 200 miles of walking trails, biking trails and blueways, and 1872 events and festivals annually, there is always something new to do(link removed) Best Life ranked Spartanburg the #1 Best U.S. City for Cyclists in 2022. In 2022, Good Hire ranked Spartanburg as the #2 job market in the U.S(link removed) and #10^th most affordable city to live and work in the U.S(link removed)

The City is home to multiple colleges and universities: five within a mile of downtown. Clemson University and Charlotte are a one hour drive away; Atlanta is three hours. Proactive civic participation and interest drive Spartanburgs growth and reinvestment: residents are excited about the future of the community and eager to contribute to its success. Over 3000 citizens contributed to developing The Plan, alone(link removed) The caliber and diversity of citizens attending and/or serving in the City Councils four planning boards reflects the high degree of community engagement.

About the Position: This is a highly visible role: youll be operating at the highest levels of government, from County Council leaders and City Commissioners to the City Mayor and City Manager. Youll leverage your experience building relationships and interacting with the media, citizens, developers, architects, lawyers, city department heads, the City Council, and other public entities. Youll be overseeing the development of an updated zoning ordinance for the rest of the city (beyond downtown). Youll be conducting land use surveys, population studies, and the myriad of activities required by a planning department in a rapidly growing city. Youll be driving the implementation of strategic initiatives, and resolving conflicts that will inevitably arise, while ensuring that the planning department continues to respond to a continuous flow of requests ranging from zoning change requests to subdivision plats and site plans. In short, youll be the go to person for the City.

To Apply: Please send resume and any minimum salary requirements(link removed)