Stafford County, VA - Director of Planning and Zoning

The Community

• Education
  
  • Stafford County, Virginia, is ideally located along the Interstate 95 corridor just 40 miles south of Washington, D.C., and 50 miles north of Richmond. The County has a diverse population of over 168,519 residents and ranks as the third fastest growing county in Virginia, while also standing out as one of the fastest growing counties in the United States. The County continues to experience growth in its diversity and continues the effort to ensure the community's future needs remain a priority. Stafford has a wide variety of living choices, including waterfront, golf club communities, gated communities, suburban, country, and active adult communities.
• Medical Care
  
  • Stafford County is a flourishing community that continues to achieve all that our residents, businesses, and visitors have come to imagine. Stafford is a great place to call home from its early beginnings that are deep-rooted in our nation's history to the evolution into a progressive and well-designed locality. It places the citizens first, ensuring that our home is always welcoming and our businesses continue to prosper.
• Transportation
  
  • Stafford's Smart Growth Strategy leads with a comprehensive transportation system resulting in safe and efficient travel for residents, businesses, and visitors. This approach also includes efforts to preserve and provide access to the County's vast inventory of natural and historic resources, including distinctive historical sites, forests and wetlands along the Potomac River, Potomac Creek, Aquia Creek, and the Rappahannock River. These efforts protect thousands of acres of public parklands for the enjoyment of current and future generations.
• Recreation
  
  • Founded in 1664, the County has strong connections to events that shaped the nation's history. Most notably, the County's prosperous iron industry attracted Augustine Washington and his family, including a six-year-old son named George, to Ferry Farm in Stafford. The future president spent his formative years there until he reached young adulthood.
• The Economy
  
  • During the Civil War, Stafford served as a logistical and transportation center for both northern and southern forces.

The Organization

Stafford County has an overall budget of $896 million, and 1,350 employees support this community. The organization promotes and values leadership at all levels that empowers and engages employees in decision-making processes.

Through a performance management system, the organization focuses on developing its employees by allowing them to grow and advance within the organization.

The organization has adopted six key values that are integrated into the organization and support the community and each other: customer first, stronger together, infinite possibilities, ardent learners, unwavering respect, and proactive ownership. The established Executive Leadership Team of the organization guides its work through a charter. The team promotes high performance continuously throughout the organization. They foster and help develop an organization that strategically plans for and adapts to a changing community, creating a supportive work environment and championing a culture of excellence.

The County of Stafford operates under a traditional Board-Administrator form of government, with a seven-member, elected Board of Supervisors serving as the legislative body of the local government, with each member serving a four (4) year, staggered term. The Board is responsible for enacting laws, setting policies, approving the budget for County services, and appointing citizens to several boards, authorities, and commissions. The County Administrator is appointed by the Board and serves at the pleasure of the Board, carrying out the Board's adopted policies, directing business procedures, and overseeing day-to-day operations and activities of all County departments. The County has demonstrated sound financial management, as recognized in their Triple-A (AAA) Bond ratings from all three rating agencies, where they join only 48 localities across the country with this distinction.

The Board of Supervisors established the Stafford County 2040 strategic plan focusing on Multimodal Infrastructure and Transportation, a Vibrant Community, Quality Educational and Wellness Opportunities, a Dedicated and Responsive Public Safety Team, Economic Diversification, Organizational Excellence, and Growth Management for Community Sustainability. The strategic plan, along with the County's five-year financial plan and Comprehensive Plan, is a road map for the organization in meeting the needs of a growing community. The County is invested in and engaged with a governance philosophy that is fiscally efficient in delivering core services responsive to the ever-changing needs of this multi-dimensional community.

Organizational Vision

Through a culture of enthusiasm, creativity, and continuous improvement, we serve to make a difference.

Organizational Values

• Proactive Ownership
  
  • We take initiative and act on the beliefthat our everyday efforts, no matterhow small, will have far-reachingeffects on the entire organization.
• Infinite Possibilities
  • We encourage imagination, opportunities and solutions in our delivery of service.
• Customer First
  
  • We value, respect, and listen to both our internal end external customers. We take responsibility in our words and in our actions to create a positive experience for all.
• Stronger Together
  • We expect and encourage participationand collaboration every day.
• Ardent Learners
  • We are committed to continuous learning and growth opportunities.
• Unwavering Respect
  • We value and appreciate each other.

The Position

Stafford County is a high-performing local government organization that maintains a culture embracing inclusion and inspiring individual and organizational excellence.

Reporting to the Deputy County Administrator, the Director of Planning and Zoning leads the efforts to keep current with latest trends and complex land use regulations, including zoning ordinances, subdivision regulations, and site development permitting in the County. To meet high performance business demands, the Director will guide the department through strategic operational changes. They will evaluate existing practices, implement targeted improvements, and foster a collaborative environment where staff consistently achieve critical performance goals. The Director may also lead special planning studies in key areas of the County, review land use applications, development review, residential and non-residential growth analysis, and projections.

Additionally, the Director performs highly responsible administrative and supervisory work relating to the planning, organizing, and directing of the general operation of the department. The Director develops and implements policies, procedures, and protocols related to zoning code administration, and the planning, development, administration, and implementation of a comprehensive urban planning program for the County.

Other duties may include:

• Develop short- and long-range goals and objectives as directed by the Board of Supervisors, Planning Commission, County Administrator or Board of Zoning Appeals.
• Advise County management, other County departments, the public, and the Board of Supervisors on County planning activities, while acting as a technical advisor to the Agriculture/Land Conservation Committee, Architectural Review Board, Historical Commission, Planning Commission, and the Board of Zoning Appeals.
• Oversee the preparation of the department's annual budget, directing and supporting professional staff engaged in the review and analysis of project proposals, plan drafts, revisions, or additions to land use controls, or similar projects relating to planning, controlling, and regulating County development.
• Interpret and update the County's Zoning Ordinance to ensure the effective, efficient, responsive, and prompt implementation of Comprehensive Plan recommendations or the Board’s strategic initiatives.
• Use experience, competence, professional judgment, discretion, and independence of actions to conduct departmental goals and objectives.
• Act as the subdivision agent on behalf of the County Administrator and Board of Supervisors.
• Effectively communicate (verbal and in writing) with County staff, citizen boards, the development community, the public, and work groups within the County.

The Successful Candidate

The ideal candidate will offer evidence of professional credentials and experience demonstrating their expertise in contemporary municipal planning and development practices; urban design, environmental planning; contract administration; capital improvement program administration; municipal management, budget planning, and regulatory requirements. Candidates who have worked in high-growth and fast-paced environments will have the highest likelihood of success in this role.

The County desires to hire an experienced, accomplished, and well-regarded professional who brings well-developed leadership skills, management attributes, and outstanding analytical skills to maintain and enhance Stafford County's ability to respond to economic challenges, development opportunities, and public-private partnerships.

Additionally, the new Director will demonstrate:

Visionary Leadership: The County desires to hire a dynamic, forward-thinking, visionary leader, with a proven record of accomplishments in municipal planning and zoning services.

Competent Leadership: The new leader of the Planning and Zoning Department will operate in a demanding environment with lofty expectations for both producing work and effectively managing the work of others, while diligently working to preserve and enhance the County's outstanding quality of life while interpreting and assessing development and redevelopment proposals with a special focus on the County's Comprehensive Plan. The Director will bring unquestioned personal and professional ethics and the highest level of integrity to all County planning and zoning responsibilities.

Process Improvement and Innovation Advocate: The new Director will bring a record of success, achievement, and a reputation for continuously improving processes, effectiveness, and efficiencies that have a positive impact within the development and business community.  The new Director will bring innovative, contemporary, and progressive planning and zoning ideas, along with profound knowledge of best practices in the field.

Outstanding People Skills: The new Director will convey a keen sense of confidence, character, integrity, and a "can-do" attitude, coupled with the emotional intelligence to build and keep positive and very professional relationships with all internal and external customers, including intra- and inter-departments, the organization, and the community.

Recognized Planning Expertise: The new Director will offer experience and competence in urban planning, land use, development, comprehensive planning, floodplain management, GIS, transportation planning, community development and zoning administration. Additionally, the Director is knowledgeable of planning and development principles, and "best practices," particularly as it relates to managing growth responsibly, code administration, and ordinance development/enforcement. Furthermore, the new Director will show a keen ability to present complex data or information to individuals at all levels within the organization and community.

Inside the Planning and Zoning Department

The Planning and Zoning Department implements the County's Comprehensive Plan, and the Zoning and Subdivision Ordinances, which establishes the mission, vision, values, objectives, and goals by which the County will effectively, efficiently, and responsibly manage future development, land use, long-range planning, and growth.

The department also:

• provides staff support to several boards and commissions.
• responds to inquiries about zoning, special uses, and development plans.
• coordinates reviews of site plans, plats, and land use applications.
• conducts reviews for compliance with the Zoning and Subdivision Ordinance, and consistency with the Comprehensive Plan.
• prepares zoning certifications and correspondences.
• reviews applications for special event permits.

Qualifications

Minimum requirements include the possession of an advanced degree in planning, engineering, or a related field. Possession of or the ability to obtain an appropriate driver's license valid in the Commonwealth of Virginia is also required. American Institute of Certified Planners certification is preferred.

Compensation and Benefits

The expected hiring range is $170,000 to $185,000, depending on qualifications, with an excellent benefits package. Benefits include participation in the Virginia Retirement System; medical, dental, and vision coverage; group life and disability insurance; vacation, administrative, holiday, and sick leave; employee assistance program; and professional dues and conference expenses.

How to Apply

Applicants complete a brief online form and are prompted to provide a cover letter and resume. The position will be open until filled with a first review of applications beginning May 4, 2026.

Questions

Please direct questions to Anne Lewis at alewis@raftelis.com or 540-757-0316 or Niayla Hairston at nhairston@raftelis.com.

For more information about Stafford County, visit the County’s website here.