Deputy Director of Development Services- Current Planning

Posted: 14-Jul-26 | Location: Fort Worth, Texas | Type: Full Time | Salary: 145,000-204,000

About the Role

The Deputy Director of Development Services – Zoning & Design Review is a senior leadership role within the City of Fort Worth’s Development Services Department (DSD). This position oversees a high-impact portfolio that shapes how the city grows, balancing operational excellence with strategic city-building initiatives. The role is pivotal in guiding Fort Worth’s evolution from managing growth to proactively shaping it through policy, planning, and execution.

The City of Fort Worth is a high-performance, full-service municipal organization operating in one of America’s fastest-growing regions. The Development Services Department is nationally recognized for its efficiency, ranking #1 in Texas for "Speed of Permitting" and "Speed of Zoning" among 1,200 cities. The department’s 2029 Strategic Plan focuses on customer experience, employee development, and modernizing operations to support sustainable growth.

About the Department

The Development Services Department (DSD) is a 240-person team that serves as the operational gateway for development activity in Fort Worth. It supports the full development lifecycle, including zoning, platting, entitlements, infrastructure coordination, building permits, plan review, inspections, and customer service. Key initiatives include:

• Supporting the $1.16 billion Panther Island flood-control and riverfront redevelopment project.
• Launching an AI-enabled online permitting portal to improve customer experience and reduce staff time for minor reviews.
• Updating the Transportation Impact Fee (TrIF) program to enable public-private partnerships for roadway capacity.
• Restoring landmark civic spaces, such as Heritage Park, and completing the Historic Resource Survey to guide preservation policy.

The department’s strategic priorities include operational efficiency, smart growth, and continuous improvement, with a focus on technology, transparency, and cross-department collaboration.

Responsibilities

The Deputy Director will oversee a complex portfolio, including:

• Zoning change case management, ordinance updates, and administration of the Zoning Commission.
• Historic preservation, form-based codes, and downtown design, including Certificates of Appropriateness, code enforcement in designated districts, and federal review components.
• Zoning plan review, urban forestry, and zoning appeals, including compliance with the urban forestry ordinance and Boards of Adjustment administration.
• Platting and annexation/ETJ coordination, including subdivision ordinance enforcement and collaboration with the Plan Commission and development review committees.

The role requires balancing operational excellence (e.g., cycle time, predictability, customer experience) with strategic city-building (e.g., area plans, code management, growth alignment). The Deputy Director will ensure decisions are consistent, timely, and aligned with broader policy and infrastructure investments.

Requirements

The ideal candidate will demonstrate:

• Leadership in a high-volume, high-accountability development services environment.
• Experience in zoning, land use, entitlements, or urban planning, with a focus on execution and measurable outcomes.
• Ability to drive performance in a complex, cross-departmental setting, balancing customer expectations, transparency, and risk management.
• Commitment to employee development, including training, cross-training, and succession planning.
• Proficiency in leveraging technology and data to improve workflows, transparency, and decision-making.

The Department values leaders who can protect existing strengths while advancing innovation, particularly in areas like AI-enabled permitting, real-time performance dashboards, and smart growth policies.

Benefits

• Employer assistance with relocation costs.

Pay

Salary range: $145,000–$204,000.