Assistant Planner

If you are in the early stages of your career as a professional planner, then this could be the position for you. The City of Shoreline's Planning and Community Development Department has an open Assistant Planner position to join a team of seven skilled planners. The City is in the midst of an exciting transformation and the Assistant Planner will be part of the team at the forefront.
The Assistant Planner will join a highly collaborative team of planners that are passionate about their work and serving the community. In this position, you will gain practical experience in planning at the local government level. The primary responsibilities will be in supporting current development review and providing customer service at the Permit Center, with opportunities to support the team with long-range planning efforts and performing GIS tasks such as preparing maps and conducting spatial analysis.
The successful candidate will be effective at working in both team settings and independently and will have excellent communication and customer service skills. They will also have an understanding and some experience of how to interpret and administer policies and development codes and have experience using GIS to prepare maps and analyze data.
The Planning Team includes both long-range and current planning (development review) functions. Some of the projects the team is leading include the update to the 2024 Comprehensive Plan, which will incorporate the themes of equity and social justice, climate, and housing, amendments for a Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) program, and managing several high profile transit-oriented development projects around the future light rail stations and Aurora Corridor.Essential and other important responsibilities and duties may include, but are not limited to, the following:
Essential Functions:

1. Provide information to citizens, property owners, investors, real estate developers, and other parties regarding the City's planning or development activities.
2. Develop and implement development regulations and strategies; including assistance with current planning tasks such as zoning reviews, business licenses, land use permits, and answering inquiries from the public.
3. Review land use and development permit applications; review commercial site plans; prepare reports, letters, and public notifications regarding permit applications.
4. Review engineering, architectural, and landscape plans as part of permit applications for compliance with development regulations and approved conditions.
5. Meet with applicants for land use and development permits or other City processes to evaluate proposals and assist with successful project implementa­tion; review, condition, and approve land use and development permits.
6. Conduct technical research and field studies, and create and analyze databases for various statistical and planning reports; devise, implement, and evaluate statistical surveys and prepare reports and recommendations based on this information.
7. Create maps, charts, drawings, and other visual aids to illustrate and implement planning concepts and issues.
8. Perform census work including gathering, analyzing, and interpreting data.
9. Participate in the development of the Comprehensive Plan.
10. Administer and maintain agreements and contracts of a narrow scope with public agencies, funding agencies, and private organizations; may oversee and review the work of consultants and contracting agencies.
11. Attend meetings and assist in making presentations to citizen advisory groups, the Planning Commis­sion, Hearing Examiner, various committees, and the City Council regarding specific planning and development projects.
12. Coordinate technical and policy issues between City staff and outside agencies.

Marginal Functions:

1. May participate in intergovernmental committees on behalf of the Department to analyze, evaluate, and resolve public policy issues.
2. Collect, interpret, and prepare reports and recommendations on court decisions affecting City planning.
3. Perform related duties and responsibilities as required.

Knowledge of:
Basic principles, practices, theories, terminology, and applications of current and long-range planning.
Principles and practices of data collection and analysis.
Functional areas of planning and their relationship to the planning process.
Methods and techniques used to create and maintain computer databases.
Principles and practices of program development and administration.
Principles of business letter writing and basic report preparation.
Methods and techniques of public speaking.
Pertinent Federal, State, and local laws, codes, and regulations.
Principles and practices of public administration and government organization.
Community programs.
Ability to:
Participate and work effectively in an organization committed to advancing principles and practices of equity and anti-racism.
Perform a variety of professional planning functions in support of an assigned area of responsibility.
Develop and administer current or long range planning programs and studies.
Conduct technical research and collect pertinent data.
Create databases for the maintenance of planning and development data.
Ability to conduct spatial analysis and prepare maps using GIS software.
Learn to recommen­d revisions to City policies and regulations regarding planning and development.
Identify and respond to sensitive community and organizational issues, concerns, and needs.
Interpret and apply applicable Federal, State, and local policies, codes, laws, and regulations.
Review and approve development permits and applications or other matters within area of responsibility.
Prepare and present clear and concise reports.
Administer and maintain agreements and contracts with various public agencies.
Communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing.
Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work.
Experience and Training Guidelines
Any combination of experience and training that would likely provide the required knowledge and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the knowledge and abilities would be:
Experience:
At least one year of customer service and urban planning experience is desirable.
Training:
Equivalent to a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with major course work in urban planning, architecture, social work, non-profit management, business or public administration, or related field.

License or Certification
Valid state-issued driver's license.

Office environment; occasional travel from site to site.
Employment Type: Full-Time Regular