Principal Planner

Job Title: Principal Planner

Department: Community Development

Classification: Exempt

Hiring Range: $89,488 - $100,672

Salary Range: $89,488 - $123,039

Position Summary: Manages and serves as the primary authority on long-range planning and development policy for the City of Aspen, consistent with the organization’s values and mission statement.

Supervision Exercised and Received: Position works under the supervision of the Planning Director and under the general direction of the Deputy Community Development Director. This position supervises other full-time planning staff. 

Essential Job Functions: 

Current Planning Caseload

• Reviews and analyzes land use applications, written application materials, and other application documents for consistency with applicable provisions of the City’s Land Use Code and Comprehensive Plans. Determines sufficiency of applications for completeness and content. Formulates recommendations and prepares staff reports for assigned land use cases. Researches historical records and matters pertinent to land use applications. Coordinates referral agencies through Development Review Committee (DRC) to facilitate timely, complete and accurate comments.
• Confers with Building, Zoning, Environmental Health, and Engineering staff to ensure compliance with code, conditions of approval, and representations of the applicant. Presents staff reports to appointed boards, citizen groups, and elected officials through written communication and oral presentations at public meetings.  Conducts site visits with applicants, appointed, and elected officials.

Current Planning Customer Service

• Serves as a second line current planner of the day working to assist the public in person or by phone. Advises public on application process, handles pre-application conferences, reviews applications for completeness and substantive content. Confers with applicants and the public to explain, interpret, and discuss regulations, plans, and polices as they relate to proposed development.

Long-Range & Development Policy Planning

• Works with the Community Development Director, Planning Director, Historic Preservation Officer, Community Development Staff, City Manager Office, and elected and appointed officials as needed by doing research, report writing, meeting facilitation, media relations, presentations, budgeting, and other tasks as necessary for the management and facilitation of long-range planning and development policy within the City of Aspen.
• Researches, analyzes, and recommends City policies and code changes as assigned through the work program.
• Provides support in establishing work program goals, objectives, and budget for special planning projects, long-range planning activities, and development policy. 
• Works in coordination with the Climate Action Manager, Chief Building Official, Environmental Health Director and policy officials from other City agencies and regional partners in the development of policies and regulations impacting City Community Development. 
• Exercises management of staff on special projects as assigned.

Principal Planner

• In addition to the above duties, manages the Long-Range Program for the department including review, delegation, and coordination of all long-range planning activities.  Is considered the City’s authority on all long-range planning efforts.  Supervision of assigned staff involved in the land use application review process and building permit review.  Advise, assist, and exercise supervision over assigned department staff in a professional and timely manner.  Manage assigned staff including but not limited to hiring, orientation, establishing performance goals, evaluation of performance, delegation of tasks and authority, problem solving, coaching, mentoring, counseling, and corrective action as needed.

City Organizational Values

• Supports and models the City of Aspen organizational values: Service, Partnership, Stewardship, and Innovation. Organizational values are shared principles that guide behavior across the organization.  This position is responsible for upholding and applying these values while performing daily work functions. 

Other duties as assigned.

Core Competencies Displays the following key competencies in the overall job performance to include knowledge, skills, and abilities:

• Service: Provides service with excellence, humility, integrity, and respect in daily work, builds trust by listening, treats people with respect, acknowledges opportunities for improvement, and follows through with commitments.
• Partnership: Actively creates strong, supportive internal and external relationships to attain a common goal and achieve greater impact together.
• Stewardship: Balances social, environmental, and financial responsibilities, evaluating the impact of decision making on a thriving future for all. 
• Innovation: Develops technical expertise to pursue new ideas and creative outcomes, grounded in Aspen’s unique culture, opportunities, and challenges. 
• Communication: Knowledge of effective and appropriate communication.  Ability to use knowledge effectively in various contexts which may require oral, written, visual and non-verbal communication.
• Interpersonal: Works to develop strength in interpersonal skills.  Has the ability to work well with diverse groups of people, both inside and outside the organization. 
• Technology: Demonstrates technology skills sufficient for the nature and level of position.  Demonstrates a willingness to learn new technologies and transition job duties accordingly to support technological advances and innovation.

• Team Building: Works to build and maintain high performing teams to includes appreciating differences and reinforcing a sense of belonging.
• Accountability & Trust: Follows through on commitments, takes responsibility for outcomes, and values relationships.
• Strategic Thinking: Works to bring a strategic focus to daily work, anticipates problems and considers solutions. 
• Business Acumen: Demonstrates understanding of business processes, objectives, and goals.

• Regulations: Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
• Business Management: Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
• Planning Expertise: Knowledge of theory, principles, and practices of planning, building inspection, code enforcement and related planning and building services applications. Skill in planning, organizing, budgeting, and managing projects and staff.

Minimum Requirements:

Education: Master’s degree in Planning, Urban Design, Public Administration, Architecture, or related field.

Experience: Four years progressively responsible professional experience in municipal, county, or regional planning which includes at least two years as a supervisor or in a senior level position.

Technical Knowledge: ust be proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook (Email), and have a basic understanding of computers and online computer-based technology applications, which includes accessing web-based platforms.

Licenses & Certifications: Must possess a valid Colorado driver’s license or be able to obtain one within 30 days of start date. Must possess an American Institute for Certified Planners (AICP) Certification.

NOTE: Any combination of experience and education that would likely provide the required abilities, knowledge and skills as determined by the City of Aspen may be substituted for the requirements above.

Preferred Candidate: Previous planning experience that has a long-range focus. The preferred candidate will have worked in policy analysis and development toward sustainable long-range development policy and regulations

NOTE: This position requires a Criminal Background Check upon hire.  Employment is contingent upon successful completion of a Criminal Background Check. 

Position Type and Work Hours:

• Regular full time, hours may vary with workload.
• Evenings/Weekends may be required instead of or in addition to normal hours depending on department needs and special projects.

Work Environment:

• Indoors: Office environment
• Outdoors/Off-site: Performs site visits to construction sites, attends meetings, and conferences.

Physical Demands: 

Visual Acuity: Ability to bring objects into focus.

Balancing: Maintaining equilibrium.

Bending: Bending or position oneself to move an object from one level to another.

Carrying: transporting or moving an object.

Eye/Hand/Foot Coordination: Performing work through using two or more body parts or other devices.

Gripping/Grasping: Ability to apply pressure with fingers and palm.

Handling: Seizing, holding, grasping, through use of hands, fingers, or other means.

Hearing: Perceiving and comprehending the nature and direction of sounds.

Kneeling: Bending legs at knees to come to rest on knee or knees

Lifting: Moving objects weighing no more than 10 pounds from one level to another.

Reaching: Extending the hands and arms or other device in any direction.

Repetitive motions: Making frequent or continuous movements.

Sitting: Remaining in a stationary position.

Standing: Ability to sustain position for a period of time.

Stooping: Bending body downward and forward by bending spine at the waist.

Talking: Communicating ideas or exchanging information.

Walking: Ability to move to traverse from one location to another.

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.    

This job description is designed to indicate the general nature and level of work. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive list of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required of employees assigned to this job. Duties and responsibilities may change at any time with or without notice.

Salary : $89,488 - $100,672