Austin Planning Director
Mosaic Public Partners Austin, TX, USA
- Location: Austin, TX, USA
- Categories: Planning and Development
- Job Type: Full Time
- Posted: Jun 03, 2026
Job Description:
Austin Planning Director
Description
THE POSITION
Reporting to an Assistant City Manager, the Austin Planning Director provides strategic leadership for one of the nation’s most dynamic and rapidly evolving cities. The Director leads the City’s planning and zoning function and helps shape Austin’s future through thoughtful growth management, redevelopment, inclusive engagement, and long-range policy execution. The Director serves as a trusted advisor to City leadership and elected officials while building strong partnerships across neighborhoods, the development community, public agencies, and civic organizations. Key responsibilities include developing and executing departmental goals, policies, staffing priorities, and operating plans; serving as the department’s primary representative to the City Council, City Manager’s Office, boards and commissions, residents, and external partners; directing planning and zoning operations to support sustainable growth, urban design excellence, redevelopment initiatives, and effective land-use policy implementation; building trusted relationships across diverse stakeholder groups and facilitating productive dialogue around complex community priorities and development opportunities; providing strategic counsel and recommendations to City leadership and elected officials; developing productive partnerships with public agencies, private developers, nonprofit organizations, and business leaders to advance transformational projects and community outcomes; and leading high-profile redevelopment efforts and complex public-private initiatives that shape Austin’s physical and economic future.
Austin seeks an outward-facing and highly engaged leader who combines deep planning expertise with the judgment, presence, and confidence required to lead in a dynamic public environment. The successful candidate will be politically astute and comfortable operating at the intersection of policy, growth, community expectations, and civic leadership. Above all, Austin seeks a proactive, innovative, and values-driven leader who can inspire teams, solve problems collaboratively, and help shape the city’s next chapter with confidence and integrity.