Community Development Director - Village of Wilmette, IL

Wilmette, Illinois (pop. 28,170) The Village of Wilmette seeks a new Community Development Director, offering a flexible work schedule, stable management environment, and a starting salary of $200,000+/- DOQ. The existing Director of Community Development is retiring after 20+ years as Director. The Deputy Director has served in the role for 24 years. There are no internal candidates.

Wilmette is a vibrant, affluent, and family-oriented community located on Chicagoland’s North Shore, 14-miles north of Chicago’s loop with exceptional transportation access including the Metra, CTA and I-94 Edens Expressway. Wilmette has been ranked by Niche.com as the best place to raise a family in Cook County based on quality of schools, percentage of residents with higher level education, crime and safety ratings, walkability and access to parks and recreational facilities, among other assets.  BusinessWeek also rated it as one of the “Top Ten places to Raise Your Kids.”  Key priorities for the Village are economic development, historic preservation, sustainability, increasing affordable housing opportunities, public safety, and improving the quality of life in the community.

The Village has seven individual commercial districts, each with its own unique identity, that provide distinctively different shopping experiences (e.g., Plaza Del Lago (transforming into a luxury retail/restaurant center), Edens Plaza (location of Wayfair’s first retail location), Ridge Road District, Linden Square). Downtown Wilmette is centered around the Metra Station (metropolitan Chicago commuter rail system, Union Pacific North line) and is the central business district, featuring a vibrant restaurant and retail scene.  The Village’s east boundary is the shoreline of Lake Michigan, with two beaches and Gillson Park (maintained by the Wilmette Park District) providing abundant recreational amenities for the community, among other parks and green space in the Village.

A full service, ‘Aaa’ credit rated home rule community, the Village is governed by a Village President and six Trustees.  A professional Village Manager, who has worked with the Village for 15 years, oversees a staff of 200+ employees supporting the following departments:  Administration, Community Development, Fire/EMS, Police, Engineering and Public Works, Water Management, Finance, Historical Museum, and Cable.  The 2025 budget calls for expenditures of $100 million inclusive of planned capital and debt expenses, with a $47 million General Fund.

The Department

The Department of Community Development administers all land use and zoning regulations, manages the Village’s economic development efforts, serves as the Building Official, and implements various plans including the Comprehensive Plan, Housing Plan, and Historic Preservation Plan. Community Development is responsible for the enforcement of all building, property maintenance, and sanitation codes as well as zoning, sign, and subdivision ordinances. The Department provides staff support to the Village Board and several citizen commissions, including: Appearance Review, Building Code Board of Appeals, Historic Preservation, Housing, Land Use (Village Board Committee), Plan Commission, and Zoning Board of Appeals.

Community Development is responsible for the issuance of building permits for new construction and remodeling as well other miscellaneous permits. On an annual basis, the Department issues approximately 3,000 permits and conducts 7,000 inspections.

Position Requirements

The Village is seeking a dynamic and collaborative Director to lead the Community Development Department. This position directs all activities of the Department, including supervision of all staff in the department and preparation of the department work program and annual budget. Candidates must be knowledgeable in modern community development issues and trends, possess excellent interpersonal and communication skills, and have demonstrated experience in building consensus among groups with diverging perspectives.

The Village will welcome candidates who excel at customer service, process improvement, and mentoring and developing their staff, which includes 13 full-time employees and several permanent part-time positions. The successful candidate will have:

• Bachelor’s Degree in planning, administration, architecture, or a related field.
• American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) certification desired.
• Demonstrated experience in municipal planning and development, including supervisory responsibility.
• Knowledge of rules, regulations and effective implementation strategies for community and economic development programs and incentives, understanding of Illinois land use regulations, and developer agreements.

Compensation and Benefits    

The salary range is $167,130 - $221,773, with an anticipated starting salary of $200,000+/- DOQ along with flexible schedule/remote work opportunities.  A comprehensive benefits package includes participation in the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund (IMRF), health insurance including medical, dental, and vision coverage (also available to dependents), flexible spending account (medical, dependent care, and public transportation), and life insurance. The Village also offers a generous leave package including paid vacation (10 - 25 days per year, the Village will be flexible in determining the number of annual vacation days for the selected candidate), 13 holidays (7 floating, 6 scheduled), sick leave (1 day accrued each month), administrative time off (5 days annually), and merit time (up to 5 days annually).  The Village does not have a residency requirement. 

Selection Process   

Apply online at once at www.GovHRjobs.com with a resume, cover letter and contact information for five professional references by December 6, 2024.  Open until filled.  Questions may be directed in confidence to Maureen Barry, MGT Senior Consultant at 847-380-3240, x116. 

The Village of Wilmette is an Equal Opportunity Employer.