Salary: Junior Planner ($64,147-$72,571) | Senior Planner ($72,571-$90,626)
Location: Port Orchard, WA
Job Type: Full Time (40 hrs/wk)
Department: Community Development
Job Number: DCD-2021-Planner
Closing: Continuous – Position Open Until Filled

Learn more about this position by visiting Kitsap County Department of Community Development’s Government Jobs page.

Job Description:

Kitsap County DCD seeks a JUNIOR PLANNER or SENIOR PLANNER to join our team of professionals.

Under the direction of the assigned supervisor, the incumbent performs varied and responsible professional planning work to evaluate, review, and process routine land use and environmental applications related to regional and community development in accordance with established procedures.  Our planners specialize in plan reviews of a specific nature, support development of planning studies, and make recommendations pertaining to land use, environmental use, and advanced planning impacts. Planners will perform code development research and drafting, support implementation of land use and environmental regulations, and present technical reports and recommendations to hearings bodies.
 DCD focuses on enabling and assisting our Kitsap residents in building affordable, structurally sound, and environmentally conscious developments in the Kitsap Community. We provide our team the opportunity to learn and grow within our positive and innovative work environment; we empower our team to make decisions and pride ourselves on a culture of continuous improvement. Kitsap County DCD has earned national awards for the permitting system, public disclosure request system, and risk check program. It has received two Governor’s Awards for comprehensive planning efforts and is recognized for its natural resources program by federal and state agencies as the “go to organization” for Puget Sound restoration efforts. The department has very engaged employees dedicated to delivering effective and efficient services to the citizens of Kitsap County. Nearly all employees are Lean Six Sigma trained and have development plans that encourage career growth at all levels.

Please learn more about the department at the county webpage.

Depending on experience and background, candidates will be brought on as a Junior Planner ($64,147-$72,571) or a Senior Planner ($72,571-$90,626).  A Junior Planner would meet the minimum qualifications above with a demonstrated work history of moderately complex professional planning.  A Senior Planner would have more advanced professional planning experience of high complexity and variety, often as a lead or with greater independence and judgment.

Qualifications for Performance of the Essential Functions:

Required Education & Experience:

  • Bachelor’s Degree in planning, Environmental Planning or closely related field from a college or university accredited by an agency recognized by the US Department of Education AND four years of full-time professional experience with planning processes related to permit processing and community development is required.

OR

  • An equivalent combination of experience and education which provides the applicant with the desired skills, knowledge, and ability required to perform the work.

Preferred Education, Experience, or Qualifications:

  • Experience with land use or current planning. 
  • Experience with environmental permitting.
  • Experience with permit processing practices under the comprehensive plan and sub-area plans.
  • Experience with long range planning under the WA State Growth Management Act.  
  • Experience with electronic plan submittal and review.
  • American Institute of Certified Planners certification.

Required Licenses, Certificates, Examinations/Tests and Other Requirements (Exclude if none required)

The incumbent is responsible for obtaining and maintaining all the following required licenses, certifications and other requirements.

Prior to employment, the successful candidate must:

  • Submit official transcripts from an accredited college or university or business school, if education is being used to meet the minimum qualifications.
  • Pass all job-related examinations/tests necessary to demonstrate required knowledge, skills and abilities, as determined by the hiring authority at time of job posting.

Physical Requirements & Working Environment:

(The physical demands described are representative of those that must be met by the employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Kitsap County provides reasonable accommodation to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.)

  • Working primarily in an office with some field inspection work.
  • Attendance at meetings outside of normal working hours at various locations throughout the County and occasional travel outside the County may be required.
  • Walking and balancing (short and long distances)
  • Climbing, including property slopes and banks and uneven ground
  • Bending, stooping, twisting
  • Reaching above and/or below shoulder
  • Handling/grasping documents or equipment
  • Sitting for extended periods of time
  • Standing for long periods of time and the ability to walk through rough or uneven terrain may be required to conduct field inspections. 
  • Clear speaking and adequate hearing sufficient to communicate effectively and respond appropriately in-person and/or on the telephone
  • Hearing audible signals, safety warning devices, phones, traffic, and equipment
  • Vision sufficient to read source materials, computer screen data, see detail or color, review plans, inspect field sites and discriminate color-coded safety information.
  • Repetitive motions for computer, tool and equipment use.
  • Requires exertion of force of 20 pounds occasionally, 35 pounds intermittently to lift/carry/move objects, files/documents and other materials or equipment.

 Incumbents may be exposed to:

  • Potentially hazardous conditions on construction sites, including machinery and forklifts.
  • Violent or hostile individuals.
  • Inclement weather while conducting field inspections (temperature extremes, slippery surfaces).
  • Road and traffic hazards.
  • Nuisance dust.

Illustrative Examples of Duties:

In this role, you will have the opportunity to:

  • Review land use and environmental applications and site plans for compliance with local and state regulations and plans. 
  • Conduct project review meetings and site inspections as necessary to identify any applicable conditions and potential impact of project. 
  • Monitor assigned land use and environmental applications through approval, developing and preparing additional related data as required.
  • Prepare staff reports of findings, including recommendations and supporting data for approval and submission to the Hearing Examiner, Planning Commission and/or Board of County Commissioners.
  • Provide information to property owners, investors, real estate developers and other interested parties pertaining to land use applications, ordinances, codes and related community development information.
  • Assists zoning and building inspectors in assuring compliance with applicable codes and ordinances.  Works with the staff for legal action to resolve troublesome or non-complying cases.
  • Communicate with the public on a variety of land use and environmental matters.
  • Conduct and prepare limited technical research and recommendations for drafting or revising local development legislation and plans.

Other Position Related Information:

  • Who May Apply: This position is open to the general public.  Applications will be screened for qualifications and completion of all the required materials and forms.  The most competitive applicants may be contacted for further steps in the selection process, which may include testing for office and computer skills.
  • This position is classified as exempt from overtime under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)
  • This position is covered under a collective bargaining agreement with AFSCME 1308.  Internal applicants should be aware that a change in union status or bargaining unit may impact your benefits and accruals.   Please contact Human Resources if you have questions.
  • Kitsap County is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran status, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws, regulations and ordinances.  We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or the recruiting process, please contact our Human Resources Office.
  • This recruitment is being used to fill an existing open position and may be used to fill future openings for up to six (6) months.
  • Work hours for this position are Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.  
  • This position has been identified to be eligible for reimbursement of moving expenses up to a total of $7,500 for those candidates whose relocation meets the IRS distance test and in accordance with the Kitsap County Personnel Manual, Chapter 3, Section G.