The City of Puyallup is hiring a Senior Planner to join our Planning team. This is a full-time, temporary position, anticipated to be a 9-month assignment. Interested applicants are encouraged to apply by February 23rd for priority consideration.

It is impactful to join Team Puyallup and provide meaningful work in support of public service and the wellbeing of our community. We value our culture of demonstrating excellence in our work, being service focused, supporting collaboration, and having integrity in all that we do. We encourage those that share these values to apply to our open positions and/or forward to colleagues who may be ready for their next career advancement opportunity.

The successful candidate will primarily be focusing on comprehensive (long-range) planning, including annexations, legislation, and urban growth area issues, and may also involve some current planning work. The position requires a broad range of knowledge and experience in the planning field. Work is performed with considerable independence under the supervision of the Planning Manager. Work may require occasional contact with the Hearing Examiner, Planning Commission, City Council, representatives of other City departments and divisions, other governmental agencies, land developers and their agents, and the general public to provide information and advice on sensitive community issues. Work is performed in an office setting, but does require occasional field investigations. Work may require attendance at meetings which frequently occur outside normal work hours.

The City of Puyallup is a community of 43,000 and is situated at the foot of scenic Mount Rainier. The city is known as a regional commercial center, and serves its residents and neighbors with a strong, diversified economy. Our employees live in and support a community that has excellent schools, amazing parks and recreational activities, and a vibrant downtown with a variety of restaurants and retail establishments.

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Essential Functions
This temporary Senior Planner position will focus primarily on long-range planning activities; however, some assignments may be in current planning. Essential functions for the position include:

  • Performs a wide variety of comprehensive planning activities; including maintenance of the City Comprehensive Plan; gathers and analyzes data, makes recommendations, and prepares reports.
  • Assists in preparing ordinances or revisions to ordinances related to land use and development to implement the Comprehensive Plan.
  • Processes annexation requests and related tasks.
  • Assists other departments in developing functional plans and policies, especially as they relate to land use and development.
  • Makes presentations to the Planning Commission and City Council.
  • Responds to inquiries from applicants and members of the public on a variety of development-related topics.
  • Provides assistance to outside agencies and committees as requested.
  • Performs other duties as assigned.
  • Secondary functions for the position may include:
  • Reviews development applications for conformance with City land use regulations, including zoning and subdivision codes, critical area regulations and related standards.
  • Performs SEPA and shoreline program reviews.
  • Prepares reports and makes presentations to the Hearing Examiner.

Qualifications

Knowledge of:

  • Modern planning principles and practices;
  • Land use concepts and the impact of sociological, demographic, economic, environmental and other factors influencing land use;
  • Research techniques and graphic and statistical presentations;
  • Site plan review;
  • Project review principles and methods;
  • The operation of personal computers, including word processing and spreadsheet software and permit tracking systems.


Ability to:

  • Systematically gather, organize and analyze data;
  • Write reports clearly and interestingly and to convey technical information to laypersons;
  • Make clear and concise verbal presentations before a variety of groups in a manner appropriate to the audience;
  • Deal with the public courteously and tactfully often under difficult circumstances;
  • Interpret and apply laws, draft ordinances and regulations to implement land use planning policies;
  • Safely operate a motor vehicle in the performance of job duties;
  • Work on multiple, concurrent tasks, with frequent interruptions;
  • Effectively work in a team environment, contribute openly, respectfully disagree, understand the ideas of others, listen well and work for consensus;
  • Establish and maintain positive, effective working relationships with departmental personnel, developers, citizens groups, the public and other City personnel;
  • Prepare and carry out work programs and special projects and meet timelines, and work independently with little direction;
  • Represent City and the department in a professional manner under a wide range of circumstances; and
  • Maintain regular, reliable and punctual attendance.


Education and Experience:
Bachelor’s degree in planning or a closely related field and five years of progressively responsible and relevant planning experience (a Master’s degree in planning or related field may substitute for one year of experience).

Desirable Qualifications:
Membership in the American Institute of Certified Planners.

Special Qualifications:
Possession of or ability to obtain, and maintain throughout employment, a valid Washington State driver’s license.

Physical Characteristics and Work Environment
Constant use of sight, hearing, and speech abilities to perform essential functions and communicate with others. Constant fine finger manipulation and use of hands and arms in reaching/handling/fingering/grasping while operating office equipment and computers, preparing written documentation, handling paperwork, etc. Frequent sitting, may be extended at times, while doing desk activities. Frequent bending/twisting at waist/knees/neck while working at desk, worktable, or moving from sitting to standing position. Frequent standing in combination with walking (short distances) throughout work shift in office areas; standing may be extended at times while working at the front counter. Occasional lifting/carrying up to 30-pound documents, file boxes, etc. Occasional pushing/pulling force up to 10 pounds opening doors, drawers, and moving materials. Occasional climbing on step stools, ladders and stairs. Works primarily indoors in a climate-controlled office environment with low noise levels, with occasional field site visits and public meetings, including evening meetings. Occasional field visits require driving, negotiating rough terrain, and below normal temperatures.

GENERAL INFORMATION


Essential Functions – The statements contained herein reflect general details as necessary to describe the principal functions for this job, the level of knowledge, skills and abilities typically required and the scope of responsibility, but should not be considered an all-inclusive listing of work requirements. Individuals may perform other duties as assigned including work in other functional areas to cover absences or relief, to equalize peak work periods, or to balance the workload.
Hours of Work – Normal work hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with one (1) hour lunch. This position will be eligible to remote work up to two days per week after the training period.
FLSA Status – This is a FLSA non-exempt position.


Union Affiliation – This position is a non-represented position.
Temporary, seasonal and non-benefit employment – Employees may be hired to fill various temporary, seasonal and non-benefit positions within the City as approved in the current budget. These employees will receive retirement benefits and paid sick leave as provided for in State law. Temporary, seasonal and non-benefit employees may be terminated at any time for any reason without recourse.
Equal Employment Opportunity – The City of Puyallup is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer and does not discriminate in any employer/employee relations based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, marital status, disability, genetic information, veteran’s status or any other basis protected by applicable discrimination laws.
Background – The City of Puyallup will need to obtain the proper background and criminal history information pursuant to RCW 43.43.830/832 for positions where the employee will or may have unsupervised access to children, developmentally delayed persons or vulnerable adults.
Disability – In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, disability will be considered only in the context of an applicant’s ability to perform essential functions of the job and to determine reasonable accommodation. Accommodation to participate in the job application and/or selection process for employment will be made upon request with reasonable notice. Please contact the Human Resources Department for further information. The physical demands described in this job announcement are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.


Identification – Applicants who are offered employment with the City are required to provide proof of identity and authorization to work in the United States within three days of date of hire, as required by the 1986 Federal Immigration Reform and Control Act. A list of acceptable documents verifying identity and authorization to work will be provided to those who are offered employment. The city uses the E-Verify program.


Drug-Free Workplace – The City of Puyallup is a drug-free, tobacco-free workplace.
Note – The provisions of this job announcement do not constitute an expressed or implied contract. Any provisioncontained herein may be modified and/or revoked without notice.