Senior Planner

Senior Planner Position

Are you ready to use your environmental planning and review, policy implementation, and stewardship expertise to help shape responsible growth and protect Alachua County's natural resources? The Alachua County Department of Environmental Protection and its Natural Resources Program Division is recruiting for a Senior Planner position to provide expert environmental-planning analysis that helps the County decision-makers make informed, legally defensible land-use and development decisions while protecting environmentally sensitive lands, species, and habitats.

As a Senior Planner, you will perform detailed, complex land use change, zoning change and development plan analyses that culminate in comprehensive reports and presentations used by decision-making bodies such as the Board of County Commissioners, the Planning Commission and the Development Review Committee. Additionally, the position is responsible for the development and implementation of Comprehensive Plan goals, objectives and policies, land development regulations and several county-wide environmental codes.

The ideal candidate must be knowledgeable about regional wetland and upland flora and fauna, including rare and regulated species and their habitats, and demonstrate a thorough understanding of environmental planning issues relevant to north-central Florida. This person will need to complete site inspections, review detailed development applications, coordinate reviews with other staff members, write reports, present findings at official public meetings, and may assist with land acquisition and stewardship activities such as prescribed fires, development impact analysis, floral and faunal inventories, and environmental monitoring.

Minimum Requirements:

Master's degree in urban planning, geography, public administration, architecture, civil engineering, environmental science, or related field, and one year professional planning experience; or any equivalent combination of related training and experience. Applicants within six months of meeting the education/experience requirement may be considered for trainee status. Successful completion of all applicable background checks pre-hire and ongoing are required. Positions assigned to the Department of Environmental Protection: A Valid Florida Driver License is required and a Motor Vehicle Record that meets the requirements of Alachua County policy #6-7;
Motor Vehicle Records will be reviewed prior to employment. If, in the past 24-month period, the applicants Motor Vehicle Record has more than three (3) moving traffic infractions or three (3) or more at fault motor vehicle accidents (or combination of both and /or a conviction/pending charge for driving under the influence) or is in violation of any standard mandated by Federal or State Law or Regulation, the minimum qualifications are not met for the position.

This is highly responsible professional and technical work in a variety of County Departments. An employee assigned to this classification designs and performs difficult and complex planning research; prepares reports; assists senior professional staff in conceptualizing, formulating, and implementing the County's overall Comprehensive Plan, land development regulations, and other departmental policies and procedures; economic development and housing program activities; environmental and transportation impact studies;

developing and conducting research projects; supervising research project teams presenting research results and recommendations to management. Performs difficult and complex environmental trend analysis, performs difficult and complex transportation analysis, as well as detailed development plan analysis which culminate in comprehensive reports and presentations, as required. Work is performed under the general direction of a higher level supervisor and is reviewed through conferences, reports, and the observation of results obtained.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

This is an emergency essential classification. Upon declaration of a disaster and/or emergency, all employees in this classification are required to work.

Advocates building organizational culture through aligning decisions with the County's core values.

Coordinates and conducts extensive background research, surveys, and interviews and prepares reports on such areas as economics, the environment, land use, public facilities and infrastructure systems, planning law, urban design,…