Planner, Senior

Oconee County, Georgia • Senior Planner 2120A

PURPOSE OF CLASSIFICATION
The purpose of this classification is to assist with administering and maintaining the County’s Unified Development
Code and Community Agenda to coordinate rezoning, land use development, site development review, transportation,
and infrastructure planning. This position reports to the Planning & Code Enforcement Director.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
The following duties are normal for this position. These are not to be construed as exclusive or all-inclusive. Other
duties may be required and assigned.
Serves as liaison to developers, architects, engineers, surveyors and others in answering questions and interpreting the
County’s Unified Development Code and other land use, planning and development matters.
Serves as staff advisor to the Planning Commission and as the department representative on the Development Review
Committee; duties include insuring the following are met: scheduling of meetings, preparing agendas, legal and public
notifications, composing minutes, and maintaining meeting records;
Supervises and performs reviews for completeness of applications for rezoning, special use approval, variance requests;
Generates analysis of requests for recommendation and public presentation; Presents recommendations of the Planning
Commission and/or the Development Review Committee; attends Board of Commissioners meetings and responds to
policy issues and questions.
Assists with maintaining the county’s Community Agenda; duties include researching and gathering data related to
planning, economic development, housing and land use issues, preparing maps, and drafting revisions to the plan
document; helps coordinate the plan approval process; assists in the development of work programs to implement plan
revisions.
Assists the Planning Director with implementing department goals, policies and objectives; coordinates and assists the
Planning Director with daily staff duties and obligations, in addition to staff development and training.
Develops extensive knowledge of the content and requirements of the County’s Unified Development Code and
Community Agenda; including additional resource information from the County’s tax digest, tax maps, recorded plats
and deeds, technical manuals, building code books and other related development documents; generates amendments
and professional opinions and recommendations for amendments to the Unified Development Code.
Supervises and maintains the department’s webpage on the County’s website; Modifies and updates the department’s
webpage to include current agenda items and requests for Planning Commission and Board of Commissioner meetings;
coordinates website updates and modifications with the County’s designated web master.
Reviews applications and development plans for all non-residential and residential projects; coordinates review of plans
with staff from other County departments assigned to the Development Review Committee; Building Inspection, Code
Enforcement, Public Works, Utilities, Environmental Health, Fire, EMA, and other departments involved with the
development approval process; approves and processes final construction plans for non-residential and residential
development.
Processes and reviews administrative and final plats for compliance and approval; Maintains comprehensive database of
approved and recorded administrative and final plats. Maintains orderly administrative and final plat records and files.
Maintains a comprehensive, current knowledge and awareness of applicable laws/regulations; maintains an awareness of
new trends and advances in the profession; reads professional literature; maintains professional affiliations; attends
workshops and training sessions as appropriate; attends planning conferences, seminars, and training sessions to maintain
knowledge of Federal and State planning trends, laws, policies, and practices in local government.
Performs professional planning services for the County’s incorporated cities as directed by the Board of Commissioners.

ADDITIONAL FUNCTIONS
Operating fleet vehicles to perform fieldwork, post public notification signs, and travel to County or planning related
functions and activities.
Performs other related duties as required.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
Bachelor’s degree in City Planning, Community & Regional Planning, Civil Engineering, Landscape Architecture, or
other closely related field; a Master's Degree in Urban Planning or closely related field and/or American Institute of
Certified Planners (AICP) certification is encouraged; supplemented by three (3) to five (5) years previous experience
and/or training that includes urban planning and public administration; supervising planning processes; similar city or
county planning department or private planning firm experience preferred; or any equivalent combination of education,
training, and experience which provides the requisite knowledge, skills, and abilities for this job. Must possess and
maintain a valid Georgia driver’s license.
PERFORMANCE APTITUDES
Computer Skills: Intermediate to advanced experience operating ArcMap, ArcGIS, ArcView or other similar ESRI
mapping programs required with elevated to expert proficiency operating Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel,
PowerPoint, Access & Publisher); Basic to intermediate training or experience operating CMS applications preferred.
Data Utilization: Requires the ability to synthesize, hypothesize, and/or theorize concerning data involving
modification of existing policies, strategies and/or methods to meet unique or unusual conditions. Requires the ability
to do so within the context of existing organizational theories and management principles.
Human Interaction: Requires the ability to function in a director capacity for a major organizational unit requiring
significant internal and external interaction.
Equipment, Machinery, Tools, and Materials Utilization: Requires the ability to operate, maneuver and/or control
the actions of equipment, machinery, tools, and/or materials used in performing essential functions.
Verbal Aptitude: Requires the ability to utilize a wide variety of reference, descriptive, advisory and/or design data
and information.
Mathematical Aptitude: Requires the ability to perform addition, subtraction, multiplication and division; ability to
calculate decimals and percentages; may include ability to perform mathematical operations involving basic algebraic
principles and formulas, and basic geometric principles and calculations.
Functional Reasoning: Requires the ability to apply principles of influence systems, such as motivation, incentive, and
leadership, and to exercise independent judgment to apply facts and principles for developing approaches and techniques
to resolve problems.
Situational Reasoning: Requires the ability to exercise judgment, decisiveness and creativity in situations involving
the direction, control and planning of an entire program or set of programs.
ADA COMPLIANCE
Physical Ability: Tasks require the ability to exert light physical effort in sedentary to light work, but which may
involve some lifting, carrying, pushing and/or pulling of objects and materials of light weight (5-10 pounds). Tasks
may involve extended periods of time at a keyboard, work station or public meetings.
Sensory Requirements: Some tasks require the ability to perceive and discriminate colors or shades of colors, sounds,
depth, texture, and visual cues or signals. Some tasks require the ability to communicate orally.
Environmental Factors: Performance of essential functions may require exposure to adverse environmental
conditions, such as dirt, dust, pollen, wetness, humidity, rain, or machinery.
Oconee County, Georgia, is an Equal Opportunity Employer. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the County will provide reasonable accommodations
to qualified individuals with disabilities and encourages both prospective and current employees to discuss potential accommodations with the employment.