Director of Community, Neighborhood & Housing Services

The City of Gaithersburg is seeking a community oriented customer-focused collaborative professional to oversee and direct the management and operation of activities and programs in the Department of Community Neighborhood and Housing Services (CN&HS). The CN&HS Department collaborates with community partners other government agencies businesses homeowners associations rental communities and residents to advance opportunities for those in need as well as strengthen families neighborhoods and the entire Gaithersburg community.

The CN&HS Director provides leadership direction and advanced professional expertise and oversight to the Department which includes four interdisciplinary Divisions working to preserve and increase the availability of safe affordable housing improve access to critical services for Gaithersburgs most vulnerable residents create paths toward economic mobility and enhance the livability of neighborhoods for Gaithersburgs inhabitants. The Director reports directly to the City Manager or their designee and works closely with other members of the management team and the Citys elected and appointed officials. As a member of the Citys Senior Leadership Team the Director collaborates with the City Manager and other Department directors on strategy and policy to ensure that the Citys mission vision core values and long-range goals which are enshrined in GaithersburgsStrategic Plan are then incorporated into operational activities and services.

The Director has four direct reports (Community Services Manager Housing & Community Development Manager Neighborhood Services Manager and Homeless Services Manager). The Department has an FY 2026 total budget of approximately $4.95 million and employs 27.65 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. Please click here to view the complete classification description for the Director of Community Neighborhood and Housing Services position.

The Position
The Director of Community Neighborhood & Housing Services oversees and manages all functions activities and programs in the Departments four Divisions (Community Services Housing & Community Development Neighborhood Services and Homeless Services) and serves as staff liaison with and attends meetings of the Mayor and City Council Council in the Communities Commission on Landlord-Tenant Affairs and various other related boards commissions and committees. The position oversees the preparation and management of the Department budget; manages multiple projects; provides guidance and/or professional review input on complicated or controversial matters; handles conflicts and navigates complex issues including those that require political sensitivity and multi-disciplinary approaches; and oversees other day to-day associated administrative functions performed by Department staff including inclusionary housing programs emergency assistance programs CDBG funding rental housing inspections and licensing and homeless outreach initiatives in addition to providing assistance to homeowners and condominium associations property management companies and the general public. The Director supervises and oversees all personnel administration functions of the Department including recruiting hiring training providing direction to and evaluating staff; establishes work priorities; and establishes and interprets departmental policies and procedures.

The Successful Candidate
The ideal candidate for the CN&HS Department Director position is an accomplished empathetic and innovative leader who is dedicated to public service and driven by a desire to make a positive impact on the community. This individual is detail-oriented socially conscious and a strategic thinker who can translate strategies into actionable objectives while also possessing the practical expertise to ensure accountability high-quality service delivery and operational effectiveness. The ideal candidate has the capacity to work in varied environments with a strong ability to foster interdepartmental collaboration while also cultivating and strengthening relationships with community members nonprofit governmental and other regional partners. They will be able to navigate complex cultural and socio-economic landscapes and possess the ability to build rapport with diverse populations while demonstrating active listening and emotional intelligence.

An exceptional communicator and listener the successful candidate understands the value of inclusive engagement and trust-building. They are committed to cultivating a positive departmental culture developing their team through mentorship and coaching and managing performance in a constructive accountability-oriented manner. The candidate can thrive in a dynamic environment adjusting to and navigating changing schedules and unpredictable sometimes difficult situations. With a solid understanding of community development administration and operations the ideal candidate brings both a visionary mindset and a hands-on management style. They are grounded in values of service integrity and professionalism and thrive in a fast-paced team-oriented environment where collaboration creativity and service excellence are expected and rewarded.

The City of Gaithersburg is a municipality that shares local government taxing authority with Montgomery County Maryland. The City operates under the council-manager form of government wherein the Mayor and five City Councilmembers serve as the legislative body. The Mayor and City Council are elected at large to serve staggered four-year terms. The City Manager is appointed by the Mayor and City Council to serve as the Citys Chief Executive Officer. The City Manager is responsible for the implementation of policies and budget established by the Mayor and City Council.

The City of Gaithersburg employs 443.04 FTEs throughout ten major departments and the Citys FY 2026 total adopted expenditure budget is $156.3 Million. The City has no debt and operates on a pay-go philosophy. As mandated by state law Montgomery County provides schools libraries social services and fire protection for the City of addition to the Montgomery County Police Gaithersburg residents are served by the Citys own Police Department.

The City of Gaithersburg is a great place to work. According to the Citys most recent employee engagement survey (2025) 79% of Gaithersburg employees are engaged as compared to a national engagement level average of 31%. 95% of Gaithersburg employees agree with the statement I am proud to work for this organization and 96% of employees stated they work well with their immediate coworkers and team.

The City continues to enjoy remarkable community survey results a strong indicator of critical quality of life the 2024 survey 86% of City residents rate Gaithersburg as an excellent or good place to live. The City rated above the U.S. average in 45 of 51 service areas. Satisfaction with the overall quality of City services rated 33% above the U.S. average and satisfaction with customer service rated 38% above the U.S. Gaithersburg consistently receives high marks for parks and recreational programs and facilities quality of recycling yard waste and bulk pickup collection quality of customer service by City employees quality of City buildings and facilities and quality of police services. Overall Gaithersburg ranks in the top 10% nationally for exceptional service delivery.

The Community
The City of Gaithersburg Maryland is a thriving culturally diverse and vibrant community in the Washington D.C. metropolitan area located north of the nations capital. Gaithersburg began as a small settlement at the juncture between two ancient Native American trails now Frederick Avenue and Diamond Avenue. The arrival of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad in 1873 sparked a business and agricultural expansion that made the Gaither settlement the commercial center for upper Montgomery County and it was incorporated as the Town of Gaithersburg in 1878. A second major expansion occurred in the 1960s when the Atomic Energy Commission headquarters (now the Department of Energy) and the National Bureau of Standards (now the National Institute of Standards and Technology)relocated to the vicinity spurring residential and commercial growth that continues to this day.

The City of Gaithersburg greatly values its socioeconomic and cultural diversity. Gaithersburg was recently recognized by WalletHub as the most diverse city in the United States. The City also ranked #1 in the Small City category which includes communities with populations under 100000. Additionally the City had the second-highest level of educational-attainment diversity in 2019 according to WalletHub and the fourth-highest rate of linguistic diversity. Gaithersburg is also proud to consistently earn a perfect score on the Municipal Equality Index (MEI) which is a nationwide evaluation of 506 cities on how inclusive cities laws policies and services are of lesbian gay bisexual transgender and queer (LGBTQ) people.

When the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) relocated to the Gaithersburg area it brought tremendous growth in the fields of science and research. Today NIST is the largest employer in the immediate region. Other large employers located within city limits include AstraZeneca Leidos Asbury Methodist Village GeneDx Inc. Sodexo USA and Hughes Network Systems LLC.

Gaithersburg is the third-largest city in Maryland and one of the states fastest-growing communities. The City is a major international location for biotech companies and boasts award-winning schools neighborhoods and commercial developments. Its respect for its heritage demonstrated by the revitalization efforts in the Olde Towne residential and commercial district coupled with thoughtful planning for new communities and a commitment to cultural and recreational activities has earned the City national acclaim.

Thoughtful innovative planning defines the Gaithersburg community and can be seen in a wide variety of neighborhoods which brings diversity to the housing options for residents. The Kentlands celebrating its 31^st anniversary is one of the first New Urbanist neighborhoods built in the United States and was designed to be a walkable mixed-use community. It occupies land that was once the farmstead of Otis Kent just as much of modern Gaithersburg is built on historic farmland. The newest development Downtown Crown has brought additional mixed-use with a thriving area of restaurants retail and residential that complements the adjacent and established Rio/Washingtonian area. Even with this growth Gaithersburgs rural roots still influence the soul of the City which has retained its small-town commitments to character customer service and collaboration as it has grown.

Gaithersburg is consistently recognized for its high quality of 2016 24/7 Wall Street ranked Gaithersburg among the top 25 places in America to live citing the communitys high median household income and extensive entertainment and recreational 2018 placed Gaithersburg among the top 10 Best Cities for STEM Workers. Additionally the City has earned Tree City USA status since 1990 and has been awarded the GFOAs Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for 23 consecutive years and the GFOAs Excellence in Financial Reporting Award every year since 1978.

The Citys many special events and recreational opportunities make it a great place to work and live. Since 2010 the City has hosted the Gaithersburg Book Festival. Other large regional events include SummerFest Oktoberfest and the ever-popular Winter Lights Festival. Gaithersburg is known for its entrepreneurial and startup business environment as new technology companies arrive each year to take advantage of the Citys excellent location and dynamic workforce.

Gaithersburg is accessible via many modes of transportation allowing easy access to the Washington D.C. area and the greater Mid-Atlantic region. The City is bisected by the 12-lane I-270 freeway connecting Gaithersburg to the Washington Beltway to points west and Gaithersburg is the western terminus of the Inter-County Connector linking I-270 to I-95. The Metro systems Red Line has its northern terminus just beyond the Citys southern border and the City is also served by a robust bus transit system and the Maryland Association of Rail Commuters (MARC) train with two stops in Gaithersburg carrying rail commuters to and from Washington D.C. The City is within an hours drive of all three major airports in the Baltimore/Washington region.

Because of its proximity to the nations capital and major global industries the City plays host to many international and domestic visitors. Gaithersburg enjoys one of the highest-educated labor pools in the fact Maryland ranks fourth in percentage of the population with a bachelors degree and second in the percentage with a graduate or professional degree.

Compensation

The anticipated hiring range is $16700 to $187000 depending on qualifications with an excellent benefits package.

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:

First review of applications will begin by March 6 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 . Questions regarding the online application process may be directed to the Department of Human Resources at 301.258.6327 or . For demographic and other information about the City of Gaithersburg please click here.

Department Directors are in the unclassified service and not included within the Citys 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.