JR./SR. PLANNER - ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNER

Job Description:

JR./SR. PLANNER - ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNER

Description

OVERVIEW

KITSAP COUNTY COMMUNITY DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT (DCD)

Join the team of professional County Planners and become a part of building safe, resilient, and sustainable Kitsap County communities!

Kitsap County Department of Community Development (DCD) partners with residential and commercial customers to provide guidance and assistance through the design, building, and project review process. In each of the efforts, we are committed to ensuring our residents' safety, facilitating the construction of reliable and sustainable communities, and preserving our county's uniquely beautiful natural resources.

Kitsap County DCD seeks an ENVIRONMENTAL JUNIOR PLANNER or SENIOR PLANNER to join our team of professionals.

Under the direction of the assigned supervisor, the incumbent performs varied and responsible professional planning work to evaluate, review, and process routine applications related to regional and community development in accordance with established procedures with an emphasis on environmental review. The incumbent specializes in plan reviews of a specific nature, supports development of planning and environmental studies, and make recommendations pertaining to land use, environmental use, and advanced planning impacts. The Environmental Planner will perform code development research and drafting, support implementation of land use and environmental regulations, and present technical reports and recommendations to hearings bodies.

The position will work largely with development codes that regulate Kitsap County’s Critical Areas Ordinance, Shoreline Master Program and State Environmental Policy Act checklist review/determinations under its Environment ordinance. The position will conduct field visits, independently or with government/Tribal agencies, to understand site conditions and the necessary response or conditioning of development permits. The incumbent will also assist peer planners on understanding code application as needed. The incumbent will track changes needed for code development/improvement and will assist the division’s Community Planning section on studying and adopting development code changes as needed.

DCD focuses on enabling and assisting our Kitsap residents in building affordable, structurally sound, and environmentally conscious developments in the Kitsap Community. We provide our team the opportunity to learn and grow within our positive and innovative work environment; we empower our team to make decisions and pride ourselves on a culture of continuous improvement. Kitsap County DCD has earned national awards for the permitting system, public disclosure request system, and risk check program. It has received two Governor's Awards for comprehensive planning efforts and is recognized for its natural resources program by federal and state agencies as the "go to organization" for Puget Sound restoration efforts. The department has very engaged employees dedicated to delivering effective and efficient services to the citizens of Kitsap County. Nearly all employees are Lean Six Sigma trained and have development plans that encourage career growth at all levels.

Please learn more about the department at our County webpage .

Depending on experience and background, candidates will be brought on as an Environmental Junior Planner ($77,725.99 - $85,794.95) or Senior Planner ($87,939.82 - $99,495.84). A Junior Planner would meet the minimum qualifications above with a demonstrated work history of moderately complex professional environmental planning. A Senior Planner would have more advanced professional environmental planning experience of higher complexity and variety, often as a lead or with greater independence and judgment.

This position is open until filled.

The first review is scheduled for the week of October 28, 2024, and then weekly!

QUALIFICATIONS FOR PERFORMANCE OF THE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

REQUIRED EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

• Bachelor's degree in Environmental Planning, Planning, or closely related field from a college or university accredited by an agency recognized by the US Department of Education AND four years of full-time professional experience with planning processes related to permit processing and community development is required; OR
• An equivalent combination of experience and education which provides the applicant with the desired skills, knowledge, and ability required to perform the work.

PREFERRED EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE, OR QUALIFICATIONS:

• Experience with environmental permitting.
• Familiarity with comprehensive planning and sub-area plans that guide development policies.
• Experience with process improvement practices such as Lean Six Sigma.
• Experience with electronic plan submittal and review.
• American Institute of Certified Planners certification.

Required Licenses, Certificates, Examinations/Tests and Other Requirements

The incumbent is responsible for obtaining and maintaining all the following required licenses, certifications and other requirements.

Prior to employment, the successful candidate must:

• Submit official transcripts from an accredited college or university or business school, if education is being used to meet the minimum qualifications.
• Pass all job-related examinations/tests necessary to demonstrate required knowledge, skills and abilities, as determined by the hiring authority at time of job posting.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS AND WORKING ENVIRONMENT

(The physical demands described are representative of those that must be met by the employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Kitsap County provides reasonable accommodation to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.)

• Working primarily in an office with occasionally moderate field inspection work.
• Attendance at meetings outside of normal working hours at various locations throughout the County and travel outside the County may occasionally be required.
• Walking and balancing (short and long distances)
• Climbing, including property slopes and banks and uneven ground
• Bending, stooping, twisting
• Reaching above and/or below shoulder
• Handling/grasping documents or equipment
• Sitting for extended periods of time
• Standing for long periods of time and the ability to walk through rough or uneven terrain may be required to conduct field inspections.
• Clear speaking and adequate hearing sufficient to communicate effectively and respond appropriately in-person and/or on the telephone
• Hearing audible signals, safety warning devices, phones, traffic, and equipment
• Vision sufficient to read source materials, computer screen data, see detail or color, review plans, inspect field sites and discriminate color-coded safety information.
• Repetitive motions for computer, tool and equipment use.
• Requires exertion of force of 20 pounds occasionally, 35 pounds intermittently to lift/carry/move objects, files/documents and other materials or equipment.

Incumbents may be exposed to:

• Potentially hazardous conditions on construction sites, including machinery and forklifts.
• Violent or hostile individuals.
• Inclement weather while conducting field inspections (temperature extremes, slippery surfaces).
• Road and traffic hazards.
• Nuisance dust.

ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLE OF DUTIES

In this role, you will have the opportunity to:

• Review development applications and site plans with environmental components for compliance with local and state regulations and plans; review consultant-prepared reports on environmental considerations for accuracy.
• Monitor assigned environmental application reviews through approval, developing and preparing additional related data as required.
• Conduct project review meetings focused on environmental review; conduct site visits/inspections as necessary to view environmental features, hear environmental concerns, and identify applicable conditions to mitigate potential environmental impact of projects.
• Prepare or assist in preparation of staff reports for findings, including recommendations and supporting data for approval and submission to the Hearing Examiner, Planning Commission and/or Board of County Commissioners.
• Conduct and prepare technical research and recommendations for drafting or revising local development legislation and plans, with emphasis on environmental issues.
• Provide information to property owners, investors, real estate developers and other interested parties pertaining to development applications, ordinances, codes and related community development information.
• Assists zoning and building inspectors in assuring compliance with applicable codes and ordinances. Works with the staff for legal action to resolve troublesome or non-compliant cases.
• Communicate with the public on a variety of environmental matters.

OTHER POSITION RELATED INFORMATION

• Who May Apply : This position is open to the general public. Applications will be screened for qualifications and completion of all the required materials and forms. The most competitive applicants may be contacted for further steps in the selection process, which may include testing for office and computer skills.
• This position is classified as exempt from overtime under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)
• This position is covered under a collective bargaining agreement with AFSCME 1308. Internal applicants should be aware that a change in union status or bargaining unit may impact your benefits and accruals. Please contact Human Resources if you have questions.
• Kitsap County is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran status, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws, regulations and ordinances. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or the recruiting process, please contact our Human Resources Office.
• This recruitment is being used to fill an existing open position and may be used to fill future openings for up to six (6) months.
• Work hours for this position are Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
• This position has been identified to be eligible for reimbursement of moving expenses up to a total of $7,500 for those candidates whose relocation meets the IRS distance test and in accordance with the Kitsap County Personnel Manual, Chapter 3, Section G.

At Kitsap County, we strive to take care of our team! Our employees are the greatest asset of Kitsap County, and we take pride in offering a highly competitive compensation and benefits package to all eligible employees.

County Paid Benefits Include:
Medical - Kaiser Permanente (HMO) or Aetna (PPO)
Dental -Delta Dental or Willamette
Vision - VSP
Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)
Life Insurance - Basic, Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D), Voluntary Term Life Insurance (VTL)
MetLife Long Term Disability
Voya Voluntary Insurance
Transportation incentives
Employee Assistance Program
Travel Assistance Program
Wellness program https://spf.kitsapgov.com/hr/Pages/Wellness.aspx
Benefits become effective on the first calendar day of the month following the month in which the employee is hired except if the employee's hire date is the first calendar day of the month, benefits begin on the day of hire. More information about employee benefits is available on the county's website at: https://spf.kitsapgov.com/hr/Pages/Benefits.aspx or the Kitsap County Digital Benefits Guide .

*Voluntary benefit options also available at the employee's expense

Retirement:
Employees are covered under the PERS retirement plan provided through the Washington State Department of Retirement Systems and Social Security.

Deferred Compensation (IRS Plan 457b): tax-deferred savings program

Holidays
11 paid holidays and 2 additional floating holiday per year

Vacation Leave
New employees are credited with 48 hours of annual leave upon hire and will be begin accruing at the rate of 8 hours per month starting on their 7th month of employment. Employees may carry over 360 hours from one calendar year to the next. Annual leave accrual will increase upon tenure, as follows:

Upon completion of 3 years: 15 days per year (10.00 hours per month)
Upon completion of 5 years: 20 days per year (13.33 hours per month)
Upon completion of 10 years: 25 days per year (16.67 hours per month)
Sick Leave
All new hires will be credited with 48 hours of sick leave upon hire and will begin accruing at the rate of 8 hours per month starting on their 7th month of employment. Employees may carry over 1200 hours from one calendar year to the next.

***Part-time employees benefit contributions and leave accruals will beprorated***

Additional compensation that you may be eligible for:
Shift differential
Overtime
Stand by pay
Call-back pay

Current County Employees
If you are transferring or promoting into this position you are responsible for reviewing these benefit changes; prior to accepting a position. In addition, it is your responsibility to notify the Auditor's Payroll Division of a change in union status.

Union Membership
This position is covered under AFSCME Local 1308 Courthouse Employees collective bargaining agreement. To view the bargaining agreement please visit our website: https://www.kitsapgov.com/hr/Pages/Collective-Bargaining-Agreements.aspx

NOTE: This is a general overview of the benefits offered through employment with Kitsap County, and every effort has been made to ensure its accuracy. If any information on this document conflicts or is incorrect with the provisions of the Personnel Manual, applicable laws, policies, rules or official plan documents they will prevail. The Personnel Manual is available at: https://www.kitsapgov.com/hr/Pages/Personnel-Manual-2019.aspx

Salary:

$77,725.99 - $99,495.84 Annually