Planning & Land Use Specialist

City of Danbury; Danbury (CT); On-site; USD 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

The City of Danbury is seeking a Planning Specialist to perform advanced administrative, technical, and paraprofessional planning tasks in the Planning & Zoning Department. You will coordinate processes, conduct research, review plans, and liaise with internal and external stakeholders, applying knowledge of planning and land use regulations.

You will manage agendas, notices, and records, respond to public inquiries, and support long-range planning with data collection and mapping.

Qualifications

• An Associate’s degree in Planning, Geography, Public Administration, or related field is required; a Bachelor’s degree is preferred.
• Three to five years of progressively responsible experience in planning, zoning, municipal administration, or related technical work.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate administrative and technical functions for land use commissions, including agendas, notices, schedules, minutes, and official records.
• Manage departmental workflows: permit tracking, application intake, and public notices.
• Conduct independent research on property history, zoning compliance, and land use regulations; prepare written reports for staff and commission review.
• Prepare official records and certify them (transcripts, Returns of Record, legal documents for court appeals).
• Coordinate responses to FOI requests and assist in responding to public inquiries about zoning procedures.
• Maintain departmental databases and records (tax abatements, site plan reviews, modification requests).
• Draft correspondence and reports for the Director of Planning and land use commissions.
• Coordinate scheduling and timelines for departmental staff and planning activities.
• Coordinate referrals, zoning compliance matters, and planning initiatives; support long-range planning including data collection and mapping.
• Maintain payroll records and process bank deposits for the department.
• Represent the department in assigning street addresses and act as contact for E-911, Post Office and Phone Company.

Skills

Planning principles

Regulatory procedures

Communication

Organizational skills

Data processing

Education

Associate’s degree in Planning or related field

Bachelor’s degree preferred

Tools

GIS applications

Office software (Word/Excel/Access)

Job description

The City of Danbury is seeking a Planning Specialist to perform advanced administrative, technical, and paraprofessional planning tasks in the Planning & Zoning Department. You will coordinate processes, conduct research, review plans, and liaise with internal and external stakeholders, applying knowledge of planning and land use regulations.

You will manage agendas, notices, and records, respond to public inquiries, and support long-range planning with data collection and mapping.