Senior Planner

Alachua-County-Board-of-County-Commissioners; Gainesville (FL); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

The Alachua County Board of County Commissioners seeks a Senior Planner to provide expert environmental planning analysis to guide lawful land-use and development decisions while protecting natural resources in north-central Florida. The role involves complex reviews, reports, site inspections, and coordination with multiple County departments and public bodies.

The ideal candidate holds a Master’s degree in a relevant field and at least one year of professional planning experience, with strong

Qualifications

• Master's degree in urban planning, geography, public administration, architecture, civil engineering, environmental science, or related field with 1 year professional planning experience.

Responsibilities

• Perform complex land use change and development plan analyses for board reviews.
• Prepare comprehensive reports and presentations for the Board of County Commissioners, Planning Commission, and Development Review Committee.
• Conduct site inspections and coordinate reviews with staff to ensure compliance with Comprehensive Plan and development regulations.
• Develop and implement goals, objectives, and policies for the Comprehensive Plan and related codes.
• Present findings at official public meetings and assist with environmental monitoring and stewardship activities.

Skills

Environmental planning

Policy analysis

Public speaking

Report writing

Data analysis

Education

Master's degree in urban planning

Master's degree in geography

Master's degree in public administration

Tools

ArcGIS

Microsoft Office

Job description

Are you ready to use your environmental planning and review, policy implementation, and stewardship expertise to help shape responsible growth and protect Alachua County’s natural resources?

The Alachua County Department of Environmental Protection and its Natural Resources Program Division is recruiting for a Senior Planner position to provide expert environmental-planning analysis that helps the County decision-makers make informed, legally defensible land-use and development decisions while protecting environmentally sensitive lands, species, and habitats.

As a Senior Planner, you will perform detailed, complex land use change, zoning change and development plan analyses that culminate in comprehensive reports and presentations used by decision-making bodies such as the Board of County Commissioners, the Planning Commission and the Development Review Committee. Additionally, the position is responsible for the development and implementation of Comprehensive Plan goals, objectives and policies, land development regulations and several county-wide environmental codes. The ideal candidate must be knowledgeable about regional wetland and upland flora and fauna, including rare and regulated species and their habitats, and demonstrate a thorough understanding of environmental planning issues relevant to north-central Florida. This person will need to complete site inspections, review detailed development applications, coordinate reviews with other staff members, write reports, present findings at official public meetings, and may assist with land acquisition and stewardship activities such as prescribed fires, development impact analysis, floral and faunal inventories, and environmental monitoring.

Minimum Requirements

Master's degree in urban planning, geography, public administration, architecture, civil engineering, environmental science, or related field, and one year professional planning experience; or any equivalent combination of related training and experience. Applicants within six months of meeting the education/experience requirement may be considered for trainee status.

Successful completion of all applicable background checks pre-hire and ongoing are required.

Positions assigned to the Department of Environmental Protection: A Valid Florida Driver License is required and a Motor Vehicle Record that meets the requirements of Alachua County policy #6-7; Motor Vehicle Records will be reviewed prior to employment. If, in the past 24-month period, the applicant's Motor Vehicle Record has more than three (3) moving traffic infractions or three (3) or more at fault motor vehicle accidents (or combination of both and /or a conviction/pending charge for driving under the influence) or is in violation of any standard mandated by Federal or State Law or Regulation, the minimum qualifications are not met for the position.

This is highly responsible professional and technical work in a variety of County Departments.

An employee assigned to this classification designs and performs difficult and complex planning research; prepares reports; assists senior professional staff in conceptualizing, formulating, and implementing the County's overall Comprehensive Plan, land development regulations, and other departmental policies and procedures; economic development and housing program activities; environmental and transportation impact studies; developing and conducting research projects; supervising research project teams presenting research results and recommendations to management. Performs difficult and complex environmental trend analysis, performs difficult and complex transportation analysis, as well as detailed development plan analysis which culminate in comprehensive reports and presentations, as required.

Work is performed under the general direction of a higher level supervisor and is reviewed through conferences, reports, and the observation of results obtained.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

This is an emergency essential classification. Upon declaration of a disaster and/or emergency, all employees in this classification are required to work.

Advocates building organizational culture through aligning decisions with the County's core values.

Coordinates and conducts extensive background research, surveys, and interviews and prepares reports on such areas as economics, the environment, land use, public facilities and infrastructure systems, planning law, urban design, social issues, and other planning concerns.

Conducts field investigations and interviews.

Makes presentations to other members of the Department, Administration, and to elected and appointed officials and citizens dealing with factual information and predetermined policy recommendations.

Reviews and comments on site plans and development proposals for compliance with County policy and sound planning principles. These reviews may include Comprehensive Plan Amendment analysis, Zoning Application Process System analysis, and site plan/development plan/subdivision plat analysis.

Supervises, as required, departmental research teams of lower level professional and/or technical employees.

Confers with the public on matters concerning planning, both in individual and group settings, including making formal presentations to groups of citizens.

Compiles data, inventory, and tracking of the county's natural resource base.

Performs on-site analysis of environmental or transportation impacts, responds to citizens inquiries and complaints regarding natural resources.

Researches applicable federal, state, and local planning/regulatory literature to be used in the formulation of the Comprehensive Plan policy and Unified Land Development Code.

Hires and supervises, as required, the work of intern positions.

Prepares grant applications for local program funding.

Operates, as required, motor vehicles (including departmental motor vehicles) in order to conduct field tests, inspections, and investigations to obtain data for use in determining code compliance and sources of, and methods for, controlling County-wide environmental pollutants, attending meetings, and site visits.

Performs the duties listed, as well as those assigned, with professionalism and a sense of urgency.

This classification exists in multiple County Departments. The duties listed above apply to all SR Planner positions and the specific duties listed below are shown for each department/division.

Environmental Protection Department/Natural Resources

This position performs detailed complex land use change, zoning change and development plan analyses that culminate in comprehensive reports and presentations used by decision-making bodies such as the Board of County Commissioners, the Planning Commission and the Development Review Committee. Additionally, this position is responsible for the development and implementation of Comprehensive Plan goals, objectives and policies; land development regulations and environmental codes. This position requires considerable knowledge about regional wetland and upland flora and fauna including rare and regulated species and their habits and demonstrate a thorough understanding of environmental planning issues relevant to north-central Florida. This position will complete site inspections utilizing a County and/or personal vehicle, review detailed development applications, coordinate reviews with staff members, write reports, present findings at official public meetings, and may assist with land acquisition and stewardship activities such as prescribed fires, exotic plant control, floral and faunal inventories, and environmental monitoring.

NOTE: These examples are intended only as illustrations of the various kinds of work performed in positions allocated to this class. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related or a logical assignment to the position.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

• Thorough knowledge of principles, practices and methods of comprehensive planning and plan implementation. This may include contemporary principles, practices, and methods in the following disciplines: land use planning, site design, public policy analysis, economic and demographic analysis,conservation ecology/biology, ecosystem dynamics, wildlife ecology/biology, population dynamics, botany, geography, geology, soil science, hydrology, water chemistry, and transportation modeling/engineering.
• Knowledge of zoning, subdivision regulation and other development regulations and techniques to include historic preservation.
• Knowledge of advanced technical skills in botany, ecology and land management, as well as familiarity with sound planning principles.
• Knowledge of planning research procedures in both written and graphic form.
• Knowledge of economics, government finance, political science, geography, sociology and environmental science as applied to public sector planning.
• Knowledge of the traditional organization and operations of local and state government agencies.
• Knowledge of the laws and regulations relating to the practice of public sector planning.
• Knowledge of the use of planning/development related computing devices and software; knowledge of and ability to use computer techniques in public planning and management applications.
• Skill in the operation of motor vehicles.
• Ability to effectively supervise and coordinate the activities of subordinate employees.
• Ability to carry out complex planning studies and to take a significant role in the preparation and maintenance of comprehensive plans and functional plans.
• Ability to analyze information and to formulate substantive policy recommendations based upon such studies.
• Ability to express ideas and findings clearly and concisely, utilizing oral, written, and graphic techniques.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with supervisors, other employees, outside agencies, and the general public.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

• The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit; talk or hear.
• The employee is frequently required to reach occasionally required to be mobile.
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, color vision, peripheral vision, and ability to adjust focus associated with the constant use of computer monitors.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally exposed to outdoor weather conditions, and risk of electrical shock.
• The employee may perform field work in inclement weather and harsh conditions such as wet areas and dense brush with biting insects, venomous animals or irritating plants.
• The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.