Principal Planner

Salary: See Position Description
Location : York County Planning & Development Office, York, SC
Job Type: Full Time
Job Number: 2026-01114
Department: Planning
Division: P & D Planning
Opening Date: 07/28/2026
Closing Date: 8/28/2026 5:00 PM Eastern
FLSA: Exempt


About us
York County is located in the Piedmont region, between the Broad River and the Catawba River. Its diverse landscape is home to family-friendly towns/cities, a progressive urban region and lakefront communities. We are excited that you want to join our team and recognize that our employees are the foundation for our success.

Mission Statement - York County provides quality public services in an open, efficient, and responsive manner.
Vision Statement - York County provides an environment where all citizens and businesses can thrive and succeed.
Core Values -Excellence through Professionalism

• Respect - respect builds bridges, not silos. How we live it? Golden rule - treat others as you want to be treated.
• Dedicated - strong work ethic. How we live it? Persistence, reliability and commitment to do your best.
• Integrity - do the right thing instead of what is convenient. How we live it? Displaying strong moral principles.
• Knowledgeable - ready and able. How we live it? Having the right competencies necessary for achievement.
• Friendly - service with a smile. How we live it? Being respectful, pleasant and helpful to ALL.

About our opportunity


About our opportunity
We are excited to hire a full-time Principal Planner to join our team! The purpose of this position is to develop and implement long-range planning efforts, particularly the York County Comprehensive Plan; to develop or manage small area plans and studies; to implement initiatives of adopted plans, including the Strategic Plan; and to research best practice in drafting land use ordinances that effectively implement adopted plans.

Projected Salary Range/Pay Grade 122: $73,287.79 - $87,945.34per year. Salary is determined based on experience and education.
Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00 am - 5:00 pm (40 hours/exempt)
Our Total Compensation Package:

• Compensation - competitive market-rate pay, and negotiable based on qualifications.
• Comprehensive State Medical Insurance, Dental and Vision Insurance
• Life Insurance
• Long-term disability
• Parental Leave
• Bereavement Leave
• Deferred Compensation 401K Plans
• Health Savings Account (HSA)
• Public Loan Forgiveness Program (Student Loan Forgiveness Program)
• 11 Paid Holidays + 3 Optional Holidays
• Longevity Pay
• SC State Retirement Plan Pension
• Paid Vacation and Sick Time
• Expanded Sick Bank
• Critical Care and Cancer Insurance
• Wellness Screenings
• Employee Assistance Programs
• Professional Development / Trainings / Conferences

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Serves as primary staff responsible for implementation of the Comprehensive Plan goals and objectives, including zoning code research and revision, economic development planning, pedestrian and bicycle planning, and any other initiatives identified in the Comprehensive Plan.
• Serves as contributing staff responsible for developing and maintaining a planning process for the systematic preparation and updating of those elements, surveys, and studies in the County Comprehensive Plan.
• Prepares updates to the Comprehensive Plan, including mandatory elements pertaining to population, economic development, natural resources, cultural resources, community facilities, housing, transportation, open space, and land use.
• Manages and provides technical support to consultant teams hired for planning programs or studies.
• Creates, publishes, and distributes GIS maps, plans, reports, and recommendations associated with the plans and programs of planning initiatives to public officials, agencies, stakeholder organizations, and the general public.
• Receives and responds to inquiries, concerns, complaints, and requests for assistance regarding areas of responsibilities.
• Conducts comprehensive surveys and studies of existing conditions and probable future development, including recommended means of implementation, which requires the ability to drive to several locations in and around the County.
• Writes grant proposals for planning initiatives and manages associated project funding.
• Performs related work as assigned.

About you
Education and Experience:

• Bachelor's Degree in Urban Planning, or related discipline. Master's degree preferred.
• Six (6) years of experience in project review and compliance with local regulations, or an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.
• GIS experience preferred.

Certifications and Licenses:

• Valid driver's license is required.
• American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) preferred.

Applicants with equivalent experience and/or education may be considered.

Physical Demands / Work Environment / Disclaimer
Physical Demands: Physical demands refer to the requirements for physical exertion and coordination of limb and body movement.

• Performs sedentary work that involves walking or standing some of the time and involves exerting up to 10 pounds of force on a regular and recurring basis or sustained keyboard operations.

Americans with Disabilities Act Compliance: York County is an Equal Opportunity Employer. ADA requires the County to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified persons with disabilities. Prospective and current employees are encouraged to discuss ADA accommodations with management.
Standard Clauses: May be required to work nights, weekends, holidays and emergencies (man-made or natural) to meet the business needs of the County.
This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of essential functions and responsibilities that are required of an employee for this job. Other duties, responsibilities, and activities may change or be assigned at any time with or without notice.
Full-time employees are allowed to participate in group medical, dental, vision, life and disability insurance programs offered by York County Government. If employees elect to secure dependent coverage, the employee should pay the additional costs for such coverage. All statements of insurance coverage are subject to the terms, conditions, restrictions and other eligibility requirements that are set forth in various insurance plan documents.


Our full-time benefits through PEBA (South Carolina Retirement Systems and State Health Plan) include health insurance, prescription benefits, dental, vision, life insurance, MoneyPlus, Health Savings Accounts, retirement (Membership in the South Carolina Retirement System is mandatory for county employees), and deferred compensation. Making decisions about your insurance and retirement benefits can sometimes be complicated and difficult. The Navigating Your Benefits series provides common-language explanations and can help you find your way in the world of your insurance and retirement benefits:


Other full-time benefits include longevity allowance, annual leave, sick leave, holiday pay, Sick Leave Bank, wellness benefits, Employee Assistance Program, etc. Please contact Human Resources at View email address on click.appcast.io if you would like more information.

Longevity Allowance
Full-time regular county employees, elected officials, appointed officials, and judges with ten or more years of full time continuous governmental service are eligible to receive a monthly longevity allowance in addition to their regular compensation. Continuous service transferred from employment with another county, municipality, state or a political entity created by the State may contribute toward eligibility for the longevity allowance. Longevity allowances are paid according to the following schedule.

Longevity Allowance
Years of Continuous Service Monthly Longevity Amount
10-14 Years $20.00
15-19 Years $25.00
20-24 Years $30.00
25-29 Years $35.00
30-34 Years $40.00
35-39 Years $45.00
40+ Years $50.00

Parental Leave Employees that have been employed at least 12 months with the county may be eligible for up to 30 days of parental leave immediately following the birth, adoption or placement of a legal dependent child. Bereavement Leave
Three (3) days of bereavement leave for the death of an immediate family member, which includes a spouse, parent, grandparent or child. Annual Leave
Probationary and regular full-time county employees that work at least twenty (20) hours per week accrue annual leave with pay. Employees in their new hire six (6) month probationary period shall not be able to use annual leave until they become regular county employees. Employees who are separating from county service shall be paid for all accrued, unused annual leave up to 360 hours provided they give York County as the employer the proper notice as required. Employees in their six (6) month New Hire probationary period who are terminated or separated from employment shall not be paid for accrued annual leave. The maximum amount of annual leave carried into each calendar year is 360 hours.

Earning Rate for Full-Time Employees
Full-time employees with less than ten years of continuous service earn at the rate of eight hours of paid annual leave for each month of service during a twelve month period. Full-time employees with at least ten years, but less than twenty years of continuous service will earn at the rate of ten (10) hours of paid annual leave for each month of service during a twelve-month period. Full-time employees with twenty or more years of service will earn at the rate of twelve (12) hours of paid annual leave for each month of service during a twelve (12) months period.

Sick Leave
Full-time county employees may be entitled to earn sick leave with pay. Employees may accrue up to 1,440 hours of sick leave. Upon termination of employment with the County, employees may not be reimbursed for any unused sick leave. When a paid holiday occurs while an employee is on sick leave with pay, the day may not be charged as sick leave.

Earning Rate of Sick Leave
Full time employees will earn eight hours of sick leave per month of service during a twelve month period.


Paid Holiday's
The following days may be observed as paid holidays for York County Employees:
January - December: 3 Optional Holidays per Calendar Year
January: New Year's Day and Martin Luther King Day
May: Memorial Day
June: Juneteenth Day
July: Independence Day
September: Labor Day
November: Veteran's Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Friday after Thanksgiving
December: Christmas Eve, Christmas Day

Training:
Quality training and educational programs are available at various times for county employees in order to support workforce development that is consistent with organizational objectives. Training topics may include driver training, CPR/first aid, communication, supervisor training, workplace violence, substance abuse, and various computer related classes.
01


Do you possess a Bachelor's degree in Planning or a related field?

• Yes
• No

02


Do you possess six (6) years of experience in project review and compliance with local regulations?

• Yes
• No

03


Do you possess a current American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) certification? (preferred)

• Yes
• No

04


Do you possess a valid driver's license?

• Yes
• No

05


Do you have any GIS experience?

• Yes
• No

Required Question