About 18 miles from the Pacific Ocean, the City of Escondido (pop. 153,000) lies 30 miles northeast of San Diego and roughly 100 miles south of Los Angeles. Escondido seeks a Director of Development Services to lead a department supported by a FY 2025-26 operating budget of $9.7 million and 78 F/T positions. The department includes planning, building, code compliance, engineering, and housing.
 
Escondido seeks a dynamic and strategic leader for this pivotal executive role. Overseeing a multidisciplinary team, this position offers a rare opportunity to guide private development and public infrastructure in a fully integrated environment. The ideal candidate is collaborative, people-centered, and solutions-oriented, with deep expertise in one core discipline and a strong working knowledge of the others. This is a high-impact leadership opportunity for someone who brings a strong public service ethic to complex policy and development challenges.
 
Competitive candidates will offer a Bachelor’s degree and ten years of increasingly responsible experience in the administration of community development, planning, engineering, or public administration and management, including three years of management and administrative responsibility. Master’s degree desirable.  
 
Salary range $162,132 - $241,296 DOQE, with competitive benefits. Recruitment closes Sunday, August 3, 2025.