Urban Planner jobs in Las Cruces, NM

Plans, organizes, participates and supervises staff engaged in a planning area, and manages and conducts comprehensive planning projects affecting land use, regulations, and transportation issues.

Work is performed in an office setting.

Light physical demands; mostly desk work. Frequent use of a personal computer.

Position involves competing demands, performing multiple tasks, working to deadlines, occasional work beyond normal business hours, and responding to customer issues.  Regular attendance is an essential function of this job to ensure continuity of services.   Position is subject to drug testing in accordance with applicable State and Federal regulations and City of Las Cruces policy.

• Provides technical and professional planning services to achieve structured and organized growth and development in the City in compliance with all regulatory requirements; assures project plans, policies and procedures are in conformance to City goals, and in compliance with local, state and Federal codes and regulations.
• Supervises the staff of an assigned planning work area; screens and assigns workload; plans, prioritizes and assigns tasks and projects; trains staff, monitors work and evaluates performance.
• Oversees technical programs including the City Comprehensive Plan, Long Range Plan and the Transportation Plan; serves as team leader for project work groups; reviews progress and recommends revisions to priorities and schedules to assure projects are completed in a timely and efficient manner; reviews plans and technical documents for compliance with City regulations and ordinances; provides professional evaluations and reports as appropriate; produces professional quality staff reports, presentations and recommendations on complex technical issues; develops multi-modal solutions to complex issues, and resolves conflicts; prepares detailed technical and policy reports, and comprehensive plans; develops new and revised ordinances and regulations as appropriate. 
• Reviews and evaluates development proposals, development designs, applications, planning and zoning changes, variance requests, technical documents and special permits for compliance with City standards and regulatory requirements; answers inquiries and assists the public and other agencies in matters relating to planning, zoning and permit review, and other City standards and regulations; 
• Provides information and recommendations within scope of authority; reviews and processes a variety of applications, permits and plans; creates correspondence and reports, and coordinates with customers as needed; reviews development plans with residents, developers and builders; develops recommendations, summarizes issues and makes presentations to the City Council and Planning & Zoning Commission.
• May review and evaluate short/long range transportation planning including traffic modeling, travel demand modeling, travel forecasting, database development, system analysis and plan development; conducts corridor and sub-area studies.
• Manages special projects as assigned; conducts research and analysis on permits, plans, rules and regulations; conducts field surveys to evaluate sites and determine suitability of proposed land use changes; researches planning issues and regulations, and provides data on land use issues and related subjects as requested.
• May serve as liaison to MPO Policy Committee in setting up public meeting agendas, providing program support development, budget and financial management, program reporting, public information assistances.
• May serve as member of Design Review committee to review and recommend subdivisions to Commission.
• Participates in meetings with government officials and community groups; provides information to the Planning & Zoning Commission, the City Manager, City Council and other City departments as needed; coordinates with various regional government organizations, community groups, and state and Federal agencies; attends public meetings and presents information on regional planning and zoning issues.