What are the responsibilities and job description for the Land Use Planner | Miami position at Shutts & Bowen LLP?
Shutts & Bowen seeks a Land Use Planner to support attorneys and clients in navigating zoning, land use, environmental review, and related entitlement processes. The ideal candidate will assist with application preparation, conduct research and analysis, draft reports and memoranda, and coordinate with multidisciplinary teams to advance project approvals.
Essential Functions
The physical demands described here are those an employee must meet to perform the essential functions of this job successfully, including typing on a keyboard and writing by hand. The employee is regularly required to talk or hear. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close and distance vision, color vision, and the ability to adjust focus.
This job description intends to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by individuals assigned to this position. It is not intended to include all duties and responsibilities.
Shutts & Bowen is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
Essential Functions
- Assist with preparation, submission, and tracking of land use and zoning applications, including compiling exhibits, affidavits, forms, and project narratives under senior land use planner supervision.
- Conduct research and analysis of zoning ordinances, comprehensive plans, special district regulations, subdivision and site plan standards, and related municipal, county, state, and regional requirements.
- Analyze parcels and development proposals for compliance with use, bulk, density, FAR, parking, open space, and design standards; prepare zoning conformance tables and matrices.
- Research and summarize legislative history, administrative guidance, and agency procedures relevant to land use approvals and permitting.
- Assist in the preparation of written reports, planning memoranda, due diligence summaries, and presentation materials for attorneys, senior land use planners, clients, and governmental bodies.
- Support public hearing readiness, including preparing application packets, noticing materials, and presentation slide decks as needed. Schedule meetings with municipal staff, clients, and project teams.
- Maintain project calendars, approval timelines, and agency filing checklists, monitor and report on entitlement milestones and conditions of approval.
- Organize and maintain planning files, GIS datasets, and precedent libraries; ensure accuracy and version control; create and manage a database of boilerplate templates for land use documents.
- Bachelor’s degree in urban and Regional Planning, Urban Design, Geography, Architecture, Public Administration, or a closely related field required.
- Internship or 1 year of relevant experience in land use planning, zoning, real estate development, or a related governmental or consulting environment preferred.
- Familiarity with municipal land use processes, zoning codes, comprehensive planning, subdivision/site plan review, and environmental review procedures.
- Experience preparing or supporting entitlement applications and interacting with public agencies preferred.
- Strong analytical and quantitative skills; ability to interpret zoning text and maps, perform dimensional compliance reviews, and synthesize technical inputs.
- Exceptional attention to detail with consistent, accurate work product under deadlines.
- Clear and concise written and verbal communication; adept at drafting reports, memoranda, and client-facing materials.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint); working knowledge of GIS software (e.g., ArcGIS, QGIS) and Adobe Acrobat required; familiarity with CAD or visualization tools a plus.
- Strong organizational skills, including task prioritization, document management, and timeline tracking across multiple matters.
- Collaborative mindset with professional judgment and responsiveness in a client-service environment.
- Basic understanding of how to read site, landscape, architecture, and civil engineering drawings, and create maps using GIS or other mapping programs.
- Ability to work independently while managing multiple complex tasks and meeting deadlines.
The physical demands described here are those an employee must meet to perform the essential functions of this job successfully, including typing on a keyboard and writing by hand. The employee is regularly required to talk or hear. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close and distance vision, color vision, and the ability to adjust focus.
This job description intends to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by individuals assigned to this position. It is not intended to include all duties and responsibilities.
Shutts & Bowen is an Equal Opportunity Employer.