Community Development Director Jobs

Brooklyn Center, MN (pop. 33,782) seeks visionary, strategic, and highly collaborative candidates for its next Director of Community Development. The ideal person in this role is an expert when it comes to economic development and housing and can create and implement a compelling strategy that helps the City achieve its goals and priorities. Besides economic development/redevelopment and housing, the Director of Community Development oversees long range planning, planning, and zoning, inspections, code enforcement and assessing. In addition, the person in this role values and is committed to the establishment of a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion. The director supervises a full-time staff of twelve with a combined budget of $1.9M. The next Community Development Director will have the opportunity to craft a vision, along with the city manager and other stakeholders, for its future housing and economic development strategies that will position the city for growth and development.
Brooklyn Center is a fully developed community, rich in diversity and ethnicity. Located along the banks of the Mississippi River, it is considered one of the most accessible communities in the region, located only 10 minutes from downtown Minneapolis and near Interstates 94/694 and Highways 100 and 252. It is the fourth largest city in the northwest Twin Cities Metropolitan Area and the eleventh largest in Hennepin County.
Brooklyn Center offers a full range of housing options, from starter homes to upscale riverfront dwellings to senior living options and multifamily apartments with a home ownership rate of 60%. The city has an array of recreational opportunities for residents and visitors. The city owns and maintains over 567 acres of parks and nature areas, combined with the 21-mile Shingle Creek Regional Trail system that extends to neighboring communities.
Brooklyn Center’s easy access to major interstates and highways makes for an attractive and diverse business climate. It also has a highly utilized public transit system. The Brooklyn Center Transit Center is one of the busiest boarding locations in the entire metro transit system and offers rapid bus transit service. The city is home to the corporate headquarters for Caribou Coffee and an FBI regional office. Shingle Creek Crossing is a 65-acre regional shopping district that provides many retail options.
The City has an exciting opportunity to develop an 81-acre parcel for mixed-use redevelopment as part of its Becoming Brooklyn Center initiative. The plans call for retail, dining and entertainment uses, space for local businesses, along with 2300 market rate housing units. The overall goal of the project area is to create a downtown center and signature destination that offers community gathering spaces and drives future economic growth. The land is ideally situated near Highway 100 and Interstate 694. The first phase of this development is anticipated to break ground in the fall of 2023.

Candidate requirements

• Ability to successfully negotiate development/redevelopment projects.
• Three years of supervisory or leadership experience.
• Strong understanding and experience with redevelopment processes and financing.
• Bachelor’s degree in a related field or equivalent experience in economic development, housing, planning, zoning, or public management.
• Ability to build strong relationships with a wide variety of people.

• Experienced, strategic, and skilled in economic development and housing initiatives with a demonstrated record of success.
• Committed to establishing a culture that values diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• A skilled communicator able to explain and present complex information clearly and effectively with an awareness of their audience.
• A leader who can craft a vision and strategy that aligns with the City’s overall vision and priorities. A leader who seizes opportunities to help grow the City and mitigate, if not eliminate, risks and threats.
• An approachable leader, able to develop, mentor and coach the people on their team.
• A leader who is able to build and maintain strong partnerships and relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• A manager willing to consider ideas and input from a variety of stakeholders.
• A savvy project manager able to oversee complex initiatives and ensure project completion.
• A team-oriented leader who contributes to the City’s management team and creation of a work environment that fosters collaboration, inclusion, and productivity.
• Experienced with the use of Tax Increment Financing (TIF) and other economic development tools.
• Able to speak, read or write any language other than English, including sign language.

HOW TO APPLY
Interested candidates should apply online by April 28, 2023, with resume, cover letter and contact information for five work-related references at www.GovHRjobs.com to the attention of Charlene Stevens, Senior Vice President, GovHR USA, and/or Pam Dmytrenko, Vice President, Tel: (847)-380-3240 X 124. Interviews with the City of Brooklyn Center are anticipated in mid-May. The City of Brooklyn Center, MN is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Regular full-time employees are eligible for City benefits. The City offers a benefit package that includes health, dental, long and short term disability, life insurance, and deferred compensation.