Planner II

Full Job Description

Loudoun County is one of the fastest growing counties in the country, known for its excellent quality of life and strong economy, while embracing its historic presence. Located 35 miles west of Washington DC, Loudoun County offers a diverse blend of cultural, recreational, and educational opportunities. Loudoun County has diverse planning challenges and opportunities, from the development of transit-oriented urban neighborhoods around Metrorail stations to land-conservation and rural planning initiatives in the rural west. The Department of Planning and Zoning focuses on providing high quality customer service and offers unique opportunities to gain diverse experience in the planning profession.

Loudoun County government has been included in Forbes magazine’s prestigious ranking of America's Best Large Employers. Loudoun is recognized for its outstanding commitment to fostering environments where employees can thrive based on various factors, including atmosphere, salary, diversity, working conditions, and workplace environment.

Requirements

The Loudoun County Department of Planning & Zoning is seeking a qualified professional for the position of Planner II in the Customer Service Center division. The Department is focused on providing high quality customer service and offers unique opportunities to gain in-depth and diverse experiences in the planning profession.

The successful candidate must be customer service focused and exhibit excellent writing, presentation, and analytical skills; facilitation and problem-solving skills; the ability to communicate effectively with staff, applicants, the public, as well as elected and appointed officials; the ability to meet deadlines and maintain product quality while managing multiple assignments.

Primary responsibilities relate to the Legislative Land Development Application Checklist review process and providing responses to questions regarding land use entitlements and zoning allowances.

Duties include:

• Reviews legislative land development applications for completeness and compliance with zoning ordinance regulations; coordinates and manages application rejection and acceptance processes.
• Distributes application materials to appropriate agencies and staff; prepares and distributes preliminary notification to adjacent landowners; ensures correct records are maintained in LandMARC.
• Provides information to the public; responds to requests for information on matters concerning land development applications, land use, Historic Districts, Heritage Resources/Preservation planning, transportation issues, General Plan, planning policies, zoning regulations, processes and fees, and existing and proposed projects; coordinates Premeeting requests and facilitates Pre-meetings.
• Maintains a general knowledge of current projects to respond to information requests from customers and staff; tracks applications in checklist review and provides regular caseload and status reports to managers and the public.

This position is eligible for a $6,000 hiring bonus in accordance with the County’s Hiring and Retention Bonus Program.

Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in Planning, Management, Public Administration, Urban Management, Architecture, Landscape Architecture, Geography, or related field; two (2) years of experience related work experience in professional planning; equivalent combination of education and experience.

Additional Information

• The successful candidate must have the ability to research complex zoning issues, interpret the Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance and Comprehensive Plan, prepare written correspondence, read plans, and interact with the public.
• Must have strong written and verbal communication skills and the ability to adapt to a variety of situations including frequent interactions with staff, applicants, and customers.
• Position requires a valid driver’s license/driving record check and background/criminal check