Principal Planner

The City of Duvall is excited to announce an incredible opportunity to help shape the future of our community and our Community and Economic Development Department! We are restructuring our Planning team to include a Principal Planner and looking for a dynamic, forward-thinking planning professional to lead and supervise a team.

As a key member of our small but important municipal department, you’ll have the chance to make a big impact. Our next Principal Planner will bring fresh ideas, guide innovative projects, and help create a vibrant, sustainable city for generations to come.

Key Elements Of The Role Include

• Leading complex planning initiatives that shape land use, growth, and development.
• Collaborating with friendly and dedicated colleagues, passionate community members, and caring elected leaders.
• Driving creative solutions for housing, transportation, and environmental stewardship.
  
  

Come to Duvall where you will be inspired by our beautiful setting, our small-town charm, and a work environment where your talent, contributions, and ideas will be recognized.

Benefits and Salary: Salary for the Principal Planner position is $116,718-$143,555. The City offers a comprehensive and competitive benefits package, including:

• Health, dental, and vision insurance
• Dual insurance incentive (in place of participation in City-offered coverage)
• Generous paid vacation and sick leave
• Annual paid executive administrative leave
• City-funded life insurance policy
• Participation in the WA State Department of Retirement Services Pension and 457 plans
• Other voluntary benefits options
  
  

Under the general direction of the Community and Economic Development Director, the Principal Planner performs advanced professional and managerial planning work related to community development, redevelopment, long-range planning, and zoning. This position is responsible for leading major planning initiatives and serves as a technical expert on complex development proposals, strategic policy work, and long-range planning.

The Principal Planner exercises a high level of independent judgment in applying advanced planning principles, practices, and techniques. The position requires extensive collaboration with City management, Engineering, elected officials, community organizations, developers, consultants, and the public to ensure that development activities align with the City’s vision, Comprehensive Plan, and Land Use Regulations.

This position functions as a leader within the Community and Economic Development team, providing guidance to other planners and contributing to departmental leadership. The Principal Planner is expected to take ownership of critical projects and may perform duties of lower-level planning positions when needed to support department operations. A key responsibility of the Principal Planner is enhancing the city’s public realm by translating urban and placemaking principles into tangible projects that promote walkability, livability, and the Comprehensive Plan's goals.

Applications will be reviewed as received. The position is open and continuous until it is filled. First round interviews are expected to occur at the beginning of March.Reports to: Community and Economic Development Director

Distinguishing Characteristics

The Principal Planner position is clearly distinguished from the Senior Planner position by the higher level of responsibility for recommending and/or managing programs as the lead professional staff for the assigned responsibility area, and for acting decisively and independently in those areas. The position may serve as Acting Planning Manager during the Director’s absence.

Representative Duties

All responsibilities listed in this section are considered essential job functions.

• Prepares complex and sensitive reports for local, State, and federal agencies; analyzes and develops recommendations on complex planning, zoning, and development proposals.
• Oversees the development, maintenance, and implementation of the City’s Comprehensive Plan, zoning code, land use regulations, environmental ordinances, and related planning documents.
• Conducts site visits and inspections to ensure compliance with land use approvals, development conditions, and design standards.
• Coordinates with engineers, developers, architects, agencies, and the public on planning and zoning matters; provides timely and accurate expert guidance to City leadership on development regulations; and advises residents, community partners, and elected officials on planning policies, procedures, and ordinances.
• Lead, support, attend, and participate in meetings of the Planning Commission, legislative and advisory bodies, City and non-City, as required; participate in professional development and land use workshops and conferences to keep abreast of trends and developments in the fields of planning or fields with direct bearing on planning.
• Manages the Planning Commission, including recruitment, onboarding, agenda development, meeting preparation, and support for the chair/vice-chair roles.
• Processes land use applications after reviewing for compliance with local, State, and Federal regulations and plans. Leads and coordinates assigned land use applications through all steps of project review (including environmental review and writing staff reports), hearing, and adoption process.
• Prepares comprehensive plan amendments or other GMA-related plans (e.g., Parks and Open Space Plan), including research, analysis, and documentation of background information, environmental review, and preparation of staff reports and recommendations presented to the Planning Commission and City Council.
• Prepares amendments to the City’s Unified Development Regulations, including supporting studies, environmental review, and preparation of staff reports and recommendations to the Planning Commission and City Council.
• Represent the city on local or regional planning and/or environmental planning organizations.
• Manages and coordinates with consultants hired by the city for peer review of current planning projects as well as long-range planning services.
• Responsible for the preparation and oversight of the City’s sensitive area mitigation programs, development permits, and city landscaping requirements.
• Provides leadership, direction, and oversight to planning staff, including work programming, technical guidance, and performance management, as authorized.
  
  

Performs other duties as assigned.

Knowledge Of

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:

• Washington State Growth Management Act (GMA), zoning legislation, State Environmental Protection Act (SEPA), Shorelines Master Program, and other applicable Federal, State, and local planning laws and regulations.
• Principles, practices, regulations, and techniques in land use, urban planning, and urban design, including new urbanism concepts; the interrelationships between land use, environmental considerations, and economics; and community design principles.
• Municipal government structures, roles, and responsibilities as they relate to planning, development, and land use review.
• Development process, neighborhood and community concerns, and public participation techniques.
• Proficient in computer software, including Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.), Bluebeam Revu, permit tracking systems, and other data analysis tools.
  
  

Skill In

• Skill in analyzing complex administrative information and issues, defining problems and evaluating alternatives, and recommending methods, procedures, and techniques for the resolution of issues.
• Skill in organizational and time management to prioritize duties to accomplish a high volume of work product while adapting to constant changes in priority.
• Skill in researching and understanding complex written materials.
  
  

Ability To

• Ability to read and interpret site plan designs, landscape plans, civil and architectural drawings, and construction documents.
• Ability to understand and interpret zoning, subdivision, and land use ordinances, including urban design guidelines and related Municipal Code provisions.
• Ability to effectively utilize the principles of strategic, long-range, and short-range planning.
• Ability to research and analyze technical information and prepare clear, defensible recommendations.
• Ability to establish and maintain accurate records of assigned activities, projects, and operations.
• Ability to interpret and implement local policies and procedures as well as Federal, State, and local regulations (RCW, WAC, GMA, SEPA, etc.).
• Ability to manage multiple complex projects simultaneously while meeting stringent deadlines and working with minimal direction and supervision.
• Ability to remain calm, think quickly, and adapt appropriately in stressful or politically sensitive situations.
• Ability to perform mathematical calculations related to planning, land use, development capacity, and environmental review.
• Ability to communicate clearly, concisely, and effectively in English, both written and verbal form; bilingual skills are a plus.
• Ability to learn GIS and permit tracking software.
• Ability to make public presentations before hearing bodies and diverse groups.
• Ability to handle sensitive or contentious interpersonal situations with tact, diplomacy, and professionalism.
• Ability to maintain professionalism at all times.
• Ability to establish and maintain positive and effective working relationships with staff, elected officials, community members, and outside agencies.
• Ability to manage consultants, including hiring, developing contracts, tracking contracts, and project budgets.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and discretion in accordance with the Washington Public Records Act (PRA) and other applicable statutes and regulations.
• Ability to work the hours of the position and respond after hours when needed.
• Ability to mentor, train, and provide technical guidance to junior planning staff.
• Ability to apply professional judgement in ambiguous or precedent-setting situations.
• Ability to develop and implement innovative solutions to complex planning and development issues.
• Ability to integrate urban design principles into development review and policy recommendations.
• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited four-year college or university in Urban Planning, Landscape Architecture, Public Administration, or a closely related field, and six (6) years progressively responsible experience, with a minimum of three (3) years working for municipal government in current and long-range planning; or
• Master’s degree in Urban Planning, Landscape Architecture, Public Administration, or a closely related field, and a minimum of four (4) years of progressively responsible planning experience, including work in current and long-range municipal planning; or
• Any equivalent combination of education, training, and experience that would provide the desired skills, knowledge, and ability to perform the duties of the position.
  
  

Certifications and Licenses

• AICP (American Institute of Certified Planners) certification preferred.
• Valid Washington State Driver’s License.Physical and Work Environment
  
  

The physical and work environment characteristics described in this description 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 or as otherwise required by law. Employees who need reasonable accommodation should discuss the request with their supervisor.

• Work requires the occasional exertion of up to 25 pounds of force.
• Work regularly requires sitting and frequently involves standing, speaking, hearing, using hands to handle or feel objects, and performing repetitive motions.
• Work occasionally requires walking, stooping, kneeling, crouching, or crawling, and reaching with hands and arms.
• Work generally follows regular business hours; however, evening meetings, workshops, off-site events, and occasional unscheduled community engagement activities are required.
• Work has standard vision requirements.
• Vocal communication is required for expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word.
• Hearing is required to perceive information at normal spoken-word levels.
• Work involves preparing and analyzing written or computer data and interacting with the public, elected officials, developers, and staff.
• Work has minimal exposure to adverse environmental conditions.
• Work is generally in a moderately noisy office setting (e.g., business office, light traffic) and moderately loud construction sites.