Urban Planner II

City of Alexandria, Virginia; Alexandria (VA); On-site; USD 64,000 - 113,000; Full time

Job summary

The City of Alexandria, Virginia seeks an Urban Planner II in the Historic Preservation unit within the Department of Planning and Zoning. The role focuses on reviewing historic district projects, coordinating with boards, and supporting neighborhood preservation initiatives.

Candidates should have strong customer service, analytical, and communication skills, plus a four-year planning degree. The position offers opportunities to work on diverse historic districts and engage with community

Qualifications

• Excellent and responsive customer service skills with the public and City staff.
• Ability to manage multiple projects within deadlines and communicate clearly.
• Strong analytical and written/oral communication skills; capable of detailed reports.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a primary point of contact for the public and City staff by phone, email, and in person.
• Assist with administration and enforcement of historic preservation regulations and processes.
• Receive, review, and manage applications and case files for BAR and permits.
• Conduct architectural, historical, and zoning research for BAR Administrative Approvals and Certificates of Appropriateness.
• Review construction documents for compliance with preservation guidelines before permits.
• Prepare clear staff reports and PowerPoint presentations for boards and meetings.
• Conduct site inspections of historic districts and active construction sites.

Skills

Customer service

Communication

Research & analysis

Education

Four-Year College Degree in Regional/Urban Planning or related field

Tools

GIS

Microsoft Office

Adobe InDesign

Job description

About Alexandria

The City of Alexandria is located in northern Virginia and is bordered by the District of Columbia (Potomac River), Arlington, and Fairfax counties. With a population of approximately 150,000 and a land area of 15.75 square miles, Alexandria is the seventh largest city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Alexandria has a charming waterfront and is a unique and historic place to live and work. About one-quarter of the City's square miles have been designated as a national or local historic district. We proudly embrace our rich history and seize the endless opportunities that lie ahead. If you are interested in working for the vibrant City of Alexandria, we invite qualified candidates to apply for our

• Aligning the work we do with our strategic plan.


• Executing against our strategy and ensuring accountability for our results.


• Promoting and encouraging a culture of leadership and ownership at all levels of the organization.


• Promoting a culture of service excellence, creativity and entrepreneurship.

About Alexandria

The City of Alexandria is located in northern Virginia and is bordered by the District of Columbia (Potomac River), Arlington, and Fairfax counties. With a population of approximately 150,000 and a land area of 15.75 square miles, Alexandria is the seventh largest city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Alexandria has a charming waterfront and is a unique and historic place to live and work. About one-quarter of the City's square miles have been designated as a national or local historic district. We proudly embrace our rich history and seize the endless opportunities that lie ahead. If you are interested in working for the vibrant City of Alexandria, we invite qualified candidates to apply for our Urban Planner II position.

Our Work Is Driven By 4 Guiding Principles

• Aligning the work we do with our strategic plan.


• Executing against our strategy and ensuring accountability for our results.


• Promoting and encouraging a culture of leadership and ownership at all levels of the organization.


• Promoting a culture of service excellence, creativity and entrepreneurship.

The Overview

The City of Alexandria, Virginia, Department of Planning and Zoning is seeking a qualified applicant for the position of Urban Planner II in our Historic Preservation unit. Alexandria has two historic districts that comprise about 140 city blocks and over 5,600 structures from the 18-21st centuries. Alexandria is a dynamic and diverse planning environment located within the core of the Washington, DC metropolitan area and presents opportunities for planners to work with stakeholders and business owners within the city's neo-traditional neighborhoods, mixed use and transit-oriented areas, waterfront areas, established neighborhoods, and historic districts. This position will be part of a team of four preservation planners.

What You Should Bring

The ideal candidate should have excellent and responsive customer service skills, ability to handle multiple projects within established deadlines; ability to work effectively with the public and City agencies to resolve issues; strong analytical; written and oral communication skills; extensive experience using strong organizing and multi-tasking skills; extensive experience using strong organizing and multi-tasking skills; and possess analytic skills necessary to address planning matters of varying levels of complexity. Candidates should be able to perform site visits and speak clearly and effectively on preservation methods on a variety of architectural elements. Selected candidate must also have the ability to quickly research information in detailed reports, communicate findings to Planning and Zoning staff, Boards of Architectural Review, and interact well with the public and staff of varying professional levels.

The Opportunity

• Serve as a primary point of contact for the public and City staff, providing assistance by phone, email, and in person;


• Assist with the administration and enforcement of the Alexandria historic preservation regulations and processes;


• Receive, review, and manage applications and case files;


• Conduct complex architectural, historical, and zoning research related to Board of Architectural Review (BAR) Administrative Approval Cases, Certificates of Appropriateness, and Permits to Demolish; including Reviewing, analyzing, and interpreting construction documents, product specifications, site plans, special use permits, building permit applications, and Certificates of Occupancy to evaluate compliance with historic preservation design guidelines and applicable regulations;


• Reviews final detailed construction documents for compliance with approvals prior to issuance of a Building Permit;


• Assist in the preparation of clear, engaging PowerPoint presentations for City boards and commissions, community groups, and other interested parties;


• Prepare staff reports and recommendations for consideration by the BAR; and


• Conduct site inspections throughout the City’s historic districts, including inspections of active construction sites.

About The Department

The Department of Planning and Zoning works closely with the community in each area of the City to carry out City Council's Strategic Plan for vibrant, amenity-rich neighborhoods, protected historic resources, and vital local businesses. With the community as our partner in developing neighborhood plans and reviewing proposals for development projects and businesses, we continue to deliver on the City's Vision we have developed together.

Essential Knowledge, Skills And Abilities

Good knowledge of the principles and practices of City planning; good knowledge of economics, municipal finance and sociology as applied to city planning; good knowledge of current literature and recent developments in the field of public sector planning; some knowledge of the principles of public administration; some knowledge of the principles and practices of engineering and physical design as applied to city planning; ability to plan, assign and direct the work of subordinate employees in technical research on economic, sociological, design and planning problems; ability to analyze and systematically compile technical and statistical information and to prepare technical reports; ability to develop creative approaches for the solution of planning problems; ability to develop and maintain effective working relationships with employees, officials, other agencies, other jurisdictions and the general public; and the ability to evaluate planning proposals.

Job Family, Contribution Level and Career Ladder

Job Family: Medical/Scientific/Engineering/Technology Professions

Contribution Level: 3

Career Ladder: This job class is part of the Urban Planner Career Ladder program

FLSA Status and Basis

FLSA Status: Exempt

FLSA Basis: Admn

EEO Category: Professionals

Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA)

This class specification provides a generalized representation of positions in this class. It is not intended to reflect essential functions pursuant to ADA, nor is it intended to list every specific function and task of this class title. A job class may also have a medical standard associated with specific physical or mental requirements that must be met.

Minimum & Additional Requirements

Minimum: Four-Year College Degree from an accredited college or university in regional, or urban Planning, or a closely related field such as Architecture, Landscape Architecture, Geography, Urban Studies, Public Administration, Physical Sciences, Historic Preservation, or Environmental Studies; three years of experience or Master's degree with 1 year experience; or any equivalent combination of experience and training which provides the required knowledge, skills and abilities.

Preferred Qualifications

The preferred candidate will have a four-year college degree in Historic Preservation, Urban Planning, Architecture, or a related field and at least one year of experience working for a government agency, board or commission, or in a similar regulatory environment, and will have an understanding of historic preservation principles and practices, experience reading and analyzing architectural designs and construction documents, and a positive attitude with demonstrated superior customer service skills. This candidate will have proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite (including the ability to prepare visually compelling PowerPoint presentations), Adobe (graphics editing and layouts in InDesign or other similar programs) and familiarity with GIS with the ability to prepare complex graphics and maps for the website and other special projects.

The preferred candidate will also have strong understanding with American architectural styles, building terminology, construction techniques, building survey and best preservation practices and will be able to work well as part of a team, under the supervision of a senior planner.

Salary Information

$64,296.44 – $113,149.40 annually, depending on education and experience. The Department may offer a starting salary up to $86,127.86 (Step 8), based on the selected candidate’s qualifications, education, and experience.

The City of Alexandria is an Equal Opportunity Employer and values diversity in its workforce. All qualified candidates will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital status, personal appearance, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, family responsibilities, matriculation, political affiliation, genetic information, military status, or disability.

The City of Alexandria is an Equal Opportunity Employer and values diversity in its workforce. All qualified candidates will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital status, personal appearance, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, family responsibilities, matriculation, political affiliation, genetic information, military status, or disability.

We are proud to welcome you to explore the City of Alexandria's excellent benefits and programs!

The benefits referenced on this site, may be changed from time to time without notice. Temporary and some part-time positions are not eligible for these benefits. For further information, please contact the Talent Acquisition Team of Human Resources at [e-mail].