The City of Rockville has a new job opportunity for a proactive and dynamic Principal Planner. The Principal Planner leads exciting planning projects to implement our recently adopted Comprehensive Plan. In addition, this professional facilitates missing middle house, transit-oriented development, and works with diverse communities to promote equity and inclusion. Our value-driven department seeks someone who has proven skills in project management, community engagement, research, and producing written reports and studies. Please join our Community Planning and Development Services Department where our employees thrive due to a culture of empowerment, professional growth, collaboration, creativity, diversity, and innovation. We offer a flexible, family-oriented work schedule and opportunity for regular teleworking several days a week. This position is vacant due to an outside promotion.
About Rockville: Conveniently situated in Montgomery County, just 15 miles northwest of Washington, D.C., Rockville, Maryland is hailed as one of the nation’s leading small cities and one of the top 10 most diverse communities in the nation. Rockville offers a mix of urban and suburban lifestyles with a variety of engaged residential communities. Rockville also has two Metro stations that provide convenient access to the DC Metropolitan Area and opportunities for new transit-oriented development.
General
- Identifies and analyzes problems, develops goals and objectives, and designs programs to meet departmental objectives.
- Represents the City and Department and actively participates in meetings with elected officials, boards and commissions, government agencies, property owners, developers, neighborhoods, and community groups to discuss long-range planning, transportation and urban design issues.
- Coordinates work with other planners.
- Performs other duties as required.
Long Range Planning
- Plans, organizes and develops major multi-disciplinary long range planning programs, consistent with department objectives.
- Performs specialized studies in such areas as transportation, land use, population, housing, historic preservation, social and economic, and urban design, of the City, and of adjacent areas in support of assigned program responsibilities and under the direction of the Comprehensive Planning Manager.
- Directs field studies and surveys intended to collect original research data for City planning projects, and determines the statistical techniques to be used in compiling such studies.
- Consults with local officials, as directed, concerning the compilation and interpretation of research data of assigned projects.
- Undertakes, analyzes, and makes proposals for revisions to existing City planning projects/programs, including the City's Comprehensive plan and neighborhood plans.
- Manages the master planning process, including public participation and technical recommendations for new master plans or revisions to existing plans, as directed.
- Conducts periodic review and essential research for the maintenance of various City plans and programs.
- Prepares reports and makes recommendations on planning programs; makes presentations to government officials and agencies as required. (Sometimes after hours)
- Attends meetings of civic associations and business groups to discuss long range planning transportation or urban design issues. (Sometimes after hours)
- Provides support to the Mayor and Council and other boards and commissions on long range planning or urban design issues as assigned.
- Participates in development review activities of the department, as assigned.
- Designs and implements planning programs and studies intended to promote the orderly growth and development of the City and of sub-areas within its boundaries.
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Education and Experience:
Bachelor's degree (Master's degree preferred) with major coursework in architecture, civil engineering, geography, long range planning, urban planning or closely related field from an accredited university or college; plus six (6) years of progressively responsible work in planning.
Special Qualifications:
Membership in the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) preferred. - Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
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- Knowledge of the principles, practices and techniques of urban planning, urban design, zoning, historic preservation or development.
- Knowledge of the principles, practices and techniques of transportation planning.
- Knowledge of the literature and sources of information available concerning planning matters, and of the techniques and procedures useful to analyze and report on such subjects.
- Knowledge of zoning and land subdivision ordinances and regulations, and the methods and procedures by which they are enforced.
- Knowledge of the general principles and practices of civil engineering and architecture as applied to urban planning and development.
- Knowledge of computer applications to planning (word processing, spreadsheets and data bases, and geographic information systems).
- Skill in participating in or developing recommended plans, studies or reports dealing with and fostering the planned economic growth and orderly physical development of the City.
- Skill in analyzing and preparing long and short-range planning studies, including recommendations, relative to such areas of planning concern as: transportation; land use; zoning; urban design; historic preservation; public facilities; community services, open space; land development control ordinances and procedures; and fiscal, social and environmental impact statements.
- Skill in presenting both oral and written reports to the Mayor and Council and Planning Commission and other groups.
- Ability to draft, sketch and letter and illustrate in map and graphic forms.
- Ability to analyze and evaluate pertinent planning data, to develop unbiased, just and concise recommendations, and to execute plans once approved.
- Ability to analyze plans for the development of private and municipal properties.
- Ability to analyze and systematically compile technical and statistical information and to prepare technical reports.
- Ability to utilize personal computers and related software applications.
- Ability to provide information to boards and commissions and other interested parties, and to convey concise and accurate explanations concerning various planning ordinances and procedures.
- Ability to make recommendations recognizing established precedents and practices, and to use resourcefulness and tact in meeting new problems.
- Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with other employees and to deal tactfully with developers, engineers and the public in the resolution of difficult and contentious matters.
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