Planner III - Zoning

Collier County; Naples (FL); On-site; USD 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Collier County seeks an experienced planner to lead advanced work in implementing the Growth Management Plan (GMP) and County Land Development Code. You will analyze amendments, prepare reports, and present findings to the Board of County Commissioners, Planning Commission, and other bodies.

The role requires coordinating complex land use petitions, reviewing site plans, and ensuring regulatory compliance across divisions.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• Three (3) years of related experience.
• Candidates without a related degree should possess an additional four (4) years of related experience.
• Fingerprinting required.

Responsibilities

• Reviews GMP interpretations and amendments; coordinates and analyzes GMP amendments and land use related codes.
• Reviews and coordinates land use petitions for rezoning, variances, conditional uses, and related processes; coordinates pre‑application meetings.
• Facilitates communication between applicants and County Divisions to ensure compliance with development regulations; coordinates presentations to boards.
• Reviews site development plans; evaluates submissions for accuracy and sufficiency; coordinates project reviews and re-submittals.
• Maintains the Land Development Code; researches, updates, and educates staff on code changes; attends public hearings and meetings.
• Implements the Development Review Module; collaborates with IT and vendors; drafts policies; conducts user meetings and testing.
• Prepares reports, executive summaries, and special projects; provides GMP and demographic information; creates presentations for boards and committees.

Education

Bachelor's degree

Job description

Collier County strives to be an employer of choice, and many of our employees build long-term careers with us. The salary listed in the job description reflects the full pay range for this position, from entry level through advanced career stages.

NEW EMPLOYEES ARE HIRED AT, OR NEAR THE ENTRY POINT SHOWN, DEPENDING ON QUALIFICATIONS AND RELEVANT EXPERIENCE.

Performs advanced, lead work assisting in the implementation of the Collier County Growth Management Plan (GMP) and County Land Development Code. Employees in this classification review and analyze amendments to the plan and land use petitions; conduct special studies and projects; prepare reports; and make presentations to the Board of County Commissioners (BCC), the Collier County Planning Commission (CCPC), and Hearing Examiner (HEX).

• Prepares GMP interpretations and amendments; reviews and analyzes GMP amendments; prepares legal ordinances and resolutions.
• Reviews and coordinates the land use petitions for rezoning, variances, conditional uses, development of regional impacts, and minor land use petition process: coordinates and leads pre-application meetings between applicants and various County Divisions to provide a cursory review of a proposed project, and identifies and explains potential conflicts with the County codes, policies, and procedures; review and evaluate applications for sufficiency and accuracy; evaluates requests and coordinates County Division reviews; analyzes requests for consistency with the County’s Land Development Code, Growth Management Plan, and any other applicable land use related laws; analyzes land use petitions and presents them to the Hearing Examiner, Environmental Advisory Council, Planning Commission, Board of Zoning Appeals, and Board of County Commissioners; conducts site visits to the subject property.
• Facilitate communication between applicants and County Divisions to ensure project and applicant are complying with all applicable development regulations, and to ensure the County’s interests are met should the County desire to obtain land or other rights through the rezoning process; coordinate the Board of County Commissioners, the applicant, and other County divisions to ensure that the decisions made by the Board of County Commissioners are carried out appropriately.
• Reviews site development plans: coordinates and attends pre-application meetings; evaluates application submittals for accuracy and sufficiency; coordinates the review of the project; provides mediation when disagreements occur; reviews all submittals and re-submittals for compliance.
• Communicates information to the public concerning the details and characteristics of a project and the details of staff’s findings and recommendations, both in a public hearing setting and in advance of the public hearing, either by telephone, in writing, or a group setting.
• Maintains the Land Development Code: recognizes changing development patterns, market conditions, technological enhancements, and when the desires of the community and the Board of County Commissioners are no longer being met; researches the existing code, how it is applied and interpreted and determines where it is deficient or inefficient; creates, changes, or deletes code provisions; attends public hearings and public meetings; educates staff members in other divisions as to the nature of the code changes and assists them in understanding how they will be affected.
• Implements the Development Review Module between the Current Planning, Comprehensive Planning, and Engineering Review section users, the Information Technology Division, and vendors: assists in the development of the function of the module as it relates to current procedures and the review and evaluation of all types of land use petition processes and permitting applications; assists in drafting new policies and procedures relative to the operation of the module; coordinates and conducts regular user meeting to evaluate the operation and function of the system; creates databases; coordinates and manages testing of the module; projects current and future internal needs relative to the functional ability of the system.
• Processes zoning certificates; processes temporary use permits.
• Research zoning questions for other Divisions.
• Prepares reports, executive summaries, and special projects; conducts special studies; prepares annual population estimates and projections.
• Provides GMP and demographic information.
• Creates and gives presentations to the Board of Collier County Commissioners (BCC), the Collier County Planning Commission (CCPC), the Hearing Examiner (HEX), and professional and citizen groups.

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• Three (3) years of related experience.
• Candidates without a related degree should possess an additional four (4) years of related experience.
• Fingerprinting required.

LICENSES/CERTIFICATES:

• Must possess and maintain a valid Florida Driver’s License with any applicable endorsement(s) to drive a County vehicle as provided in CMA 5805.

• Salary offers above the minimum pay grade may be considered based on qualifications.
• Essential Employees may be required to work during an undeclared or declared emergency. The County’s Administrative Office will determine who will be required to work on an incident-by-incident basis.
• This job posting is not intended to be an all-inclusive list of responsibilities, skills, or working conditions associated with the position.