Senior Planner

Senior Planner

This Safety Sensitive (SS) position is responsible for assisting in administering planning and development activities for the City.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Processes applications for developments permitted under the zoning ordinance; coordinates review by other City departments. This duty is performed daily.
• Processes applications for conditional use projects including drafting staff reports for the Planning Commission. This duty is performed monthly.
• Reviews subdivision plats to determine compliance with City subdivision regulations. This duty is performed monthly.
• Inspects projects under construction to ensure compliance with regulations and Planning Commission conditions; issues zoning certificates. This duty is performed weekly.
• Coordinates with other City departments on projects under review by the Planning Commission, Planning Department or Board of Adjustment. This duty is performed daily.
• Reviews and processes applications for variances. This duty is performed monthly.
• Responds to citizens' questions and comments in a courteous and timely manner ensuring that citizens receive the information or advice they need. This duty is performed daily.
• Communicates and coordinates regularly with appropriate staff and officials. This duty is performed daily.
• Informs supervisor concerning work progress, potential work problems and provides suggestions for new or improved policies. This duty is performed weekly.
• Assists in the review of annexation requests, the submission of approved annexations to the US Department of Census Bureau and in the correction and update of maps and records. This duty is performed annually.
• Provides information and training for new personnel. This duty is performed as needed.
• Collects and organizes data; conducts analysis; performs research; interprets and presents findings in regards to City planning. This duty is performed as needed.
• Attends meetings, conferences, workshops and training sessions; stays current with developments in the principles and practices of City planning; maintains professional standing in the field of urban planning. This duty is performed as needed.
• Acts as administrative zoning official in the absence of the Planning Director. This duty is performed as needed.
• Operates a City vehicle in the performance of essential job functions. This duty is performed as needed.
• Other related duties as assigned.
• Perform any other related duties as required or assigned.

Qualifications:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty mentioned satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.

Education and Experience:

Broad knowledge of such fields as accounting, marketing, business administration, finance, etc. Equivalent to a four year college degree, plus 3 years related experience and/or training, and 12 to 18 months related management experience, or equivalent combination of education and experience.

Communication Skills:

Ability to read, analyze, and understand the most complex documents; ability to respond effectively to the most sensitive inquiries or complaints; ability to write speeches and articles using original or innovative techniques or style; ability to make effective and persuasive speeches and presentations on controversial or complex topics to top management, public groups, and/or boards of directors.

Mathematical Skills:

Ability to work with mathematical concepts such as probability and statistical inference, and fundamentals of plane, algebra, solid geometry and trigonometry.

Critical Thinking Skills:

Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions. Ability to interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions in mathematical or diagram form and deal with several abstract and concrete variables.

Required Certificates, Licenses, Registrations:

Valid driver's license

Preferred Certificates, Licenses, Registrations:

AICP

Software Skills Required:

Intermediate: Presentation/PowerPoint, Word Processing/Typing

Basic: Contact Management, Database, Spreadsheet

Initiative and Ingenuity:

Supervision Received:

Under direction where a definite objective is set up and the employee plans and arranges own work, referring only unusual cases to supervisor.

Planning:

Considerable responsibility with regard to general assignments in planning time, method, manner, and/or sequence of performance of own work; may also occasionally assist in the planning of work assignments performed by others within a limited area of operation.

Decision Making:

Performs work operations which permit frequent opportunity for decision-making of minor importance and also frequent opportunity for decision-making of major importance; the latter of which would affect the work operations of other employees and/or clientele to a moderate degree.

Mental Demand:

Very close mental demand. Operations requiring very close and continuous attention for control of operations which require a high degree of coordination or immediate response. Operations requiring intermittent direct thinking to determine or select the most applicable way of handling situations regarding the organization's administration and operations; also to determine or select material and equipment where highly variable sequences are involved.

Analytical Ability / Problem Solving:

Directed. Supervisory and/or professional skills using structured practices or policies and directed as to execution and review. Interpolation of learned things in moderately varied situations where reasoning and decision-making are essential.

Responsibility for Work of Others:

Carries out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with the organization's policies and applicable laws. Responsibilities may include but not limited to interviewing, hiring and training employees; planning, assigning and directing work; appraising performance, rewarding and disciplining employees; addressing complaints and resolving problems.

Supervises a small group (1-3) of employees in the same or lower classification. Assigns and checks work; assists and instructs as required, but performs same work as those supervised, or closely related work, most of the time. Content of the work supervised is of a non-technical nature and does not vary in complexity to any great degree.

Responsibility for Funds, Property and Equipment:

Occasionally responsible for organization's property where carelessness, error, or misappropriation would result in moderate damage or moderate monetary loss to the organization. The total value for the above would range from $5,000 to $150,000.

Accuracy:

Probable errors would not likely be detected until they reached another department, office or patron, and would then require considerable time and effort to correct the situation. Frequently, possibility of error that would affect the organization's prestige and relationship with the public to a limited extent, but where succeeding operations or supervision would normally preclude the possibility of a serious situation arising as a result of the error or decision.

Accountability:

Freedom to Act:

Directed. Freedom to complete duties as defined by wide-ranging policies and precedents with mid to upper-level managerial oversight.

Annual Monetary Impact:

None. Job does not create any dollar monetary impact for the organization.

Impact on End Results:

Moderate impact. Job has a definite impact on the organization's end results. Participates with others in taking action for a department and/or total organization.

Public Contact:

Regular contacts with patrons, either within the office or in the field. May also involve occasional self-initiated contacts to patrons. Lack of tact and judgment may result in a limited type of problem for the organization.

Employee Contact:

Contacts with other departments or offices and also frequently with individuals in middle level positions; consulting on problems which necessitate judgment and tact in presentation to obtain cooperation or approval of action to be taken. Also, important contacts with associates as required in advanced supervisory jobs.

Use of Machines, Equipment and/or Computers:

Regular use of highly complex machines and equipment; specialized or advanced software programs.

Working Conditions:

Normal working conditions as found within an office setting, wherein there is controlled temperature and a low noise level, plus a minimum of distractions.

Environmental Conditions:

The following work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the functions of this job, the employee is occasionally exposed to extreme cold. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

Physical Activities:

The following physical activities 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