Tribal Land Use & Planning Specialist

Prairie Island Indian Community; Welch Township (MN); On-site; USD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Prairie Island Indian Community is seeking a Land Use Planner to lead long-range planning for tribal trust and fee lands. The role evaluates development proposals, coordinates cross-disciplinary projects, and provides technical recommendations to tribal leadership.

You will manage planning processes with attention to cultural values, historic properties, and sacred sites, while coordinating with tribal and external agencies to align with ordinances and strategic goals.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in urban and regional planning, land use planning, civil engineering, environmental planning, or a related field.
• 3-5 years of professional experience managing complex development or infrastructure projects with multiple stakeholders and disciplines.
• Ability to interpret and apply planning regulations, policies, ordinances, and technical standards.
• Strong written, verbal, analytical, organizational, and public communication skills.
• Proficiency with GIS and common planning, mapping, document management, and office software.
• Sensitive to Native American culture.
• Valid driver’s license with ability to travel to project sites and meetings.
• Pass a drug screen and a federal criminal background check.

Responsibilities

• Maintain land use inventories, development data, infrastructure information, and planning maps.
• Support land use plans across trust and fee lands with adherence to ordinances, net-zero goals, and strategic plan.
• Manage contracted engineering, surveying, environmental review, and other technical services.
• Coordinate with tribal, federal, state, county, and municipalities on transportation planning across jurisdictions.
• Coordinate with Public Works on planning for water, wastewater, stormwater, solid waste, energy, and other utilities.
• Coordinate with Housing on land availability, population growth, infrastructure needs, and community facilities.
• Evaluate land use demands and recommend strategies to protect productive agricultural lands for food sovereignty.
• Ensure planning processes consider cultural values, historic properties, archaeological resources, and sacred places.
• Track consultant budgets, invoices, schedules, milestones, and deliverables.
• Prepare planning studies, development scenarios, maps, reports, and staff recommendations for tribal leadership.
• Recommend additional professional services when specialized expertise is required.

Skills

GIS proficiency

Project management

Public communication

Regulatory knowledge

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor's degree in planning or related field

Master’s degree (preferred)

Tools

GIS software

Mapping tools

Office software

Job description

Prairie Island Indian Community is seeking a Land Use Planner to lead long-range planning for tribal trust and fee lands. The role evaluates development proposals, coordinates cross-disciplinary projects, and provides technical recommendations to tribal leadership.

You will manage planning processes with attention to cultural values, historic properties, and sacred sites, while coordinating with tribal and external agencies to align with ordinances and strategic goals.