What are the responsibilities and job description for the Associate Planner position at City of Brookings?
Position Closes March 20, 2025 @ 11:59 pm CST
First Review of Applications February 28, 2025
Salary Range $57,739.99 - $78,118.81/year
Job Summary
Under the direction of the Community Development Director, the Associate Planner performs professional, technical, and administrative planning work requiring analytical and communication skills in planning processes. This role supports the City’s planning and development efforts by assisting with land use, zoning, and development projects; collaborating with stakeholders; analyzing data; preparing reports; and ensuring compliance with regulations, while identifying opportunities for sustainability, innovation, and best/leading practices in the City’s plans, codes, and policies.
Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Urban Planning, Geography, Public Administration, Environmental Studies, Landscape Architecture, or a related field.
- One to three (1-3) years of professional experience in urban or regional planning, zoning, or a related field or comparable education or certification.
- Prior working knowledge and experience in city ordinances, land use regulations, safety regulations and enforcement desirable, including public contact in a municipal setting.
- Possession of, or the ability to obtain and maintain, a valid South Dakota driver’s license with acceptable driving record.
- Must be a United States citizen. This position does not support sponsorship.
Major Duties (Essential Function)
- Provides customer service and technical support regarding zoning ordinances, subdivision regulations, comprehensive plan, current planning applications and development projects in-person, phone, and email.
- Review development plans for conformity with City ordinances and policies.
- Prepare written staff reports for planning cases, including site plan review, conditional use permits, variances, and preliminary plats.
- Review final plats for conformity with subdivision regulations.
- Review routine building permit applications for consistency with the zoning code and subsequent site inspections for compliance.
- Assists in researching, analyzing, and preparing proposed updates to the City’s comprehensive plan, zoning code, subdivision code, ordinances, processes, and policies, while identifying opportunities to incorporate best practices, sustainability, and innovative approaches into the City's planning efforts.
- Provides staff support to and attend appropriate meetings of the Planning Commission, Historic Preservation Commission, City Council, and other committees or commissions as directed; may make presentations before such bodies.
- Performs other related duties as assigned and/or required.
Marginal Duties
- Attend training, seminars and workshops as deemed necessary.
- Perform all duties in compliance with safety standards and policies established by the City.
- Perform other job-related duties as deemed necessary and additional duties, tasks, or responsibilities as assigned.
Physical Demands/Work Environment/Typical Hours (Essential Function)
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Physical Demands
- While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear.
- The employee is frequently required to sit and use hands to finger, handle or feel.
- The employee is occasionally required to stand; walk, reach with hands and arms; and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl.
- The employee must regularly lift and/or move up to 15 pounds.
- Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, peripheral vision, and ability to adjust focus.
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Work Environment
- The work environment is typical of an office setting.
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Typical Work Hours
- General business hours Monday through Friday
- May be required to work occasional extended shifts, evenings, and weekends.
Mental Complexity/Interpersonal Contacts (Essential Function)
- Analytical and Innovative Thinking: Requires self-motivation, independent thinking, and resourcefulness to analyze data, solve problems creatively, and develop effective solutions within legal and regulatory frameworks.
- Technical Proficiency: Regular use of personal computer applications, including work processing, spreadsheets, web-based applications, databases, and GIS software
- Organizational Skills: Must excel in organizing tasks, managing multiple projects, and meeting deadlines.
- Interpersonal Relations: The ability to work effectively with and relate to a diverse group of citizens, including individuals from varying socioeconomic and ethnic backgrounds, is essential. This includes actively listening to concerns and fostering a collaborative approach.
- Communication: Strong oral, written, and interpersonal communication skills are essential when engaging with individuals and groups at all levels, whether presenting technical data, conducting public meetings, or providing customer service.
- Collaboration and Conflict Resolution: Works collaboratively with colleagues, developers, and community stakeholders, while addressing contentious issues diplomatically.
Pre-employment Screening
- Pre-employment screening may include, but are not limited to, the following: references, criminal background, credit history, drug and alcohol screening, medical history questionnaire, and pre-employment physical.
The intent of this job description is to provide a representative summary of the major duties and responsibilities performed by incumbents of this job. Incumbents may be requested to perform job‐related tasks other than
those specifically presented in this description.
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed above are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Nothing in this job description restricts management’s right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time.
Salary : $57,740 - $78,119
