Job ID: 30587
Date Opened: 10/16/2025
Date Closed: 10/29/2025
Job Summary
The DC Office of Planning is on the hunt for a visionary leader! We're hiring a Deputy Director of Development, Design, and Preservation. If you're passionate about innovative urban planning, design excellence, and preserving the city's rich heritage, this is your moment to make a lasting impact.
The Deputy Director is a member of the senior management team and is expected to operate with a high degree of independence and autonomy. The deputy has oversight of the Development Review, Urban Design, and Historic Preservation teams and provides strategic guidance to each team. Each of the three teams is managed by an associate director that reports directly to the incumbent. The incumbent works with the associate directors to set goals for the divisions to ensure they are consistent with the overall planning mission of OP.
The incumbent will exhibit mastery knowledge in one or more planning disciplines to include: planning, architecture, landscape architecture, architectural history, economics, engineering, historic preservation planning, urban design, real estate development, transportation planning, and land use law in order to provide sound strategic guidance to the Division.
Duties and Responsibilities
Works with the Director of OP to help formulate agency strategies and policies and identifies short and long-range goals for planning policy and neighborhoods, development, and historic districts and landmarks. Represents OP and the Director at high-level meetings with counterparts from other cities, regional organizations, and federal agencies. Advises District agencies on land use, urban design, zoning, and preservation policy in support of District government initiatives and projects. Manages staff, including associate directors responsible for supervising teams of planners, architectural historians, and designers to perform difficult and complex planning work involving considerable responsibility and variety. Plans work to be accomplished by direct reports, sets and adjust short-term priorities, and prepares schedules for completion of work; assigns work based on priorities, taking into consideration level of difficulty and requirements and the capabilities of employees. Develops performance standards and evaluates work performance of subordinates.
Provides technical and policy direction to Development Review, Urban Design, and Historic Preservation staff on all aspects of their work. Provides leadership in and establishes goals, objectives, and priorities for the division; develops and evaluates performance measurements and benchmarks; monitors progress and analyzes the effectiveness of the Development, Design, and Preservation programs in meeting the division and agency objectives and as they relate to community needs. Reviews major reports and recommendations to the Zoning Commission and Historic Preservation Review Board. Regularly attends Zoning Commission meetings and makes presentations and recommendations on reports, major projects, and proposed changes to the zoning maps or text. As needed, attends meetings of the Board of Zoning Adjustment, Commemorative Works Committee, and Historic Preservation Review Board. Compiles, analyzes, and summarizes administrative, programmatic, and fiscal data for assessing agency capacity and to effectively communicate the status, value, and importance of data collection and reporting across the division.