Planning director with 16 years in municipal planning, leading a 28-person department in a fast-growing suburb of 180,000. Guided adoption of a new comprehensive plan and form-based code that doubled multifamily permits near transit. Brings department leadership, council relations and a track record of streamlining development review.
Experience
Planning Director, City of Sonoran Vista, Planning Division (Sonoran Vista, AZ)
Feb 2020 – Present
Lead a 28-person department with a $4.6M budget covering current planning, long-range planning and historic preservation
Guided adoption of a comprehensive plan and form-based code that doubled multifamily permits within half a mile of transit
Cut median development review time from 11 to 6 weeks by adding concurrent review and Accela online submittals
Present 60+ items a year to City Council and the Planning and Zoning Commission
Planning Manager, City of Saguaro Springs, Planning Division (Saguaro Springs, AZ)
Jul 2014 – Jan 2020
Supervised 9 planners reviewing 400+ cases a year, including 3 master-planned communities
Managed a $1.1M light rail station-area plan funded by FTA
Regional Planner, Valley Regional Association of Governments (Phoenix, AZ)
Jun 2010 – Jun 2014
Prepared socioeconomic projections used in the regional transportation plan for 27 jurisdictions
Education
Master of Urban and Environmental Planning, Arizona State University (Aug 2008 – May 2010)
Skills
Leadership: department management, budget planning, staff development, council relations
Operations: Accela, process redesign, performance measures
How to write a Planning Director resume
A strong Planning Director resume shows the programs, policies and public services you delivered, the budgets and rules you worked within, and the measurable outcomes for residents. Show the organization you ran (team size, budget, revenue) and the business results you are accountable for.
Sections, in order
Summary
Experience
Education
Skills
Certifications
Length: Two pages are common for leadership roles; keep the first page strong enough to stand alone.
Summary: Lead with your leadership scope and the business outcomes you are known for.
Skills to feature
Policy analysis
Program evaluation
Budget development
Regulatory compliance
Stakeholder and community engagement
Grant administration
Data analysis (Excel, Tableau, ArcGIS)
Briefing and plain-language writing
Public procurement (FAR or state code)
Interagency coordination
Example bullet points
Cut average permit review time from 42 to 19 days by redesigning intake and adding online plan submission
Wrote the fiscal analysis for a $38M affordable housing bond approved by 61% of voters
Coordinated 14 agencies through a FEMA-funded hazard mitigation plan update adopted on schedule
Tips from recruiters
For federal roles on USAJOBS, list hours per week, GS grade and exact dates for each role, and mirror the specialized-experience wording in the announcement.
Name the laws, programs and funding streams you worked with (for example CDBG, FEMA BRIC, the FAR or the state open meetings act).
Quantify public impact in residents served, dollars managed or days saved rather than describing duties.
Recommended templates
Classic (ATS-friendly): Jake's-style LaTeX classic: small caps and hairline rules
Meridian (ATS-friendly): Modern serif with a hairline date rail on the right
Ivy (ATS-friendly): Harvard-style Times layout with centered headings
Planning Director resume FAQ
What should a Planning Director resume include?
A Planning Director resume should show the programs, policies and public services you delivered, the budgets and rules you worked within, and the measurable outcomes for residents. Use these sections in this order: Summary, Experience, Education, Skills and Certifications. Show the organization you ran (team size, budget, revenue) and the business results you are accountable for.
What is the best resume template for a Planning Director?
Classic, Meridian and Ivy work well for Planning Director roles. They are single-column with standard headings, so applicant tracking systems (ATS) parse them reliably.
How long should a Planning Director resume be?
Two pages are common for leadership roles; keep the first page strong enough to stand alone.
Which skills should a Planning Director put on a resume?
Prioritize the skills named in the job posting. Common ones for Planning Director roles are Policy analysis, Program evaluation, Budget development, Regulatory compliance, Stakeholder and community engagement and Grant administration.
How do I write strong Planning Director resume bullet points?
Start with an action verb, say what you did, and end with a measurable result such as residents served, budget managed and processing time. For example: "Cut average permit review time from 42 to 19 days by redesigning intake and adding online plan submission."