Planner - Planning and Policy

Journey-level planning position; with a balanced level of independence, judgement, and discretion; responsible for overseeing completing complex tasks and small-to-medium sized projects that shape land use and development in the City of Richmond; requires a high level of responsibility, training, experience, and competence; work usually is performed under minimal supervision.

• Contribute to the dynamic team of Planning and Policy that work to create implement long-range plans.
• Develop neighborhood, district, corridor, and other small-area plans.
• Propose and adopt amendments to the zoning ordinance and associated codes that help implement these plans.
• Assist with the redevelopment of city-owned land via public-private partnerships.
• Participate in capital budget review to ensure alignment with master plan priorities.
• Prepare plans of work and assign tasks and projects.
• Prepare and administer scopes of work, budgets, contracts, and programmatic agreements.
• Prepare reports and present findings to boards, commissions, and Council.
• Organize and facilitate meetings and public engagement activities, including night and weekend meetings
• Compile and analyze data to create charts, graphs, maps, and other visualizations.
• Create publications, presentations, and content for website.
• Prepare, evaluate, and award requests for proposals.

• Exercised: none
• Received: typically reports to a Planning Supervisor or Deputy Director
• Note:
  
  other reporting relationships may apply

• Class description is intended to represent only the key areas of responsibilities; specific position assignments will vary depending on the business needs of the department. The employee may perform other duties of a similar nature or level subject to the needs of the department.

• General knowledge of principles, methods, and practices of land use planning and zoning, and how they affect each other.
• General knowledge of Euclidian, form-based, and hybrid approaches to zoning.
• Basic knowledge of state and local land use laws and zoning codes.
• General knowledge of pedestrian, bicycle, and transit transportation planning.
• General knowledge of principles, methods, and practices of economic development, affordable housing, historic preservation, urban design, environmental planning, and brownfields redevelopment.

• Creating and implementing of comprehensive, long-range plans as well as neighborhood, district, corridor, and other small-area plans.
• Proposing and adopting changes to zoning ordinances and associated codes.
• Participating in planning efforts led by other departments. Reviewing the capital budget.
• Preparing plans of work and assigning tasks and projects
• Preparing and administering scopes of work and contracts.
• Preparing reports and presenting findings to boards, commissions, and Council. Organizing and facilitating meetings and public engagement activities.
• Compiling and analyzing data to create charts, graphs, maps, and other visualizations with ArcGIS, Sketch Up, and Excel.
• Creating publications, presentations, and content for website with Adobe Acrobat, InDesign, Illustrator, and Photoshop, or Microsoft PowerPoint or Publisher.
• Preparing, evaluating, and awarding requests for proposals.

• Thrive in a fast-paced, high-stakes, large and diverse political environment and adapt and improvise as conditions change.
• Think critically, using logic and reason to identify solutions.
• Communicate clearly and concisely, both in writing and speech.
• Facilitate discussion and debate and exhibit excellent interpersonal communication in order to resolve conflicts.
• Maintain composure in stressful situations.
• Provide superior customer service and manage unhappy clients.

• Bachelor's degree in urban planning, civil or environmental engineering, landscape architecture, or a related field
• Three years of experience or an equivalent amount of graduate level training.
• An equivalent combination of training and experience (as approved by the department) may be used to meet the minimum qualifications of the classification

• A Master's degree in urban planning, urban design, or landscape architecture
• Direct experience in the preparation of Small Area Plans and writing zoning ordinances
• Demonstrated experience working in current planning, zoning, and with boards and commissions
• Experience working in an urban environment, and engaging with diverse populations
• Excellent public presentation, leadership, time management and organizational skills
• Significant experience with code development, new urbanism and both downtown and neighborhood revitalization techniques
• Demonstrated experience in Arc-GIS, Sketch Up, InDesign, Illustrator, and graphics packages
• Certified planner with AICP credentials.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job. Prospective and current employees are invited to…