JOB DESCRIPTION

The Opportunity

The City of Thousand Oaks Community Development Department is seeking an experienced, collaborative, forward-thinking leader to serve as its next Deputy Director of Operations. Nestled between Los Angeles and Santa Barbara, the City of Thousand Oaks is recognized as one of California's most desirable communities. Home to 125,000 residents, the City is known for its commitment to safety, 15,000+ acres of protected open space, and high-quality cultural amenities.

The Role

The Deputy Director of Operations will partner with the Community Development Director, Deputy Director of Planning, and the City's Building Official to ensure that growth, housing, construction, and land use across the City remains balanced with Thousand Oaks' environment and resources. The Deputy Director of Operations provides direct oversight and support for code compliance, housing services, CDBG administration, and overall Community Development Department administration, including budgeting, contracting/vendor management, and IT systems.

A critical priority for this role is the optimization of the City's TO/24 (Tyler Energov) permitting and land use system. The new Deputy Director will ensure that internal Community Development Department as well as cross-departmental operating procedures fully and effectively leverage the functionality of this recently upgraded system. The next Deputy will also be charged with streamlining the department's process to rapidly analyze fast-moving State and Federal mandates, particularly in the areas of environmental impact, housing, and federal funding streams, and provide clear, decisive response options to City leaders in close collaboration with the City Attorney's Office and Legislative Affairs Manager.

The Ideal Candidate

The successful candidate for Deputy Director is a decisive, politically savvy servant-leader with deep technical expertise and demonstrated success leading teams. The ideal candidate is comfortable navigating ambiguity and is highly adaptable to changes mandated by state and/or federal policy shifts. Highly qualified candidates communicate with candor and clarity and are proactive collaborators and intentional relationship-builders with both internal and external stakeholders. The successful Deputy Director will drive frequent, consistent communication throughout the department and encourage staff engagement at all levels. They are comfortable taking calculated risks, looking for solutions rather than obstacles, and effectively avoiding analysis paralysis to keep the team moving forward.

Qualifications

• Education: A bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in urban planning, engineering, public administration or a closely related field is required. A master's degree in urban planning (MUP) or pubic/business administration (MPA/MBA) is preferred.
• Experience: Seven (7) years of increasingly responsible experience in urban planning, development services, economic development, and/or code compliance, including at least five (5) years of supervisory and/or management responsibility. Working knowledge of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) requirements, including the Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA) process, Housing Element law, and Builder's Remedy projects is required.
• Preferred Certifications: Certification by the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) is preferred.
• Demonstrated success monitoring state and federal legislation and providing timely, concise, actionable recommendations to City executives is preferred.
• Direct experience optimizing enterprise permitting and licensing (or comparable) systems in a similarly structured organization is highly desirable.

Compensation

The anticipated hiring range for the new Deputy Director is $157,283 - $196,604, with a full salary range up to $235,926. The City typically makes offers within the hiring range based on the candidate's experience and qualifications.

How to Apply

Applications will be accepted electronically by Raftelis at raftelis.com. Applicants complete a brief online form and are prompted to provide a cover letter and resume. Applications will be accepted through February 20, 2026, and early application is highly encouraged. Interviews are scheduled to begin in early March with finalist selection expected by early April 2026.

BENEFITS

For a complete overview of the City’s extensive benefits, review the detailed summary here.