SUPERVISING PLANNER DEFINITION:
Under direction, supervises and works with a group of employees who are engaged in the development of a master, functional, or project plan which is intended primarily to guide government policy for the assurance of orderly and coordinated development of municipal, county, regional, and metropolitan land areas or portions thereof; supervises staff and work activities; prepares and signs official performance evaluations for subordinate staff; does other related duties as required.
NOTE: The examples of work for this title are for illustrative purposes only. A particular position using this title may not perform all duties listed in this job specification. Conversely, all duties performed on the job may not be listed.
EXAMPLES OF WORK:
Plans, organizes, and supervises planning projects.
Supervises studies and surveys involving highly complex technical aspects of the planning field, including existing and future land uses, resources and resource needs, utilities and transportation uses.
Supervises the preparation of planning reports including graphic, statistical, and written presentations.
Reviews, and interprets planning data.
Establishes and maintains cooperative working relationships with those involved in the work of then program.
Supervises the maintenance of essential records and files, maps, and charts. Supervises and coordinates activities of professional planning personnel engaged in various planning work to ensure adherence to planning principles, procedures, and administrative policies.
Coordinates work activities of the unit with other units.
Plans, administers, and reviews work which includes development and refinement of land program or project review procedures and policies, analyses of major impacts of proposals affecting the program or project, evaluations of emerging legislation and issues relating to the section's activities, review of major proposals, presentation before citizen, policy, and decision making bodies, and preparation of materials and testimony for court proceedings involving development proposals.
Prepares agendas and progress reports for the planning board; recommends revisions to land development regulations.
Supervises work operations and/or functional programs, and has responsibility for employee evaluations and for effectively recommending the hiring, firing, promoting, demoting, and/or disciplining of employees.
Coordinates and administers planning programs in accordance with agency rules and regulations.
Assign projects and monitors workflow.
Supervises and organizes staff and activities involved in conducting highly complex planning surveys, investigations, analyses, public needs identification, data interpretation, and transpositions.
Evaluates project proposals against adopted standards, plans, and programs, and recommends viable alternate plans for concerned decision-makers.
Drafts recommended design changes pertaining to certain aspects of development proposals.
Promotes adopted plans, programs, and projects.
Proposes amendments to both policy and development regulations.
Transmits actions and recommendations of development proposals to municipalities, applicants, and representatives thereof.
Conducts meetings with general public and government officials to discuss issues at hand.
Establishes objectives, procedures and operational methods.
Coordinates and administers program and project reviews in accord with federal, state, and regional guidelines and requirements.
Coordinates and administers programs of land development proposals and review with other planning board sections and government agencies.
Applies an understanding of the elements of transportation, utilities, resources, environment, parks, and land use planning in relation to specific proposals of state, county, and municipal master plans.
Provides advice and technical assistance to address problems.
Will be required to learn to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and information systems used by the agency, office, or related units.
REQUIREMENTS:
NOTE: Applicants must meet one of the following or a combination of both experience and education. Thirty (30) semester hour credits are equal to one (1) year of relevant experience.
Eight (8) years of professional experience in municipal, county, regional, or state planning, one (1) year of which shall have included supervisory responsibilities; including or supplemented by twenty-one (21) semester hour credits in professional planning subjects such as the principles of land use planning, history of city planning, planning project design, and planning law and administration.
OR
Possession of a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university including or supplemented by twenty-one (21) semester hour credits in professional planning subjects such as the principles of land use planning, history of city planning, planning project design, and planning law and administration; and four (4) years of the above-mentioned professional experience, one (1) year of which shall have included supervisory responsibilities.
OR
Possession of a master's degree in planning from an accredited college or university; and three (3) years of the above-mentioned professional experience, one (1) year of which shall have included supervisory responsibilities.
NOTE: "Professional experience" refers to work that is creative, analytical, evaluative, and interpretive; requires a range and depth of specialized knowledge of the profession's principles, concepts, theories, and practices; and is performed with the authority to act according to one's own judgment and make accurate and informed decisions.
LICENSE:
A license as a Professional Planner, issued by the New Jersey State Board of Professional Planners is required.
Appointees will be required to possess a driver's license valid in New Jersey only if the operation of a vehicle, rather than employee mobility, is necessary to perform the essential duties of the position.
KNOWLEDGE AND ABILITIES:
Knowledge of theories, practices, and principles of state, municipal, and regional planning.
Knowledge of the problems associated with the growth of urban centers, movements of population, the changing character of individual urban, suburban, and rural areas, the location, relocation, development, and/or loss of industrial opportunities, traffic conditions, and other contemporary conditions affecting land use.
Knowledge of the varied factors, to be considered in the planning process.
Knowledge of supervisory principles and techniques.
Knowledge of the uses of computers in the planning process.
Knowledge of factors that determine the development, location, form, growth, or decline of urban areas.
Knowledge of the impact of land use on community development.
Knowledge of principles related to the movement of people within and outside of urban areas and transportation as a factor in community growth and physical structure.
Ability to gather and analyze data.
Ability to analyze planning problems.
Ability to identify and define planning goals and objectives.
Ability to establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with those involved in the work of the unit.
Ability to organize and execute designated planning projects and studies.
Ability to prepare technically correct realistic land use plans.
Ability to keep current with literature in the field of planning and with current trends of thought and significant developments in present day planning activities.
Ability to comprehend, analyze, and interpret basic law and regulations.
Ability to assign and instruct technical and other employees and supervise the performance of their work.
Ability to collect, organize, analyze, and interpret, and use land use information.
Ability to prepare and supervise the preparation of maps, charts, graphs, and plans.
Ability to provide professional advice and guidance on planning matters.
Ability to conduct inspections and surveys.
Ability to prepare correspondence in the course of official duties.
Ability to prepare clear, technically sound, accurate, and informative planning reports, studies, and surveys containing findings, conclusions, and recommendations.
Ability to supervise the maintenance of essential records, reports, maps, plans, and files.
Ability to learn to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and information systems used by the agency, office, or related units.
Ability to read, write, speak, understand, or communicate in English sufficiently to perform the duties of this position. American Sign Language or Braille may also be considered as acceptable forms of communication.
Persons with mental or physical disabilities are eligible as long as they can perform essential functions of the job with or without reasonable accommodation. If the accommodation cannot be made because it would cause the employer undue hardship, such persons may not be eligible.
