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Job Description
Pay Range: $133,992 - $186,000 annual compensation
Job Posting Closing on: Monday, February 10, 2025
To learn more about this opportunity review: Chief Planning Officer Brochure
Workdays & Hours: Monday - Friday 8am - 5pm; Some evening/weekend work required.
Benefits for this position include: 11 Paid Holidays, Medical, Dental, Vision, Paid Time Off, Pension Plan, Professional Development Opportunities, and much more.
The City of Fort Worth is one of the fastest growing large cities in the U.S. Our employees serve the needs of nearly 1,000,000 residents, promoting our values of exceptional customer experience, mutual respect, embracing our diversity, continuous improvement, ethical behavior, and accountability.
We are seeking a highly skilled and visionary leader to join our team as a newly created Chief Planning Officer to lead Planning Division of the Fort Worth Lab (FWLab), an initiative launched by City Manager David Cooke in February 2023 to enhance the City’s capacity to make data-driven policy decisions. The FWLab includes Long-Range Planning, Budget, Strategy & Performance and Data Analytics. The FWLab is dedicated to transforming our urban environment through innovative planning, forward-thinking greenspace initiatives, and long-term development strategies.
As the Chief Planning Officer, you will provide executive leadership for the Long-Range Planning Division that encompasses key areas such as comprehensive planning, area planning, Greenspace Initiatives, , Central City/Panther Island development, and work in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and other spatial tools, driving the city’s strategic vision for sustainable growth and development. This position will have accountability for the planning, execution, and evaluation of complex, large-scale urban and environmental projects. This role demands a seasoned professional with significant experience in city planning, urban design, environmental sustainability, and senior-level management. The Chief Planning Officer will be responsible for setting strategic priorities, managing substantial budgets, and ensuring the successful execution of high-profile projects that shape the future of Fort Worth. The ideal candidate will have a passion for public service, a deep understanding of urban planning, and a proven ability to lead teams and drive strategic goals.
The Chief Planning Officer job responsibilities include:
- Lead and inspire a diverse team of senior managers and planners, fostering a culture of excellence, accountability, and collaboration. Provide mentorship, strategic guidance, and performance management to ensure divisional success.
- Partner with the Chief Transformation Officer and other executive leaders to define and execute the city’s long-term planning vision, ensuring alignment with Fort Worth’s broader goals for growth, sustainability, and community development.
- Oversee the financial health of the division, including multi-million-dollar budgets, resource allocation, and project prioritization. Lead operational improvements and cost-effective strategies to maximize the impact of divisional initiatives.
- Serve as the senior representative of the FWLab in interactions with elected officials, senior city leadership, government agencies, community organizations, and private-sector partners. Effectively manage relationships and resolve complex and sensitive issues.
- Provide expertise in urban planning and greenspace policies, ensuring adherence to federal, state, and local regulations. Lead the development and implementation of forward-thinking policies and procedures that enhance the city’s planning and development strategies.
- Direct large-scale, high-impact projects, from concept to completion, including long-term urban planning initiatives, sustainability efforts, and greenspace development. Ensure successful project delivery on time, within budget, and in accordance with quality standards.
- Act as a trusted advisor to the Chief Transformation Officer and other senior leadership, providing data-driven insights and recommendations to address challenges, mitigate risks, and capitalize on emerging opportunities.
- Prepare and present executive-level reports on divisional performance, financial status, and strategic initiatives.
Minimum Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with major coursework in public administration, urban or regional planning, landscape architecture, environmental studies, or related field
- Seven (7) years increasingly responsible experience in a city or municipal planning department or related field
- Three (3) years of administrative and supervisory experience
- Valid Texas driver's license
- Possession of a Certification as a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners (“AICP”)
Preferred Qualifications:
- 10 years of progressively responsible experience in city or municipal planning, urban design, environmental planning, or related fields, with 5 years in a senior leadership or executive management role. Experience managing large, cross-functional teams and complex projects is essential.
- Additional certifications in urban design, environmental sustainability, or project management are a plus.
- Strong knowledge of federal, state, and local planning regulations, financial management, and project management.
- Proven track record of leading large, diverse teams and driving results in a complex, fast-paced, and politically sensitive environment. Expertise in executive decision-making, strategic visioning, and organizational development.
- Exceptional communication skills, with the ability to present complex ideas and policies to a variety of stakeholders, including elected officials, senior leadership, and the public. Ability to negotiate and resolve high-stakes issues.
- Deep knowledge of urban planning, sustainable development, greenspace initiatives, zoning regulations, and city policy development. Familiarity with data-driven planning tools and systems.
- Proven ability to manage complex projects and lead cross-functional teams to achieve departmental goals.
Conditions of Employment
The City of Fort Worth is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. It is the policy and practice of the City to recruit, hire, train and promote a diverse workforce without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, parental status, military service, or another non-merit factor.
The City of Fort Worth is committed to full compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to participate in the job application or interview process and to perform essential job functions.
Candidates who do not meet the Education requirement, may be considered if they have more relevant work experience than the position requires. Those selected for employment will be required to pass Pre-Employment checks depending on the position requirements. Those could include, but are not limited to: criminal background check, drug screen, education verification, etc. criminal convictions will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Employees are paid by direct deposit only. -
ABOUT THE COMPANY
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City of Fort Worth
Show moreThe Community
The City of Cowboys & Culture is known for its Texas hospitality. The stunning and sprawling City of
Fort Worth is one of the fastest-growing cities in the U.S. And it’s no wonder — With great neighborhoods, scenic terrain and a rich history of arts and culture, paired with world-class opportunities for business and education, it’s not only fun to visit Fort Worth, it’s even more rewarding to call it home.Fort Worth truly offers all the benefits and amenities of a bustling metropolitan city, while keeping the small- town charm that keeps it unpretentious and charismatic in all the right ways. Designated as one of America’s “Most Livable Communities” by the Partners for Livable Communities, the city truly offers a melting pot of culture, commerce, community and yes, cowboys.
There are over a dozen remarkable districts full of treasured history among modern luxuries and unique places to have fun, making it the No. 1 tourist destination in Texas and welcoming more than 9.4 million visitors annually.
Being one of the fastest-growing among large cities in the country, Fort Worth has received multiple accolades, including number one downtown (Livability), and the second-best City in the nation for job seekers (Forbes). Our employees serve the needs of over 900,000 residents representing culturally diverse communities.
Exciting Growth & Future Development
One of the most fascinating aspects of the City of Fort Worth is its almost unprecedented growth over the past several years. Both in terms of population and industry, and as the 12th largest city in the United States, Fort Worth is truly booming — which presents both challenges and opportunities to truly develop this city in the right way. Every 30 minutes a new person moves to Fort Worth, so we’re looking for candidates who can embrace an evergrowing and changing environment and improve on it with solutions that work for the entire community of Fort Worth.
Mission
We are working together to build a strong community that others can look to as a pillar of unity and excellence. Through grassroots efforts within the community, and large scale construction and transportation plans that continue to add the infra- structure a growing city like Fort Worth needs, we’ll provide the public services our community requires to continually cultivate the unique city we call home.
Vision
Fort Worth’s vision is to be the most livable and best managed city in the country. We’ll do this by taking care of our citizens, implementing the highest quality standards in our schools, continually improving the neighborhoods we thrive in and the facets of the city that make our town so unique.
Benefits That Are Well Worth It
The City of Fort Worth continues to be dedicated to its employees’ well-being by providing competitive health benefits, a well-rounded wellness program and a Zero Accident Philosophy® workplace. All regular full-time employees and those employees who work 30–39 hours per week are eligible for all City of Fort Worth Benefits. Part-time employees who work 20–29 hours per week are eligible for dental, basic life insurance, supplemental life insurance, flexible spending accounts, 457 Deferred Compensation plan and other voluntary benefits.
Medical Program
The City offers two plan options through Meritain Health, an Aetna company.
The Health Center Plan – Offers employees and their family’s
primary health care services that are 100% completely free and unlimited. Employees can visit any one of the three City of Fort Worth Employee Health Centers and receive guaranteed same or next day appointments for sick visits. Also, services are available at any one of the five satellite locations that serves employees across the city.
The Consumer Choice Plan – Is offered to employees at no cost or low monthly premiums to cover eligible dependents and provides the financial benefits of a Health Savings Account (HSA).
• Preventative services are covered at 100% on both plans.
• Prescription Drug coverage including mail order pharmacy are also included.Vacation
Eligible for 3 weeks of vacation: After successful completion of probationary period (usually
6 months), employees may take time off for rest, relaxation, vacation, illness, religious observances, and personal business.Holidays
Available on the first day of employment, the city provides employees with paid holidays, including two personal holidays.
Wellness Program
The city’s Healthy Challenge Wellness Program rewards all full-time, benefit-eligible employees on the city’s health insurance. The Healthy Challenge Program utilizes a points system. Participants may earn points throughout the year (Jan. 1-Dec. 15) for completing specific program activities and participants can redeem points at the end of the year for a cash reward. By participating, individuals can earn $150, $200 or $250 by accumulating program points.
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