Job Information
City Of Midland Assistant Director of Planning in Midland, Texas
Assistant Director of Planning City of Midland, Texas
Mackenzie Eason and Associates has been retained by the City of Midland to recruit its next Assistant Director of Planning, a senior leadership role created to help guide one of Texas fastest-growing metropolitan areas through a pivotal period of growth, policy modernization, and long-range visioning.
Reporting to the Planning and Development Officer, the Assistant Director of Planning will lead Planning initiatives and staff, providing strategic leadership for long-range planning, ordinance modernization, and consultant-led plan development, while mentoring a growing professional planning team. This newly elevated role is designed to shift Midlands planning function from historically reactive development review to a proactive, policy-driven, and vision-oriented planning culture.
Midland is experiencing sustained population growth, development pressure, and economic expansion tied to its position as the hub of the Permian Basin. The Assistant Director of Planning will play a central role in shaping how that growth translates into complete neighborhoods, high-quality development, connected parks and infrastructure, and a built environment that supports long-term quality of life.
THE OPPORTUNITY The City of Midland is at an inflection point. Long recognized as an economic engine for West Texas and the energy industry, Midland is now focused on ensuring that its physical growth keeps pace with its economic success. For many years, the Citys Planning Division has concentrated primarily on current planning functions, including zoning, platting, and application processing. The next phase requires a deliberate pivot toward long-range planning, ordinance modernization, and big-picture urban policy.The Assistant Director of Planning will lead that shift.
This role will assume responsibility for major planning initiatives, including a citywide Comprehensive Plan update, the Northeast Master Plan, and targeted rewrites of key development ordinances related to parkland dedication, subdivision standards, and neighborhood quality. Working closely with City Council, the Planning and Zoning Commission, internal departments, consultants, and the public, the Assistant Director will help establish a clear, implementable vision for Midlands future growth. In the next two to three years, the Assistant Director of Planning will be instrumental in:
- Standing up and directing the Citys Comprehensive Plan update.
- Leading a consultant-driven master planning and corridor studies.
- Modernizing outdated ordinances to better align development outcomes with community goals.
- Institutionalizing a long-range planning function within the organization.
- Elevating professional standards, tools, and training across a young and growing planning team.
This is a rare opportunity for a senior planner to step into a city-shaping role with direct access to executive leadership and elected officials, and with the mandate to move Midland toward more intentional, high-quality urban development.
ABOUT THE CITY AND THE PLANNING FUNCTION []{style="color: #2b333a; background-colo
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