Principal Planner


 The City of Alexandria is located in Northern Virginia, bordered by the District of Columbia (Potomac River), Arlington, and Fairfax counties. With a population of approximately 150,000 and a land area of 15.75 square miles, Alexandria is the seventh largest City in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Alexandria has a charming waterfront and is a unique and historic place to live and work. About one-quarter of the City's 15.75 square miles have been designated as a national or local historic district.  We proudly embrace our rich history and seize the opportunities that lie ahead.  If you are interested in working for the vibrant City of Alexandria, we invite qualified candidates to apply for this Principal Planner position.  

An Overview
A Principal Planner is primarily responsible for supervising and managing a team of professional planners performing regulatory review of development plans from concept through construction phases in the Planning & Zoning's Development Division.  The Principal Planner in this position will work with the Division Chief and other Principal Planners to manage work assignments within the Division; lead communications and meetings on development cases; oversee the review of letters, staff reports and presentations prepared by their review team; and present recommendations to City Council, Planning Commission and other civic groups.  This planning position will be responsible for a wide range of development projects, as well as working within an interdisciplinary team environment to bring new planning efforts forward.  While it is possible that teams within the Development Division will be reassigned from time to time, the Principal Planner for this position will lead a team assigned to the East End of the City that generally includes the Old Town, Old Town North, Parker Gray and Route 1 South areas and also part of the Potomac Yard area. 
 
What You Should Bring 

This Principal Planner should demonstrate leadership in working with others, within a governmental agency, and with other departments and agencies in a collaborative team environment, and encourage such collaborative coordination among assigned team members. Planner should also demonstrate knowledge of current literature and recent developments in the fields of public sector planning and the ability to explore and apply, as appropriate, new and creative ideas that facilitate innovative planning and development. The ideal candidate is expected to be a highly motivated planner able to provide analytical assistance on complex development review applications by applying knowledge of planning and zoning regulations and policies to actual development and construction projects.

 
The Opportunity

• Manage the work flow of an assigned team;
• Guide assigned staff in the review of development projects and in the preparation of special studies and policy initiatives;
• Review and edit detailed staff reports pertaining to development projects; 
• Assist staff in leading interdepartmental teams in the management of complex multi-disciplinary development cases;
• Monitor staff in the execution of contract management responsibilities for special projects and in the development of deliverables;
• Review and edit graphics for presentations and printed materials using PowerPoint, Geographic Information Systems, InDesign, Sketch Up, AutoCad, or other design software; 
• Present to Planning Commission; City Council and other commissions, boards and public bodies;
• Give public presentations to citizens' groups and senior management within P&Z and senior management within the City; and
• Perform related work as required.

About the Department of Planning and Zoning 
 The Department of Planning and Zoning works closely with the community in each area of the City to carry out City Council's Strategic Plan for vibrant, amenity-rich neighborhoods, protected historic resources, and vital local businesses. With the community as our partner in developing neighborhood plans and reviewing proposals for development projects and businesses, we continue to deliver on the Vision we have developed together