[Hiring] Director of Community, Neighborhood & Housing Services @City of Gaithersburg

Role Description

The City of Gaithersburg is seeking a community oriented, customer-focused, collaborative professional to oversee and lead the Department of Community, Neighborhood, and Housing Services (CN&HS) which includes four divisions: Housing & Community Development, Neighborhood Services, Community Services, and Homeless Services. The Director is responsible for strategic leadership, program administration, staff supervision, regulatory compliance, and advancing the City's priorities related to affordable housing preservation, neighborhood stabilization, and support services for vulnerable residents.

Work involves a high level of independence, complex decision-making, and collaboration with internal and external partners and requires hands-on departmental leadership within a municipal government setting. The Director reports directly to the City Manager or their designee; and as a member of the City's senior leadership team, collaborates with the City Manager and other department directors on strategy and policy to ensure that the City's mission, vision, core values, and long-range goals are incorporated into operational activities and services.

The Department has an FY 2027 total budget of approximately $5.15 million and employs 27.6 FTEs (24 full-time). The position can accommodate both in-person and remote work at the discretion of the City Manager. Preparation for and attendance at meetings, events, and other work outside of regular business hours is required. Residency within the City of Gaithersburg is not required.

For more details about the role and the Gaithersburg community, please review the Position Profile [PDF].

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in public administration, urban planning, housing and community development, or related field; master’s degree (MPA, MPP, MSW, or related) preferred.
• Significant and progressively responsible experience within a local or county government including supervisory experience at the division or department director level.
• Full program oversight experience of a CDBG entitlement city program (including management of CDBG-funded activities) required.
• Experience overseeing multiple functional areas such as housing, neighborhood services, code enforcement, community services, and/or homeless services.
• Experience developing and implementing strategies to stabilize older multifamily housing through code enforcement, reinvestment, or related programs.

Requirements

• Experience leading interdisciplinary teams in a hands-on municipal government environment.
• Experience with multifamily housing preservation, NOAH stabilization strategies, or property maintenance prevention programs.
• Experience working in organizations with smaller or mid-sized teams where leaders directly support operations.

Benefits

• The anticipated hiring range is $170,000 to $190,000, depending on qualifications, with an excellent benefits package.

Additional Information

Interested candidates must complete and submit a brief online application and are required to attach the following supporting documents to the online application upon submission:

• Current Resume
• Letter of Interest
• List of References (at least 4 to include a manager [current/former], a subordinate, and a colleague).

Please note: References will not be contacted without permission from the applicant. The first review of applications will begin by October 26, 2026. The position will remain open until filled; recruitment will close without notice when a sufficient number of qualified applications are identified or all hiring decisions have been made.

For more information about the position, contact Assistant City Manager Tom Lonergan-Seeger at 240.805.1093 or [email protected]. Questions regarding the online application process may be directed to the Department of Human Resources at 301.258.6327 or [email protected].

Department Directors are in the unclassified service and not included within the City’s merit system. The successful candidate will be subject to a background investigation. Direct deposit of paychecks is a condition of employment for all City of Gaithersburg employees.

The City has established an alcohol-free, drug-free, and smoke-free workplace which applies to any person employed by, conducting business with, or applying for a position with the City. Each employee, as a condition of their employment, may be required to participate in pre-employment and reasonable suspicion testing. Employees classified as safety sensitive are also subject to immediate post-accident and random testing.