Planning Manager (Current Planning)

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The St. Louis County Department of Planning is looking for a dedicated individual to join our passionate, talented, and creative team as Planning Manager for Current Planning. As the Current Planning Manager you will get to see your work efforts result in tangible outcomes as you will be tasked with managing the zoning program for the County. This includes being the primary point of contact on current planning issues for residents, the development community, and elected and appointed officials. The chosen candidate will benefit from having multiple staffers at various points in their careers who are ready to support the work of the Current Planning Manager.

The Department of Planning serves a wide and varied geography and is the local planning office for the more than 315,000 residents of unincorporated St. Louis County. With the office located at the County Administration Building in downtown Clayton, Missouri, you will be steps away from the Metrolink Blue Line and various Metrobus options, coffee shops, restaurants, Shaw Park, and the Centennial Greenway.

The Planning Manager for Current Planning will have a portfolio of work covering all zoning and current planning tasks, including but not limited to, site development plan review, subdivision plat review, zoning review on permit sets, Planning Commission petitions, Board of Zoning Adjustment petitions, regulation and policy review, and more. No workday will ever be the exact same and the chosen candidate will have an opportunity to use their passion for the betterment of our communities.

The chosen candidate will demonstrate excellent writing and analysis skills, will be comfortable talking to a wide variety of stakeholders, and will be capable of explaining complex ideas to community members. The Planning Manager for Current Planning will be expected to manage all work output of their Division, under the supervision of the Deputy Director or Director. The Current Planning Manager has multiple direct reports, including a Planning Supervisor for Major Zonings & Subdivisions, a Zoning Supervisor for Minor Zonings & Enforcement, and their subordinate staff.

The typical work hours are from 8:00am – 5:00pm Monday – Friday. The position requires regular evening and weekend hours to attend engagement, outreach, and public meetings. The starting salary for this position will be between $74,401.60 - $89,273.60 annually and will be based on experience and qualifications.

As an employer, St. Louis County cares about the health and well-being of our employees. In an effort to provide for the best possible work-life balance, the County offers a generous benefit package which includes affordable health insurance, dental and vision coverage, 4 weeks of Paid Time Off the first year, 11 paid holidays, deferred benefit retirement plan, paid life insurance as well as short- and long-term disability. To learn more County benefits, visit Competitive Benefits - St. Louis County Website

St. Louis County Government is a qualified agency for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program managed by the Federal Government. For more information regarding this program, visit Public Service Loan Forgiveness | Federal Student Aid

Examples of Duties

• Advise the Director, Deputy Director, Planning Commission, and the Board of Zoning Adjustment on all current planning and zoning related matters
• Serve as the County’s technical expert for land use related topics through oversight of the St. Louis County Zoning Ordinance, the St. Louis County Subdivision Ordinance, and other applicable development regulations
• Serve as the Administrative Officer of the Planning Commission and Secretary of the Board of Zoning Adjustment and facilitate all aspects of their meetings
• Recommend and implement improvements to development regulations, processes, and procedures
• Research, compile and analyze data on economic, social, and physical factors affecting land use, and oversee the preparation graphic and narrative reports by subordinate staff. This includes, but is not limited to, information reports, letters of recommendation, technical advice reports, correspondence items, and reports for current planning initiatives
• Ensure the appropriate application of zoning, subdivision, and other development regulations by subordinate staff; conduct compliance reviews on items of the highest complexity as needed
• Confer with civic leaders and other authorities to devise and recommend arrangements of land and physical facilities for residential, commercial, industrial, and community uses
• Educate and assist citizens to increase awareness of existing conditions, solicit their input and address their concerns
• Direct the development of the current planning division’s annual work plan
• Participate in budget preparation and administration; monitor and control expenditures
• Assign and prioritize work of subordinate staff and ensure appropriate training is provided
• Provide subordinate staff with consistent and on-going coaching; require high quality work from staff; give accountability feedback for the professional growth of all staff; conduct annual reviews of subordinate staff
• Perform other duties as required or assigned

Minimum Qualifications

• Equivalent to a Bachelor’s Degree in Urban Planning or closely related field (Public Administration, Landscape Architecture, Geography, etc.) and five years' experience in a professional planning position. A Master’s Degree in Urban Planning or related field may be substituted for two years of experience. Candidates must have at least one year of supervisory experience
• Proficiency in the use of the Microsoft Office suite of tools and database management is required. Ability to use ESRI ArcGIS is preferred
• AICP certification is preferred
• Possession of a valid driver’s license at the time of appointment and the ability to maintain it is required

Additional Information

SELECTION AND APPOINTMENT: A selection committee will evaluate the qualifications of each applicant which will include recentness and appropriateness of the applicant's education and experience, answers to the supplemental questions, results of employment references investigated and any other appropriate information available. The selection committee will admit to the interview only those persons who possess the most job-related qualifications and may establish admittance criteria beyond the minimum qualifications stated above. The interview will comprise 100% of the applicant's earned grade. A candidate must earn a qualifying grade of 70 or more on the interview to be eligible for appointment. After initial interviews with the selected candidates are conducted, an email will be sent to the address on file with instructions on how to complete and submit a Conviction Questionnaire. Candidates have 3 days to complete the required questionnaire. The five top ranking candidates, based on the final grade, will be certified to the Department Director/Appointing Authority who will make the final decision. All applicants conditionally offered a merit position will be required to submit to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Screening will be performed by a reputable clinical laboratory. The cost of screening will be covered by the County.