Senior Planning Specialist - Long Range Planning Division

St Mary's County Government; Leonardtown (MD); On-site; USD 53,000 - 58,000; Full time

Job summary

St Mary's County Government seeks an Administrative Support Specialist for the Long-Range Planning Division. You will handle staff support, community outreach coordination, and assist with public meetings and notices.

The role involves updating the County and MPO websites, preparing agendas, minutes, and background materials, and supporting the Deputy Director and planners in implementing long-range plans. Evening/weekend duties may be required.

Qualifications

• Provides administrative support to staff of the Long-Range Planning Division to meet goals and objectives.
• Assists in coordinating community outreach events and initiatives.
• Attends community outreach events and provides staff support as needed (may include public meeting room set-up and break-down).
• Answers phones and directs calls to appropriate staff members and/or takes and delivers messages; assists visitors and staff with inquiries.
• Maintains the Calvert-St. Mary’s MPO and related Departmental website content for accuracy.

Responsibilities

• Prepares legal ads and meeting notices for public hearings/meetings; ensures notices are properly posted.
• Prepares/uploads Meeting Agendas and Minutes to Diligent and public website for MPO and Historic Preservation Commission.
• Occasionally prepares Meeting Agendas and Minutes to Diligent for Planning Commission and Board of Appeals.
• Prepares correspondence; maintains schedules; logs and scans submittals; maintains record files and databases.

Skills

Policy understanding

Public liaison

Communication skills

Coordination

Regulatory knowledge

Technical writing

Office software

Multitasking

Website editing

Education

Associate’s degree or higher from an accredited college or university in Transportation Planning, Urban Planning, Business Administration, Public Administration, or related field

Job description

Provides administrative support for the Long-Range Planning Division, whose diverse work consists of regional transportation planning, environmental efforts, historic preservation, and adequate public facilities; Performs other duties as assigned.

The hiring salary for this position is $52,874 - $58,323 annually.

1. Provides administrative support to staff of the Long-Range Planning Division to meet goals and objectives;
2. Assists in coordinating community outreach events and initiatives;
3. Attends community outreach events and provides staff support as needed (may include public meeting room set-up and break-down), to include occasional evenings and weekends;
4. Answers phones and directs calls to appropriate staff members and/or takes and delivers messages; assists visitors and staff with any inquiries;
5. Assists the Deputy Director and Long-Range Planner III in maintaining the Calvert-St. Mary’s MPO website, and certain aspects of the Departmental website content current
6. to ensure accurate information reaches the public;
   Prepares legal ads and meeting notices for public hearings/meetings; responsible for ensuring legal notices and meeting notices are properly posted;
7. Prepares/uploads Meeting Agendas, Meeting Minutes, and necessary background information to Diligent (County’s software platform to publicize meetings/hearings conducted by commissioner-appointed Boards, Commissions, and Committees) for the St. Mary’s County Historic Preservation Commission;
8. Prepares/uploads Meeting Agendas, Meeting Minutes, and necessary background information to website for the Calvert – St. Mary’s Metropolitan Planning Organization (C-SMMPO);
9. Occasionally prepares/uploads Meeting Agendas, Meeting Minutes, and necessary background information to Diligent for the St. Mary’s County Planning Commission and Board of Appeals;
10. Prepares correspondence; maintains schedules; logs and scans submittals; maintains record files and databases; prepares mailouts and meeting packets;
11. Drafts press releases and coordinates with the County’s Public Information Office;
12. Assists the Deputy Director and Long-Range Planner III with tasks related to the administration and implementation of the County’s long-range plans including but not limited to the Comprehensive Plan, the Comprehensive Water and Sewerage Plan (including the production of Equivalent Dwelling Unit (EDU) notices, the Lexington Park Development District Master Plan;
13. Periodically relieves the Senior Office Specialist within the Permits Division (Receptionist) during meal breaks or PTO;
14. Performs other duties as assigned.

1. Ability to gain thorough understanding of St. Mary’s County Government policies procedures;
2. Ability to act as a representative of St. Mary’s County Government to the public;
3. Ability to effectively communicate with other Department staff members; ability to coordinate, advise, and work with other professionals, elected officials, and residents;
4. Ability to gain knowledge of relevant local, state, and federal regulations regarding planning programs and policies;
5. Ability to read, edit and write technical documents and correspondence;
6. Ability to understand office procedures and ability to operate modern office equipment including computer hardware and software;
7. Ability to prioritize and multitask; and
8. Ability to learn how to perform minor edits to Department website.

1. Associate’s degree or higher from an accredited college or university in Transportation Planning, Urban Planning, Business Administration, Public Administration, or related field;
2. Two (2) years of experience in land use planning and/or experience working on a professional level with governmental agencies, community groups and organizations preferred;
3. An equivalent combination of education and experience;
4. A valid Maryland driver’s license.

Additional Requirements

1. Must successfully pass background investigation with favorable results;
2. Must pass a pre-employment drug test.

Physical and Environmental Conditions

Work requires no unusual demand for physical effort.

Work environment involves everyday risks or discomforts which require normal safety precautions typical of such places as offices or meeting rooms, e.g., use of safe workplace practices with office equipment, and/or avoidance of trips and falls.

Full salary range for this position is $52,874 - $91,042 annually. The full salary range does not reflect the anticipated hiring salary for this position. The anticipated hiring range is $52,874 - $58,323 annually, based on the selected candidate's qualifications and experience.