Land Use Administrator

Salary : $104,707.20 - $146,577.60 Annually
Location : Santa Fe, NM
Job Type: Full-Time
Job Number: 202500494
Department: Growth Management Department
Opening Date: 04/25/2025
Closing Date: 5/12/2025 5:00 PM Mountain
FLSA: Exempt
Bargaining Unit: NON-UNION
Department Contact Information: Alexandra Ladd 505-986-6221
Union Eligibility: Position is not covered by any Collective Bargaining Agreement in Santa Fe County
Budget Amount: 60.40

Primary Purpose

Under the general direction of the Department Director the Land Use Administrator ("LUA") is responsible for administering and enforcing the provisions of the Sustainable Land Development Code (SLDC), making advisory opinions on the interpretation of the SLDC, the Sustainable Growth Management Plan (SGMP), Area, District and/or Community Plans and issuing ministerial development orders as set forth in the SLDC.
Essential Job Functions

• Supervise the activities of staff, recommends hiring, evaluation, promotion, disciplinary, and compensation actions; orients, motivates, and coaches employees; and assigns, delegates, reviews work and approves time and leave.
• Draft and implement policies and procedures pertaining to customer service, processing of land use entitlement applications and permits, operations and professional conduct in the workplace.
• Work with sta?, design team members, engineers, surveyors, architects, the public and the governing body members to ensure that all provisions of the SLDC are met and that interpretation of the code is reasonable, consistent, and enforceable.
• Provide input/review regarding code compliance for other departments for capital projects and prepare and develop ordinances as needed to address commission, federal and state mandates.

• Read and interpret maps, plats, surveys, engineering and architectural plans and provide the final decision on technical design components regarding permits and other applications.

• Review plats, Site Development Plans (SDP) and Conditional Use Permits (CUP) for compliance with the SLDC before recordation by the County Clerk's office.
• Review, approve, and sign all development permits, short-term rental licenses and business licenses.

• Provide written opinions regarding the interpretation of the provisions of the SLDC or land use entitlement decisions relevant to regional land use projects and planning.
• Receive all appeals from aggrieved parties regarding issued development orders.
• Act as the staff liaison for the Board of County Commissioners, Planning Commission, SLDC Hearing Officer, and the Santa Fe Extraterritorial Land Use Commission (ELUC).
• Lead recruitment efforts to ensure membership is maintained and rosters are full.
• Oversee all noticing and public posting criteria.
• Verify Planning Commission, Hearing O?cer and Board of County Commissioner packets are prepared and delivered.
• Perform quality check of all sta? reports for technical and grammatical accuracy.
• Ensure that Commission members receive adequate training about the procedures of quasi-judicial proceedings.
• Develop and administer division procedures and guidelines for administrative activities such as budget administration, reconciliation, general accounting.
• Attend meetings as the Growth Management department representative when needed.
• May make recommendations to the Board of County Commissioners for amendments to the SLDC.

Knowledge/ Skills:

• Knowledge of engineering, surveying and architectural principles and practices.
• Knowledge of modern o?ce terminology and equipment.
• Knowledge of budget preparation.
• Skill in supervising, managing, training, and evaluating personnel.

• Skill in critical thinking, problem solving, organization and planning.
• Ability to operate various word-processing, spreadsheet, database, and others of software programs.
• Ability to read, analyze, and interpret maps, plats, engineering and architectural plans.
• Ability to make decisions, articulate them clearly and exercise independent judgment.
• Ability to establish and maintain e?ective working relationships and communicate tactfully and courteously with the public, employees, division directors and elected officials; and to maintain good working relationships with employees, all levels of management, government officials, and the public.
• Ability to communicate diplomatically and courteously.
• Ability to work under stressful circumstances in dealing with the public, co-workers, and County officials.
• Ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing; and the ability to follow verbal and written instructions.
• Ability to train and mentor staff; to supervise, plan, assign, direct and review the work of staff with dignity and in a courteous manner.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree from an accredited college or university, in Civil Engineering, Planning, Architecture or a closely related field. Relevant experience maybe substituted for education at a rate of 30 semester hours equal to one (1) year of experience.

• Six (6) years of work experience in engineering which must include at least two (2) years of subdivision design and/or development approval and two (2) years of supervisor experience across all experience.
• A completed New Mexico Edge Public Supervisor certi?cation will be accepted as a substitution for the two (2) years of supervisory experience.
• Flood Plain Management Certi?cation preferred

Supplemental Information

Working Conditions:
Work is performed in an office setting, with occasional work in the field. Work schedule may include evening and weekend hours. Travel may be required. While performing the duties of this job, the employee regularly is required to stand, walk, and sit; use hands to finger, handle or feel; reach with hands or arms; climb or balance; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl; and talk or hear. Clarity of vision at short distance is required. May be required to lift up to 20 pounds. Occasional interaction with hostile, violent, or offensive individuals. May be subject to exposure to CRTs and VDTs.

Conditions of Employment:
Selected candidate must submit to and pass a County paid pre-employment physical and drug/alcohol screening. Additionally, selected candidate must submit to and pass a county paid criminal background screening. Selected candidate must possess and maintain a valid New Mexico Class D Driver's License as incumbent shall be appointed to drive a County vehicle during the performance of his/her duties.

Santa Fe County is an Equal Opportunity Employer
It is the policy of Santa Fe County to ensure equal employment opportunity to all persons regardless of race, color, age, physical or mental handicap, sex, national origin, ancestry, religion, serious medical condition, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, or political affiliation.
Santa Fe County is proud to offer a comprehensive benefits package to eligible, full-time and part-time employees who work 20 hours per week. You will receive plan booklets, which give you more detailed information about each of these programs.

BENEFITS OFFERED

• Medical
• Dental
• Vision
• Life Insurance
• Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D) Insurance
• Voluntary Life and AD&D
• Short-Term Disability
• Long-Term Disability
• Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Gym Membership

To learn more details, visit our website:

01

How many years of work experience in do you have in engineering

• 4 years of experience
• 6 years of experience
• 8 years of experience
• 10 years of experience

02

Which statement below best describes the highest level of education you have completed in Civil Engineering, Planning, Architecture or a closely related field?

• High school graduate, diploma or the equivalent (GED)
• Some college (thirty (30) semester hours or more)
• Associate's degree
• Bachelor's degree
• Master's degree

03

Do you have two (2) years supervisory experience or have you completed a New Mexico EDGE Public Supervisor certification?

• Yes
• No

04

Do you have a valid driver's license?

• Yes
• No

05

Do you have two (2) years work experience in subdivision design and/or development approval?

• Yes
• No

Required Question