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Director of Planning and Economic Development Page 1 I 3 Jurisdiction: Cortland County Jurisdictional Class: Non-competitive Adopted: 10/20/05 Amended: 4/26/21; 10/31/22; 2/24/23; 6/27/23; 3/26/26 DIRECTOR OF PLANNING AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DISTINGUISHING FEATURES OF THE CLASS: The work involves responsibility for planning, administering and supervising activities in the Department of Planning and Economic Development. The position has overall responsibility for the development, coordination, and implementation of a comprehensive countywide planning program, including land use, community and economic development, infrastructure planning, and related initiatives. The Director establishes departmental priorities, policies, and work programs and provides leadership and technical guidance to municipalities and County departments. The position represents the County in planning and development matters at the local, regional, State, and Federal levels and serves as the primary planning advisor to County leadership. Work is performed under the administrative direction of the County Administrator and the general direction of the County Legislature. Supervision is exercised over subordinate staff. Does related work as required. TYPICAL WORK ACTIVITIES: (Illustrative only) Serves as project manager in special and ongoing planning projects including land usage, economic development and natural resource management; Leads the development, update, and implementation of countywide planning documents, policies, and initiatives, including comprehensive, strategic, and sector-specific plans; Evaluates effectiveness of projects under development and issue instructions governing their progress; Establishes performance expectations for planning initiatives and evaluates progress to ensure alignment with County goals and priorities; Guides the preparation of feasibility studies and statistical analysis for planning reports, including supervision of consultant documents; Recommends and advances economic development projects for consideration by the County Administrator and respective organizations (e.g. IDA/BDC, Legislature, etc.); Participates in regional, state and federal planning activities/efforts, including review of new planning and environmental legislation (e.g. National Flood Insurance Program changes, sustainability planning); Assesses infrastructure needs in the County, recommend solutions to resolve them and implement projects; Establishes professional planning standards, guidelines, and best practices to promote consistency and quality across County and municipal planning efforts; Provides strategic direction for grant and funding initiatives to accomplish the mission of the Department and County; Works with and is the liaison to other Economic and Development agencies in the County; Prepares the departmental budget, the annual work plan and oversees the work of department employees; Develops and implements programs in conjunction with the County Chamber of Commerce to retain, restore and expand the commercial and industrial tax base and attract new businesses to the area; Provides leadership and oversight for public engagement activities related to County planning ---PAGE BREAK--- Director of Planning and Economic Development Page 2 I 3 initiatives, including coordination with stakeholders, municipalities, and partner agencies; Represents the interests of the County in local, regional and State organizations; Coordinates activities with surrounding counties and works with community and citizen groups to foster the development of an appropriate business climate; Provides information and technical assistance in planning and development as requested by municipal officials, county departments, businesses and others; Supervises Cortland County Transportation systems contract procurement activities in compliance with FTA and NYSDOT grant policies, procedures, and guidelines; Supervises the work of third-party contractors operating any Cortland County Transportation systems to ensure compliance with cognizant FTA and NYSDOT grant terms and conditions; Reviews and approves reports, such as Transit Asset Management System documents and upgrades, in accordance with Federal Transit Administration and New York State Department of Transportation requirements to support Cortland County Transit systems; Reviews, evaluates, and approves planning, programmatic, and performance reports to support informed decision-making and compliance; May review and stamp plan sets for County departments if qualified. FULL PERFORMANCE KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, ABILITIES AND PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS: Thorough knowledge of the methods and techniques used in economic and community development, municipal planning and promotional activities; Thorough knowledge of Federal and State programs related to the economic development and planning process; Thorough knowledge of business and economic conditions of the county; Good knowledge of Federal, State and Local laws and policies as they relate to economic development; Good knowledge of the general principles, terminology and practices used in municipal and community planning; Knowledge of environmental review processes and regulatory frameworks applicable to planning and development activities. Ability to establish priorities, manage multiple initiatives, and balance competing demands to meet departmental and County objectives. Ability to develop, interpret, and implement planning policies, programs, and initiatives consistent with County goals and adopted plans; Ability to plan and supervise the work of others; Ability to oversee and evaluate the work of consultants and professional staff; Ability to prepare and deliver presentations to diverse audiences in a clear, concise and articulate manner; Ability to operate a personal computer and utilize common office software programs; Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing; Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with others; Physical condition commensurate with demands of the position. ---PAGE BREAK--- Director of Planning and Economic Development Page 3 I 3 MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: Either: Possession of a Master’s degree in planning, public administration, architecture, engineering, environmental studies or a closely related field and two years of experience in planning or economic development; OR Possession of a Bachelor’s degree or higher in planning, architecture, engineering, environmental studies or a closely related field and three years of experience as defined in OR An equivalent combination of training and experience as defined by the limits of and NOTE: Degree must have been awarded by a college or university accredited by a regional, national, or specialized agency recognized as an accrediting agency by the U.S. Department of Education/U.S. Secretary of Education. If the degree was awarded by an educational institution outside of the United States and its territories, applicant must provide independent verification of equivalency. A list of acceptable companies who provide this service can be found at http://www.cs.ny.gov/jobseeker/cfm. Applicants must pay the required evaluation fee.