Associate Land Use Planner

Bellevue is building the city of the future. Our welcoming, multicultural, innovation-focused community attracts technology pioneers, outdoor enthusiasts, and family-focused professionals from around the world. At Bellevue, you’ll be part of a team committed to providing exceptional customer service, upholding the public interest and being a part of the community vision. Our people bring unique skills and qualities to the table, embrace the values of honesty, accountability, and commitment to service, and take pride in the work they do. You’ll work in an environment where being innovative, collaborative, and future focused are the status quo. The City invests in its employees and encourages and rewards employee growth and development by building on our commonalities and our differences. Bellevue welcomes the world. Our diversity is our strength and it’s what makes Bellevue an exciting place to work, live, and explore. Development Services is a department that unifies cross-departmental review functions including Building, Planning, Utilities, Transportation, and Fire disciplines into one line of business. This allows for one-stop shopping for information and permits needed for all development activity in Bellevue. We are code compliance officers, engineers, finance analysts, inspectors, planners, plans examiners, permit technicians, and support staff from the Land Use, Building, Fire, Transportation, and Utilities divisions. The 25-person Land Use Division consists of four work groups: Environmental Team, Neighborhood Development Team, Urban Design Team and Housing and Special Projects Team. We are currently looking for an Associate Planner to join the Land Use Division on the Housing and Special Projects Team. Development review is the main focus of the Associate Planner level, and the scope of potential assignments is diverse, varied, and grows with experience. In addition to development review, the work includes consulting with potential applicants regarding possible future development and providing exceptional public service and information on polices, codes, review processes, and project proposals. Project types will include both residential and commercial and involve simple to complex project management of the review process. Projects may be subject to special design and environmental requirements that impact the complexity of the project and the review process. The associate planner position requires strong analytical ability and excellent customer service skills to engage and collaborate with a very diverse client base and interested public. Some of the many benefits of working in Bellevue include: Hybrid work environment Exceptional benefits Commitment to Employees Focus on Equity and Inclusion Office location Downtown – close to transit, shopping, restaurants and entertainment. If you are a collaborative problem solver, are customer focused and have an interest and experience, apply today and join our team! A successful candidate will have prior experience in land use planning and interest in issues pertaining to design, affordable housing and the environment. Those with experience in the following, including but not limited to: platting, conditional use permits, design review, critical areas, shorelines, sustainability, tree preservation, habitat restoration, mitigation, and landscape design are encouraged to apply. Field work is occasional in this role and most activities involve the review and evaluation of plans, technical materials, and consultant documents and reports. Public information meetings and/or presentations to the Hearing Examiner are also occasional and will require work after business hours. Candidates with strong analytical and writing skills and experience presenting technical information to nontechnical audiences are desired. Successful candidates should have experience with the following: Ability to review and project manage a myriad of development review projects predominantly focusing on medium range land use applications that have varying complexities, processes, and interest from the public. Substantive analysis of discretionary reviews of all types with modest direction from supervisors. Monitoring project review according to pre-agreed timelines. This may include project management of Affordable Housing projects eligible for expedited review. Coordinating and managing information received from technical reviewers into consolidated documents for transmittal to applicants.Using technical expertise to advise junior staff on complex and politically sensitive projects. Training and coaching junior staff in areas of expertise. Organizing and performing original research and preparation of written findings and recommendations for land use code or policy development. Working closely with senior management on policy development issues. Providing official responses to inquiries from local, state, federal, and tribal entities. Acting as a consultant to other departments within the city.Preparing and making presentations for councils, hearing examiner, boards and commissions, community groups, and private organizations. Ability to engage in independent routine problem solving, negotiation, and discretionary decision-making. Takes initiative in learning the Land Use Code and preparing in-depth analysis and written documentation of land use and environmental interpretations, decisions, and determinations with minimal assistance. Working effectively and predominantly with teams of consultants and City staff. Knowledge of: Applicable codes and policies used in land use review and the SEPA process. Comprehensive plan and development review processes. Development review and planning principles, practices, regulations, and techniques as they relate to land use, environmental , or transportation planning. Zoning laws and comprehensive plans including their formation, process of adoption, an enforcement. Local government and political decision-making processes. Ability to: Read and interpret architectural, civil, and landscape plans and technical documents. Utilize computer programs created for the benefit of facilitating development services review including permit tracking, electronic plan review, timekeeping, GIS, and other applications. Communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, with individuals and groups regarding complex or controversial proposals and how the City’s land use and planning policies apply. Explain complex code and review processes to architects, contractors, developers, owners, supervisors, employees and the general public. Establish and maintain effective working relationships with other staff, applicants, interested public, and members of state and federal agencies as applicable. Provide in-depth technical expertise in specialized area of planning such as development review, SEPA, landscaping, critical areas, architecture, urban design, or other related areas. Write clear and concise staff reports and communication that is understood by the anticipated audience. Ability to negotiate solutions to development review issues in a collaborative manner. Respond to internal and external customers within 24 hours within the prescribed timeline established for the Development Services line of business. Apply project management techniques to independently coordinate internal and external review teams to ensure development review deadlines are completed within established timelines. Ability to manage assigned workload ensuring completion of review within established timelines. Develop and implement system improvements related to assigned body of land use professional project types. Demonstrate leadership by staffing or chairing committees and internal improvement teams. Education, Experience, and Other Requirements: Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with a degree in land use planning, urban planning, landscape architecture, environmental studies, or a closely related field; or unrelated field and completion of an accredited professional planning certificate program. A minimum of three years’ experience and comprehensive knowledge of planning principles, practices, and techniques as they relate to all functional areas of land use, environmental impacts, design review or other related areas and must include two years of project management and development review experience. Four or more years related professional experience in any of the following is preferred: land use planning, the development process, environmental planning, or urban design. Or any demonstrated combination of education and applicable experience which provides the applicant with the required knowledge, skills, and abilities. Physical Demands: The physical demands and work environment described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Work involves walking, talking, hearing, using hands to handle, feel or operate objects, tools, or controls and reach with hands and arms. Vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus. The employee may be required to push, pull, lift, and/or carry objects up to 40 pounds. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderately quiet.

FLEXIBLE/HYBRID WORKING:

A hybrid work schedule is available for this position after an orientation period. Remote work for this position is subject to the department's operational needs and will be discussed with candidates during the selection process. Full-time remote work is not an available option. Once hired, employees must reside in the State of Washington and within reasonable commuting distance to Bellevue City Hall. This is a Union represented position. The terms of its wages and working conditions are currently being negotiated between the City and the Union. #J-18808-Ljbffr City of Bellevue