Description

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Principal Planner 

Starting Salary Range:          $85,984.42 - $113,929.35 annually

Job Type:                               Full-time, Management/Exempt, civil Service

Position Summary:

The City of Urbana is seeking qualified applicants for an exciting opportunity to lead the municipal planning functions of the Community Development Services Department. The successful candidate will serve as the manager of all activities and staff of the Planning Division and will oversee a wide variety of projects that will have a lasting impact on Urbana’s neighborhoods and community-at-large. 

The Principal Planner oversees advanced, highly complex professional planning activities and manages Planning Division activities and staff. Responsible for supervising staff, coordinating work programs and priorities, and ensuring that decision-making within the Planning Division is internally consistent and in accordance with state and municipal statutes and the City’s priorities, mission, and values. 

In conjunction with the Director, the Principal Planner is responsible for comprehensive planning, historic preservation, neighborhood planning, subdivision/development review, annexation, research, and long-term planning studies. Provides staff support to the City Council, Urbana Plan Commission, Urbana Historic Preservation Commission, Zoning Board of Appeals, and Design Review Board. Represents the City on a variety of intergovernmental committees and teams. Supervises and leads staff to accomplish the planning goals of the City.  May also be assigned zoning administration duties.

Our Ideal Candidate:

• Consistently adheres to schedules, timelines, and work plans, while strengthening the Planning Division’s organizational systems to improve daily task management and longterm record keeping. Demonstrates a strong aptitude for organization and process, ensuring structure, clarity, and efficiency in all work.
• Actively listens and responds with empathy, especially when dealing with sensitive or emotionally charged situations; demonstrates strong personal resilience during highly charged public hearings, maintaining composure and professionalism in challenging situations.
• Demonstrates consistency between words and actions, reinforcing the City’s Zoning Ordinance and codes.
• Maintains professionalism and focus even amid frequent interruptions or shifting demands
• Is highly organized and maintains accuracy and consistency in planning documents, maps, and reports.
• Consistently adheres to rules, policies, and ethical standards – even when no one is watching.
• Strengthens team culture by being open, respectful, and generous with knowledge.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Actively supports and upholds the City’s mission and values.
• Contributes to supporting organizational goals and priorities. 
• Administers and enforces of the City of Urbana’s Land Development Code (LDC) as it applies to subdivisions and developments within the City and the City’s extraterritorial jurisdiction, in consultation with the CD Director and the City Engineer.  Serves on the Administrative Review Committee.
• Coordinates and/or oversees zoning issues and enforcement with the Building Safety Division staff and with other City departments. Facilitates joint planning projects between departments.
• Supports the development of the City’s comprehensive plan, planning programs, and policies.  
• Directs the Planning Division, which includes implementation of the comprehensive plan, planning programs and policies; preparing staff recommendations regarding development, amendment, and implementation of City’s Comprehensive Plan; and other long-range planning studies.
• Provides lead direction and work assignment to professional and technical staff; assists in the selection of assigned staff; instructs staff in work procedures, reviews work performed and provides periodic performance evaluations to assigned staff.
• Prepares and directs special planning studies as needed.  Such studies may include use of maps, graphs, reports, field studies, statistics, tabulations, computations, graphs and charts for illustration and analysis. 
• Serves as, or delegates, project management for the Design Review Team (DRT) meetings, which convene key city personnel on planning and development questions. 
•  Provides staff support to City Council on planning related matters and attends Council meetings as needed.  Provides or assigns staff support for the Plan Commission, Historic Preservation Commission, Zoning Board of Appeals, Design Review Board, and other boards, commissions or committees as needed. Attends or assigns staff to attend meetings.
• Analyzes requests and recommends appropriate action for a wide variety of plan cases, including, but not limited to, zoning text amendments, zoning map amendments, land development and subdivision requests, subdivision regulation amendments, special use permits, conditional use permits, variances, annexation agreements, planned unit developments, and comprehensive plan amendments.
• Prepares and supervises preparation of Plan Commission and City Council packet materials for meetings including memos, maps, and other information as needed. 
• Reviews Plan Commission agenda and cases, including recommendations, providing alternate recommendations if applicable.
•         May serve as, or delegate: Secretary of the Plan Commission, Zoning Board of Appeals, and Design Review Board.
•         Makes presentations to public groups and City boards and commissions, including the Urbana Plan Commission, Zoning Board of Appeals, Historic Preservation Commission Design Review Board and Urbana City Council.
•         Works with the Director to research, recommend, and implement process improvements.
•         Develops and revises applicable City codes, policies and procedures in consultation with the Director and other key staff or elected officials.
•         Provides regular reports on the status of projects and ensures that City officials are informed on a timely basis.
•         Works with the CD Director on developing a vision for neighborhood organizations and community engagement, including identifying and monitoring performance measures.
•         Responds to public inquiries regarding general planning, zoning, and subdivision regulations.
•         Facilitates data management and related tasks with U.S. Census Bureau on as-needed basis.  
•         Performs other related duties as assigned.

Required / Minimum Qualifications:

• Knowledge typically acquired through completion of a bachelor’s degree in urban planning or a closely related field.
  Five (5) years of progressively responsible experience managing or directing professional planning work, including at least two (2) years of supervisory experience.
• A master’s degree is strongly preferred and may substitute for one (1) years of the experience requirement.
• Local government planning experience, including working with public boards and commissions is preferred.
• Knowledge of specializations such as housing, zoning, historic preservation, and economic development.
• Knowledge of software programs including Microsoft Office applications and GIS/QGIS.
• Strong analytical skills to interpret research data for reports and apply mathematic techniques in practical situations.
• Ability to manage or facilitate complex, multi-year projects involving multiple stakeholders and a wide array of disciplines, sensitive political issues and challenges, and diverse communities.
• Must possess or obtain AICP certification within 18 months of hire and maintain certification.
• Must possess or obtain a valid State of Illinois driver’s license within 15 days of employment.

For a complete list of duties and qualifications, please refer to the job description.