Manager of Current Planning

JOB At The City of Frederick, we value diversity and the respect, engagement, and productivity an inclusive environment produces. We seek to consistently improve internal and external customer satisfaction, innovate, and expand capability of services, and be a government that practices equality, equity, and fairness. We invite you to bring your skills, abilities, and knowledge to The City of Frederick and be a valued addition to a workforce that we know is our greatest asset. Frederick is a progressive, richly diverse, and authentically charming city. Recognized as one of the best places to live in Maryland, Frederick is surrounded by mountain views and centrally located about 45 miles north of Washington D.C. and 45 miles west of Baltimore, MD JOB SUMMARY: This is a professional position with the City of Frederick, Maryland, responsible for administering the City’s development review processes. This individual is a working manager responsible for assisting staff in the evaluation of development applications for compliance with applicable zoning/subdivision codes. The successful candidate serves as a key liaison to the community, commissions/boards, and applicants on current planning matters. This individual provides land use regulation expertise to City departments, citizen review boards, businesses, and residents. This position receives direct supervision from the Deputy Director for Planning and supervises professionals, paraprofessionals and office support staff in the Current Planning Division. Regular hours are Monday through Friday centralized around the hours of 8:00 a.m. until 5 p.m. with regular work required after hours to attend public meetings.ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: Answers questions and provides technical assistance to staff, citizens, land use professionals, and others, regarding the City’s Land Management Code (LMC) and other sections of the City Code regularly employed in the development review process.Supervises staff in the processing and technical review of development applications, including annexations, map/text amendments, master plans, preliminary plats, site plans, subdivisions, forest conservation plans, variances, conditional uses, etc.Assists in the administration of the Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance. Meets regularly with applicants through Development Review Conferences, Pre-Application meetings and other scheduled meetings.Responsible for interdepartmental coordination with staff from other departments and external agencies engaged in development review processes. Oversees the preparation of written reports/documents to be presented to the Planning Commission, Zoning Board of Appeals, and, when applicable, the Mayor and Board of Aldermen.Provides technical and procedural support to Planning Commission, Zoning Board of Appeals, and, when applicable, the Mayor and Board of Aldermen at public meetings. Oversees the coordination of public notice requirements in accordance with the LMC and State Code, where applicable.Monitors the effectiveness of the City’s land development regulations and assists in the adoption of updates and revisions to the LMC and other City ordinances.Assists the Deputy Director in the administration of the LMC, including determinations on how the ordinance should be applied to specific inquiries.Assists in the investigation and resolution of alleged violations of the LMC.Promotes the professional development and training of Current Planning staff.Performs other duties as assigned. QUALIFICATIONS: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. REQUIRED EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE: Master’s degree from an accredited college or university in urban planning or a related field plus seven (7) years of progressively responsible experience in zoning and land development review. REQUIRED CERTIFICATES AND/OR LICENSES: Vehicle Operator’s license with satisfactory driving record that meets insurability standards of the City’s insurance carrier is required. The employee must maintain the license for the duration of their employment. REQUIRED SKILLS (Communication/Language; Mathematical; Computer; etc.): Thorough knowledge of principles and practices of urban planning, including methods of conducting research and statistical analysis.Extensive knowledge and demonstrated experience in working with zoning, forest conservation, and subdivision regulations.Strong and effective written and spoken communication skills including the ability to effectively and clearly present complicated information to officials, peer groups and citizen groups.Self-motivated, capable of taking initiative.Ability to effectively supervise and evaluate the performance of staff members, ensuring that staff members effectively carry out the responsibilities of their position.Ability to research issues, analyze data, and effectively writes reports and plans for presentation to elected officials, citizen boards, and the general public.Ability to interact with the general public and to respond to inquiries, by phone, email, and walk-ins, concerning all aspects of the development review process.Knowledge of basic computer software is required, MS Office and Adobe software, with familiarity of ARC view and GIS systems desirable.Ability to work evenings for scheduled meetings and special meetings as needed. PHYSICAL DEMANDS: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by the incumbent to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this position, the employee is required to frequently move about for long periods of time. The employee is required to occasionally remain in a stationary position for extended periods of time, to compile and retrieve information from computers, telephones phones, etc., to draft and write, and to handle paperwork. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 20 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include the ability to observe and inspect items directly in front or to either side of self, to assess items at a distance, to distinguish colors, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus. WORK ENVIRONMENT/CONDITION: The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to work in a typical office setting. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate. The employee may be occasionally exposed to outside weather conditions.