Senior Planner

City of Fayetteville, North Carolina; Fayetteville (NC); On-site; USD 61,000 - 78,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental insurance

Paid holidays

Job summary

The City of Fayetteville, North Carolina, seeks a Senior Planner to lead planning and zoning activities, supervise staff, and coordinate with other City departments, agencies, and the public. The role focuses on short-range and long-range planning, policy development, and effective resource use.

Essential duties include guiding division goals, ensuring regulatory compliance, preparing maps and analyses with GIS, and representing the division in meetings with officials and the public.

Qualifications

• Four years of increasingly responsible experience in planning, landscape architecture, public policy or a related field.
• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with management on planning and zoning tasks, serving as a lead on assigned programs and resources.
• Develop and implement division goals, policies, and priorities for the service area; allocate resources accordingly.
• Ensure compliance with city, state and federal laws in land use planning and development.
• Lead and coordinate division work plans and projects, review procedures, and guide staff.

Skills

GIS

Leadership

Community outreach

Budget management

Education

Bachelor's degree in planning or related field

Tools

GIS

Job description

Description

City of Fayetteville is currently recruiting for a Senior Planner to provide a lead role in planning, managing, supervising, and coordinating short‑term and long‑range activities and operations of the Planning and Zoning Division as assigned by the Division Manager. To coordinate assigned activities with other City departments, divisions, outside agencies, public officials, regulatory officials and the general public; work with staff, boards and citizen groups to develop recommendations to the Administration and City Council; carry out assigned coordination of responsibilities and tasks as directed by the Planning & Zoning Division Manager; and, to provide responsible and complex administrative support to the Planning & Zoning Division Manager and staff.

Hiring Range

$61,222 - $78,058/Year D.O.Q.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

• Collaborate with management on planning and zoning tasks, functions and activities, serving as a lead on assigned programs, communications, services and use of resources for the division.
• Collaborate with management to develop and implement division goals, objectives, policies, and priorities for assigned service area; recommend appropriate service and staffing levels, monitor and evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of service delivery methods and procedures; and allocate resources accordingly.
• Ensure programs, processes and activities are in compliance with all city, state and federal laws and regulations applicable to land use planning and development, zoning, and environmental principles and practices.
• Within programmatic areas of responsibility and through staff, lead, implement and coordinate the division's work plans and projects, review and evaluate work methods and procedures, meet with staff to provide guidance as well as identify and resolve problems.
• Provide responsible staff support for division efforts related to annexations, long‑range planning, census surveys and/or other applicable initiatives.
• Prepare a variety of maps, graphs and/or other applicable items utilizing GIS for the division and other City departments.
• Participate in the development and administration of the division budget.
• Facilitate various internal and public meetings and hearings related to the programs and activities of the division and various commissions.
• Coordinate the development of comprehensive and specific area development plans in consultation with other City divisions and departments, as well as developers, contractors, consultants, public officials and the general public.
• Represent the division to other City departments, elected officials and outside agencies; coordinate activities with other departments and outside agencies and organizations.
• May attend and participate in professional meetings (NCAPA, APA, NC Zoning Officials, etc.) to stay abreast of industry best practices as well as new planning and community development trends and innovations.
• Respond to and resolve difficult and sensitive citizen inquiries and complaints with tact and professionalism.
• Serve as a resource to management, City Administration and applicable boards and commissions.

Minimum Qualifications

Any combination of experience and training that would likely provide the required knowledge and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the knowledge and abilities would be:

• Four years of increasingly responsible experience in planning, landscape architecture, public policy or a related field.

Training

Equivalent to a Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university.

Licensing & Certifications

Required

None.

Preferred

American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP), Certified Zoning Official (CZO), or similar.

Selection Process

From the time of closing, the selection process is anticipated to last approximately 4 - 6 weeks. The process will consist of a panel interview with the selected candidate being subject to a pre‑employment drug screen, background check and driving check.

Equal Opportunity Employer

An Equal Opportunity Employer.

Health And Dental Insurance

The City of Fayetteville Employee Healthcare Benefit Plan provides comprehensive and affordable health and dental coverage while maintaining reasonable costs to employees. Coverage is available for all regular status employees scheduled to work 30 hours or more per week. Employees may also choose to cover eligible dependents. The premium is deducted on a pre‑tax basis, with the City paying a portion of the premium. Qualifying employees are eligible for benefits on the 1st day of the month following 30 days of service.

Employer Paid Leave

Vacation Leave

Regular employees begin accruing vacation leave the first day of employment. Accruals are based on years of service and the number of hours an employee is scheduled to work.

Sick Leave

Regular employees begin accruing sick leave the first day of employment. Accruals are based on the number of hours scheduled to work; regular full‑time employees accrue eight (8) hours per month. Sick leave hours accumulate without limits and may be used toward creditable service upon retirement from the NC Local Governmental Retirement System.

Holidays

The City of Fayetteville observes 12 paid holidays per calendar year. When Christmas day is on a Wednesday, an additional holiday is provided making for 13 paid holidays.

Bereavement

Regular employees are eligible for bereavement leave. The City will authorize 24 hours per calendar year to mourn or attend a funeral or memorial service of a family member.

Retirement

The City of Fayetteville assists employees in securing their financial future during retirement by participating in the NC Local Governmental Employees’ Retirement System, administered by the State of North Carolina. Regular employees scheduled to work 20 hours or more per week become members in the retirement system upon employment. As a member of this system, employees are required to contribute 6% of their gross salary on a tax‑deferred basis.

Deferred Compensation Plans

To further assist employees in saving for retirement, the City offers two supplemental retirement savings programs. These programs enable regular full‑time, and part‑time employees working at least 20 hours per week, an opportunity to save a portion of their salary on a tax‑deferred basis to supplement their retirement benefits. These programs are the NC 401(k) plan and NC 457 plan; both administered by Empower. The City currently contributes 4% of base salary to an eligible employee’s NC 401(k) account.

Cafeteria Plan / Supplemental Benefits

Realizing that each employee may have different insurance needs, the City offers its employees the opportunity to supplement City‑provided benefits by selecting from the benefits listed below. These benefits are offered at employee's expense through payroll deduction:

• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) – Healthcare and Dependent Care Reimbursement Accounts (pre‑tax)
• Short‑Term and Long‑Term Disability Insurance
• Optional Life & Accidental Death & Dismemberment

Death Benefit

The first year an employee contributes to the retirement system, the City provides a death benefit of $3,000 once the employee is benefits eligible. After one year as a contributing member of the Retirement System, a death benefit is provided by the NC Retirement System that is equal to the highest 12 months’ salary in a row during the 24 months before death, no less than $25,000 and no more than $50,000. There is no cost to the employee for this benefit.

Pay Periods / Deduction For Benefits / Direct Deposit

City employees are paid bi‑weekly (every other Friday). Benefit deductions are taken for 24 pay periods of the year. As an added convenience and safety measure, the City requires all new employees to sign up for direct deposit.

Employee Assistance Program

The EAP is available at no cost to all employees and their household members. The EAP provides confidential guidance on legal, financial and personal issues affecting your health, relationships and job.