Title: Planner I, City of Joliet, IL
Type: Full-time
This position performs advanced level planning duties for the City involving a wide range of assignments; applied planning knowledge to assignments and to the coordination of projects, land- use review cases, planning processes or technical planning support to various committees, boards and other departments; Performs urban planning duties in support of the City’s redevelopment and comprehensive planning programs while ensuring compliance with professional standards and regulations.
Duties & Responsibilities
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
Interprets and applies applicable codes, ordinances and regulations;
Initiates actions necessary to correct deficiencies or violations of regulations;
Assists with updates and maintenance of the Zoning Ordinance, Subdivision Regulations and other land development plans and regulations;
Writes, or assists in writing, a variety of ordinances and regulations relating to zoning and development controls;
Conducts review of various development petitions including subdivision plats, annexations, permits, site plans, variation of use and variance requests, Special Use Permits, and rezoning;
Writes staff reports related to various zoning and land use petitions;
Conducts site visits, collects field data, verifies site conditions and notes onsite problems;
Conducts extensive research in specific or general project areas;
Seeks information about new regulations, pending legislation and trends in planning that impact planning programs and processes;
Writes and presents formal and technical reports, working papers, and correspondence;
Identifies community problems, issues, and opportunities that could be mitigated through better community planning;
Attends substantial number of meetings;
Initiates and carries out complex planning studies related to economic base, employment, population, land use, public facilities, etc.;
Responds to questions form other agencies, developers, other professionals, and the public regarding projects under review, code interpretations and other planning issues;
Provides technical and professional analysis to resolve current planning problems and guide future development;
Responds to and/or engages Federal, State and local agencies regarding planning, research, surveys, and grants;
Develops and manages service contracts; drafts requests for qualifications; requests for proposals; contracts, and scope of services;
Establishes and maintains necessary files pertaining to planning records, reports, plans, maps and related materials;
Serves as a member of staff and committee and board meetings as necessary;
Assists other planning staff members and performs related duties and responsibilities as required; Performs other duties as required.
REQUIRED QUALIFICAITONS:
Education and Experience:
Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with major course work in planning or a related field;
Minimum of four (4) years experience in municipal planning or a master’s degree with two years of experience in the planning profession;
Any equivalent combination of experience and training which provides the required knowledge, skill and abilities.
Necessary Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
Thorough Knowledge of:
Theory, principles, standards and practices of urban planning;
Application of land use, physical design, and zoning principles and practices to complex planning development reviews or policy development issues;
Applicable local, State, regional and Federal laws, regulations, codes, requirements and criteria related to planning, environmental review, floodplain management, and local transportation;
Math concepts, including common statistical analysis techniques and formula relevant to the planning process;
Terminology, symbols, methods, techniques, instruments and sources of research information used in planning;
Methods and techniques of developing and implementing citizen involvement or outreach processes; Computers (including printers/scanners), common applications and software pertaining to planning, including Microsoft Office, Internet applications, PowerPoint, database management, or GIS mapping (and other tools that may become commonplace in the trade.)
Ability to:
Understand, interpret, communicate and execute federal, state and local laws, regulations, policies, procedures and standards and planning principles and practices to specialized, complex or diverse planning processes;
Manage projects and contracts including budgets, schedules and defined work product; Understand the underlying objectives and apply City policy in formulating recommendations, resolving complex issues or recommending policy changes;
Present ideas and proposals clearly and persuasively, orally and in writing; negotiate resolutions or problems or conflicts;
Prepare clear, concise and comprehensive technical and policy documents, reports, correspondence and other written materials;
Exercise sound independent judgment and reach appropriate conclusions within established City policies and guidelines;
Deal effectively with difficult people, angry citizens, and upset applicants and resolve their issues within the confine of laws, rules, policies and processes;
Establish and maintain effective working relationships with developers, property owners, elected officials, City management staff, other departmental staff, community representatives, the public and other encountered in the course of employment;
Understand and follow oral and written instruction;
Establish and maintain an effective working relationship with employees, City officials and the public;
Provide oral communication and interpersonal skills to present research findings to various boards and committees;
To do creative problem-solving skills to gather relevant information to solve less well-defined practical problems;
To review plans and apply provisions of the ordinance and codes to determine compliance with such regulations and to apply regulations to field conditions;
Communicate effectively, orally and in writing, with the general public, businesses, other agencies, other professionals, boards, committees, and commissions.
Training and Experience:
A typical way of obtaining the knowledge, skills and abilities outline above is graduation from a college or university with an undergraduate or graduate degree in urban planning or closely related field; four years or progressively responsible professional planning experience; or an equivalent combination of training and experience.
SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS
Must possess a valid State of Illinois motor vehicles operators license;
AICP certification is desirable, but not mandatory;
Must reside within the City of Joliet and/or reside within the City of Joliet within eighteen (18) months from the date of hire if the date of hire is after February 16, 2016.