Assistant Planner

Purpose of Position

PURPOSE OF POSITION:
A professional land use planning position primarily responsible for engaging in “current planning” activities and performing certain long-range planning activities as assigned. These activities include but are not limited to: administrating certain land use applications, developing reports and presentations, and performing a variety of duties that reflect goals and objectives in the City”s Comprehensive Land Use Plan.

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS:
This is an entry level classification within the Planning Division. Employees at this level perform professional and technical planning work and provide technical staff assistance to higher level planning staff. The Assistant Planner is expected to coordinate and manage land use applications that are reviewed and approved at a Staff level and is expected to contribute to land use applications that are reviewed and approved by the Planning Commission and/or City Council. The Assistant Planner is also expected to contribute to certain long-range planning projects as delegated by the Community Development Director, and to support other Staff in ongoing projects. Essential Functions

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:
Process Type I and II land use applications, including preparation of Staff Reports with recommendations, and conditions of approval, in compliance with City and State land use planning requirements.Provide assistance for Type III and IV land use applications as directed.Conduct field inspections of development sites as necessary. 30%

Provide high-quality service to residents, businesses, applicants, and other stakeholders on matters related to general inquiries, development regulations and other planning activities. 25%

Conduct assigned research and administrative duties.Compile and analyze data and formulate reports and/or studies for assigned projects.Prepare materials as necessary for studies and presentations. 20%

Develop and maintain relationships with community and neighborhood groups by attending meetings, engaging in outreach efforts, informing the public, and creating media material for citizens and other stakeholders. 10%

Serve as the primary staff liaison for the Citizen Advisory Committee and Historic Landmarks Commission. Attendance at one (1) to four (4) evening meetings a month on average will be required to carry out these functions.Serve as a staff support role for the City”s Planning Commission in the event of an absence or position vacancy. 10%

Prepare grant proposals and applications for local, state, and federal funds as assigned; administer and monitor grant funded projects; track grant expenditures; prepare grant status reports as required.5%

Maintain consistent and regular job attendance and adherence to working hours.

Effectively and clearly communicate to others verbally and in both electronic and physical written forms.

Must develop and maintain positive working relationships with supervisors, co-workers and customers.

Education and Experience

Mandatory Requirements:
Requires a Bachelor”s degree from an accredited college or university with major course work in planning, public administration or a related field.Must have a thorough knowledge of land use and planning laws, regulations, practices and procedures.

Must have experience in working with a local government agency, which may include internships, assistantships, or guided research experience for a public entity; or any combination thereof. Relevant experience in similar fields such as civil engineering, landscape architecture, drafting or surveying may also be considered.

Proficiency with ArcGIS; Microsoft Office Suite (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint); Microsoft Publisher or similar design software; Adobe Reader/Acrobat.

Desirable Qualifications:
Any combination of experience, education and training, which demonstrates the ability to perform the duties of the position may be substituted for mandatory requirements.Current or previous experience in a local government planning office is desirable; experience in (or knowledge of) land use planning in Oregon is preferred.

Ability to converse in Spanish or Russian is considered beneficial, but is not a requirement of the position.

Proficiency with Adobe Creative Suite applications; Bluebeam; and/or SketchUp or similar applications.

Special Requirements/Licenses

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS/LICENSES:
Proficiency with ArcGIS; Microsoft Word, Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint and Publisher; Adobe Reader/Acrobat. Possession of a valid driver”s license and acceptable driving record. Disclaimer

THE ABOVE DESCRIPTION COVERS THE MOST SIGNIFICANT DUTIES PERFORMED BUT DOES NOT INCLUDE ALL DUTIES THAT MAY BE PERFORMED BY AN EMPLOYEE OF THIS CLASSIFICATION. Application Special Instructions

Please provide a copy of your college transcripts as an attachment to your online application.