South Carolina Planning, Zoning & Permitting Process SME / AICP Planner / Land Use Consultant

Employment TypeContract / SubconsultantWorkplace TypeRemote or Hybrid, with preference for South Carolina or Southeast-based candidatesLocationSouth Carolina preferred; regional candidates with South Carolina planning, zoning, or permitting experience will be considered.Job DescriptionBPM Advisors, LLC is seeking a highly qualified South Carolina planning, zoning, land use, and development permitting subject matter expert to support a public-sector consulting opportunity involving development review and permitting process assessment, process mapping, stakeholder engagement, and workflow improvement.This is a subconsultant / contract opportunity for a professional who can complement BPMA’s core strengths in Business Process Management, Business Process Re-engineering, public-sector process improvement, workflow analysis, stakeholder engagement, and technology-enabled modernization.The ideal candidate will have direct experience with county or municipal development review, planning and zoning workflows, permitting processes, subdivision review, site plan review, plan case routing, interdepartmental review coordination, applicant-facing permitting processes, and land use policy interpretation.This role is especially well suited for one of the following profiles:A South Carolina planning and zoning subject matter expertAn AICP-certified planner with county or municipal permitting experienceA land use planning consultant with development review and permitting process improvement experienceA South Carolina land use, zoning, or development attorney with practical local government experienceProject ContextThe work involves helping a public-sector client assess its multi-department development review and permitting processes, with emphasis on Planning and Zoning, current-state process mapping, stakeholder engagement, bottleneck identification, applicant experience, interdepartmental coordination, optimized workflows, and actionable recommendations for short, medium, and long-term improvements. The RFP specifically calls for process mapping, stakeholder engagement, permitting workflow analysis, optimized process models, change management strategies, training materials, and alignment with applicable South Carolina planning, zoning, land use, and development statutes.Key ResponsibilitiesServe as BPMA’s planning, zoning, land use, and permitting SME for a public-sector development review process improvement engagement.Review and interpret county planning, zoning, subdivision, development review, and permitting processes.Advise on South Carolina planning, zoning, land use, subdivision, development agreement, floodplain, and permitting requirements.Support assessment of current-state permitting workflows across Planning and Zoning and related reviewing departments.Participate in stakeholder interviews with county staff, elected officials, executive personnel, developers, architects, engineers, contractors, and frequent permit applicants.Help identify pain points, bottlenecks, duplicative reviews, inconsistent handoffs, unclear roles, and applicant-facing friction.Contribute to current-state and future-state process maps for development review and permitting workflows.Recommend practical process improvements to increase transparency, reduce delays, improve coordination, and enhance applicant experience.Support development of a final report, action plan, KPIs, implementation roadmap, and change management recommendations.Provide input on staff training needs and practical adoption considerations for improved permitting processes.Required QualificationsStrong experience with county or municipal planning, zoning, land use, development review, and permitting processes.Direct experience with local government development review workflows, including plan review, zoning review, subdivision review, site plans, plats, or related processes.Knowledge of South Carolina planning, zoning, land use, development agreement, subdivision, and local government regulatory frameworks.Ability to explain complex planning and permitting concepts clearly to technical and non-technical audiences.Experience supporting stakeholder engagement, public agency workshops, staff interviews, or applicant-facing process improvement efforts.Ability to work collaboratively with a consulting team and contribute to proposal and delivery materials.Strong writing skills, especially for public-sector reports, findings, recommendations, and implementation plans.Preferred QualificationsAICP certification.Prior experience working with South Carolina counties or municipalities.Prior experience with development review or permitting process improvement projects.Experience reviewing or improving permitting software workflows, online permitting portals, or plan review systems.Experience with Lean, Business Process Re-engineering, process mapping, or operational improvement.Experience presenting to elected officials, planning commissions, county councils, executive leadership, or public stakeholders.South Carolina attorney in good standing with land use, zoning, development, or local government experience, where applicable.Desired Experience AreasCandidates with experience in one or more of the following areas are strongly encouraged to respond:Planning and Zoning operationsDevelopment review coordinationSubdivision and land development regulationsSite plan reviewPreliminary plans and final platsThird-party review processesMunicipal permitting workflowsApplicant intake and completeness reviewInterdepartmental routing and reviewFloodplain, FEMA, or environmental review coordinationDevelopment moratoria or large-scale development reviewComprehensive plan alignmentOrdinance and policy reviewProcess mapping and workflow redesignEngagement StructureThis is expected to begin as a proposal-stage subconsultant opportunity, with the selected individual or firm potentially included as a named SME, key personnel, or subconsultant. If BPMA is awarded the engagement, the selected consultant may support project delivery on a part-time, task-based, or hourly basis.What We Are Looking ForWe are looking for someone who can bring local government planning and permitting credibility while working alongside BPMA’s process improvement team. BPMA will lead the Business Process Management, stakeholder engagement, workflow analysis, process mapping, technology alignment, and change management components. The selected SME will strengthen the team’s planning, zoning, development review, and South Carolina regulatory expertise.To ApplyPlease send:Resume or firm profileBrief summary of relevant South Carolina planning, zoning, permitting, or land use experienceAICP status or professional license status, if applicableExamples of comparable county or municipal development review, permitting, or process improvement projectsAvailability for proposal support and potential project deliveryHourly rate or preferred consulting rate structureThree public-sector references, if available