Planning Director Melvin Municipal Office Building; MMOB) West Washington Street, Greensboro

Shape Growth. Guide Development. Build Greensboro’s Future.

• Are you a forward-thinking planning leader who understands that growth must be intentional, balanced, and aligned with long-term community goals?
• Are you known for bringing together policy, development, infrastructure, and community priorities to guide meaningful and sustainable growth?
• Are you ready to lead a department that shapes how a city grows, evolves, and invests in its future while balancing preservation, equity, and economic vitality?

If so, the City of Greensboro is seeking a forward-thinking Planning Director
to lead the City’s growth and development strategy during a period of continued population growth, reinvestment, and transformation. This is a highly visible leadership role for a leader who can bridge traditional planning with progressive growth and development, balancing long-range vision with real-time development outcomes. This role sits at the intersection of land-use policy, economic development, infrastructure alignment, and community planning and will play a central role in shaping how Greensboro grows and evolves.

The ideal candidate will be able to balance growth with preservation, guide development to support long-term community goals, and advance equitable, data-driven, and community-centered planning outcomes.

The Planning Director oversees a department of more than 30 professional staff and an annual operating budget exceeding $4.2 million. The role partners closely with the City Manager’s Office, City Council, Economic Development, Transportation, Housing & Neighborhood Development, and regional agencies to shape Greensboro’s long-term livability and economic vitality.

The Planning Department serves as the steward of Greensboro’s long-range vision for land use, redevelopment, and neighborhood investment. Guided by the GSO
2040 Comprehensive Plan and Vision 36 Strategic Framework, the Department plays a central role in implementation by advancing inclusive growth, sustainability, and coordinated development across the City.

• Comprehensive and long-range planning
• Land Development Ordinance modernization and zoning reform
• Development review and permitting coordination
• Historic preservation
• Neighborhood, corridor, and small-area planning
• Annexation policy and processing
• GIS, data analysis, and scenario modeling
• Staffing and support for Planning & Zoning Commission, Board of Adjustment, Redevelopment Commission, and Historic Preservation Commission

The Planning Director will play a central role in advancing several interconnected City priorities:

• Managed Growth & Land Use Strategy:Guide growth corridors toward higher-density, mixed-use development that supports transit, reduces vehicle dependency, and protects established neighborhoods and natural assets. Lead data-driven land-use forecasting and zoning modernization efforts to support predictable, transparent, and timely development outcomes.
• Housing & Neighborhood Development:Partner across departments and with the development community to expand housing options across income levels through policy tools, public-private partnerships, and redevelopment of underutilized sites—while minimizing displacement and aligning growth with community priorities.
• Transportation & Infrastructure Alignment:Align land-use planning with transportation, transit, and infrastructure investments, ensuring development patterns are coordinated with capital planning, complete streets, and regional mobility strategies.
• Downtown Revitalization & Economic Development:Advance downtown Greensboro as the City’s economic and cultural center through adaptive reuse, placemaking,…