Community Development - Senior Planner

Senior Planner The Community Development department plays a vital role in comprehensive planning, land use management, zoning administration, and long‑range development initiatives throughout the City. The Senior Planner position performs complex professional and administrative work in directing, coordinating, and managing the City’s planning functions within the Department of Community Development. This role guides land use decisions, supports sustainable growth, and helps preserve the unique character and quality of life that makes Poquoson a special coastal community. Work involves leadership in land use planning, zoning administration, long‑range comprehensive planning, and community development initiatives to ensure orderly and sustainable growth consistent with the City’s policies and goals. The position requires independent judgment, strong analytical skills, and the ability to work collaboratively with City staff, elected officials, regional partners, and the public. This is a full‑time, exempt position with a starting salary of $71,504. Essential Functions Assists citizens with the land use permit/rezoning process; provides ordinance and comprehensive plan interpretations. Reviews and coordinates reviews of the land use applications, comprehensive plan and ordinance amendments for review by the Planning Commission and the City Council. Coordinate the purchase and installation of streetlights. Processes and presents technical reports in the areas of land use, environmental, economic impact and land development. Reviews site plans and plats for conformance with the City and State ordinances and regulations. Reviews building and zoning permit applications. Reviews local ordinances to verify consistency and intent; recommends updates as needed; researches other local government ordinances to benchmark how land use issues are handled. Serves as staff liaison to various boards and commissions including the Planning Commission, City Council, the Architectural Review Board and the Board of Zoning Appeals. Reviews Home Business and Farm Animal permits. Conducts research and prepares statistical reports on land use, physical, social, and economic issues. Represents the City at regional planning organizational meetings. Zoning and Code Compliance Enforcement. Oversees the efficient processing of land use and development applications through the legislative and administrative review, approval and enforcement processes. Interprets, implements and enforces established land use and development regulations. Serves as a department liaison at City Council, Planning Commission and Architectural Review Board meetings and provides staff support to the Economic Development Authority as needed. Analyzes and interprets defined goals and objectives in the City’s adopted Comprehensive Plan as it relates to land use, transportation and environmental planning matters. Recommends and drafts changes to the City Code, ordinances, policies and procedures as it relates to land use, environmental, transportation and development matters. Serves as City liaison at regional organizations and interacts with regional and State representatives on transportation, environmental, land use and development related matters. Analyzes and interprets comprehensive land use, environmental and transportation studies and reports to determine the practicality and accuracy of its methodology and discoveries. Assists citizens, landowners, developers, consultants and contractors in assessing the feasibility of development concepts based on City standards and policies. Serves on the City’s Development Plan Review Committee and offers planning related findings on development applications. Provides oversight and assigns tasks to subordinate department staff primarily as it relates to the processing of land use applications. Performs other related duties as assigned. Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Comprehensive knowledge of the principles and practices of urban and regional planning. Comprehensive knowledge of economics, municipal finance and sociology as they apply to planning. General knowledge of the principles and practices of civil and environmental engineering as they relate to planning. Ability to interpret and analyze technical and statistical information and to prepare and present technical verbal and written reports. Ability to read and interpret blueprints, site plans and architectural designs. Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with associates, elected officials, developers, site designers, engineers, subordinates, regional leaders, civic organizations, and the general public. Education and Experience Bachelor’s degree in Urban or Regional Planning, Public Administration, Geography, or a related field (Master’s degree preferred). Minimum of five (5) years of progressively responsible experience in municipal or regional planning, including some supervisory experience, or equivalent combination of education and experience. Physical Requirements This work requires the frequent exertion of up to 10 pounds of force and occasional exertion of up to 25 pounds of force; work regularly requires sitting, speaking or hearing, using hands to handle or feel and repetitive motions, frequently requires reaching with hands and arms and occasionally requires standing, walking, climbing or balancing, stooping, kneeling, crouching or crawling, pushing or pulling and lifting; work requires close vision, distance vision, ability to adjust focus, color perception and peripheral vision; vocal communication is required for expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word and conveying detailed or important instructions to others accurately, loudly or quickly; hearing is required to perceive information at normal spoken word levels and to receive detailed information through oral communications and/or to make fine distinctions in sound; work requires preparing and analyzing written or computer data, visual inspection involving small defects and/or small parts, operating machines, operating motor vehicles or equipment and observing general surroundings and activities; work occasionally requires working near moving mechanical parts and exposure to the risk of electrical shock; work is generally in a moderately noisy location (e.g. business office, light traffic). Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Special Requirements Certification by the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) preferred, or within two years of hire. Completion of Floodplain Management training within two years from hire. * The City of Poquoson is an Equal Opportunity Employer and values diversity in the workplace. #J-18808-Ljbffr Poquoson Police Department