JOB DESCRIPTION

Located just over a mile west of the Washington-Idaho border in the heart of the Inland Northwest, Liberty Lake, Washington, is approximately 16 miles east of Spokane and 16 miles west of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. Liberty Lake is home to over 14,000 residents and is experiencing rapid growth, with the population expected to hit 21,000 by 2035. The lake, for which the city is named, is surrounded by hills on three sides, which offer stunning panoramic views. Liberty Lake is a safe, family‐friendly and engaged community that offers great civic pride, quality recreational and educational opportunities, abundant trails and green space, and many golf courses.

The City of Liberty Lake has a strong Mayor/Council form of government and operates with 105 FTEs and 8 PTEs on a 2026 budget that has approved expenditures totaling $32,843,745. Operating with a 2026 budget of $1,973,930 and 11 FTEs, including the Director, the Community Development Department is responsible for planning, engineering, and permitting functions that guide growth and development. The department administers land use planning and development regulations, oversees building and development permitting, and provides engineering services for city streets and infrastructure. In addition, the department manages city capital projects and administers activities within the public right-of-way.

Reporting to the City Administrator, the Director of Community Development plans, supervises, and coordinates professional engineering and planning work in support of complex projects for the City. The Director provides executive direction for planning, development, and capital engineering initiatives, oversees the work of subordinate and consulting professional and technical staff, and is accountable for the administration and supervision of the Community Development Department. The Director functions as the City's senior authority for zoning administration; long-range land use; infrastructure and transportation planning; development code administration; and regulatory oversight. The role provides executive-level advisory support to elected officials and executive leadership, represents the city in public and intergovernmental settings, and ensures regulatory compliance across development activities. The Director is accountable for departmental governance, including budgeting in a priority-based budgeting framework, performance management, staff development, and external funding, and advances economic development, redevelopment, and resilience initiatives supporting long-term community sustainability.

Education & Experience: Graduation from an accredited four-year (4) college or university with a degree in urban/regional planning, architecture, engineering, economics or closely related field. A minimum of five (5) years of increasingly responsible professional management experience in planning, economic development, housing, engineering, or real-estate development.

Benefits: Medical, dental, and vision insurance. Life and long-term disability insurance. Employee assistance program. $1700/individual or $3,400/family annual VEBA deposit. Washington PERS. 401(a). Optional 457 deferred compensation. 4 hours of vacation accrue semi-monthly. 40 hours of sick leave frontloaded upon hire. After 6 months, 4 hours of sick leave accrue semi-monthly. 12 paid holidays and 4 floating holidays. Floating holidays are prorated upon hire. The City of Liberty Lake does not contribute to Social Security.

For a complete position profile, full job description and to apply online, visit Prothman Company at https://www.prothman.com and click on "Open Recruitments". For questions, call 206-368-0050. The City of Liberty Lake is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Apply by March 1, 2026. (Applications reviewed as submitted. Open until filled.)