Job Listing
🔗Urban Planner II
Website City of Alexandria
About Alexandria: The City of Alexandria is located in northern Virginia and is bordered by the District of Columbia (Potomac River), Arlington, and Fairfax counties. With a population of approximately 150,000 and a land area of 15.75 square miles, Alexandria is the seventh largest city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Alexandria has a charming waterfront and is a unique and historic place to live and work. About one-quarter of the City's square miles have been designated as a national or local historic district. We proudly embrace our rich history and seize the endless opportunities that lie ahead. If you are interested in working for the vibrant City of Alexandria, we invite qualified candidates to apply for our Urban Planner II position.
What You Should Bring:
The ideal candidate should have excellent and responsive customer service skills, ability to handle multiple projects within established deadlines; ability to work effectively with the public and City agencies to resolve issues; strong analytical; written and oral communication skills; extensive experience using strong organizing and multi-tasking skills; extensive experience using strong organizing and multi-tasking skills; and possess analytic skills necessary to address planning matters of varying levels of complexity. Candidates should be able to perform site visits and speak clearly and effectively on preservation methods on a variety of architectural elements. Selected candidate must also have the ability to quickly research information in detailed reports, communicate findings to Planning and Zoning staff, Boards of Architectural Review, and interact well with the public and staff of varying professional levels.
The Opportunity:
Serve as a primary point of contact for the public and City staff, providing assistance by phone, email, and in person;
Assist with the administration and enforcement of the Alexandria historic preservation regulations and processes;
Receive, review, and manage applications and case files;
Conduct complex architectural, historical, and zoning research related to Board of Architectural Review (BAR) Administrative Approval Cases, Certificates of Appropriateness, and Permits to Demolish; including Reviewing, analyzing, and interpreting construction documents, product specifications, site plans, special use permits, building permit applications, and Certificates of Occupancy to evaluate compliance with historic preservation design guidelines and applicable regulations;
Reviews final detailed construction documents for compliance with approvals prior to issuance of a Building Permit;
Assist in the preparation of clear, engaging PowerPoint presentations for City boards and commissions, community groups, and other interested parties;
Prepare staff reports and recommendations for consideration by the BAR; and
Conduct site inspections throughout the City’s historic districts, including inspections of active construction sites.
About the Department:
The Department of Planning and Zoning works closely with the community in each area of the City to carry out City Council’s Strategic Plan for vibrant, amenity-rich neighborhoods, protected historic resources, and vital local businesses. With the community as our partner in developing neighborhood plans and reviewing proposals for development projects and businesses, we continue to deliver on the City’s Vision we have developed together.
Essential Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
Good knowledge of the principles and practices of City planning; good knowledge of economics, municipal finance and sociology as applied to city planning; good knowledge of current literature and recent developments in the field of public sector planning; some knowledge of the principles of public administration; some knowledge of the principles and practices of engineering and physical design as applied to city planning; ability to plan, assign and direct the work of subordinate employees in technical research on economic, sociological, design and planning problems; ability to analyze and systematically compile technical and statistical information and to prepare technical reports; ability to develop creative approaches for the solution of planning problems; ability to develop and maintain effective working relationships with employees, officials, other agencies, other jurisdictions and the general public; and the ability to evaluate planning proposals.
Job Family, Contribution Level and Career Ladder
Job Family: Medical/Scientific/Engineering/Technology Professions
Contribution Level: 3
Career Ladder: This job class is part of the Urban Planner Career Ladder program
FLSA Status and Basis
FLSA Status: Exempt
FLSA Basis: Admn
EEO Category: Professionals
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
This class specification provides a generalized representation of positions in this class. It is not intended to reflect essential functions pursuant to ADA, nor is it intended to list every specific function and task of this class title. A job class may also have a medical standard associated with specific physical or mental requirements that must be met.
Salary Information:
$64,296.44 – $113,149.40 annually, depending on education and experience. The Department may offer a starting salary up to $86,127.86 (Step 8), based on the selected candidate’s qualifications, education, and experience.
Benefits
All NCPE interns received an hourly stipend, the rate is listed at each position description. Additionally, interns receive paid time off (PTO), paid Federal holidays if working full-time, and access to NCPE's Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for career and personal counseling, coaching, and referrals. Project sites may also offer a housing allowance and/or commuting stipend; this information is also listed in the description or offered during the interview.
Eligible NCPE interns who successfully complete their internships may count their position towards earning a Public Land Corps (PLC) Non-Competitive Hiring Authority certificate. To be eligible to earn a PLC certificate, an intern must be 30 years old or younger (or 35 if a veteran). Once earned, the PLC hiring authority certificate may be used to apply for eligible Federal temporary, term, or permanent positions. Successful completion of a NCPE internship does not guarantee Federal employment. Contact manager@preservenet.org for more details.
Eligibility
To be eligible, applicants must be
*at least 18 years old;
*no older than 30 years of age (or 35 years if a Veteran) when beginning the internship; applicants who are 31 or older (or 36 or older if a Veteran) are not eligible;
*currently enrolled in a degree-seeking academic program at the college level (or recently graduated within the past 12 months)
*be a U.S. Citizen or permanent resident.
Interns are not allowed to work more than 1200 hours total in the program; previous interns must stay within this overall limit. The length of an internship can vary from 10 to 30 weeks if full-time (40 hours per week) or longer if on a part-time schedule. If selected, the exact starting date will be determined by you and the NPS supervisor. The stipend rate is $17.00 per hour unless otherwise listed.
The successful candidate is responsible for finding and paying for travel to and housing at the internship location; some exceptions apply. The supervising office may be able to assist in locating housing but it is ultimately up to the individual accepting the internship to find accommodation.
The National Council requires all interns working in-person at Federal facilities and/or with Federal employees receive the Covid-19 vaccination. Please be advised that you may also be required to wear a mask, depending on the protocols adopted by your work site. Also be aware that, due to Government-wide security requirements, a background check will be required if you are selected for a position. This will include providing information about recent housing and employment history. The position supervisor will have more information about these requirements and procedures at the time of hiring. You may direct any questions to NCPE's Internship Program Director, Julee Johnson, at manager@preservenet.org.
Please note that interns are not NCPE or NPS employees. Stipends are academic awards and taxes are not withheld, nor are social security contributions made on your behalf. These funds may be taxable, however, so consult a tax preparation professional if you have questions.
How to Apply
You may review NCPE's internship opportunities anytime without registering. Use the search function to find listings by location, keyword, or area of interest/category. Once you identify one or more positions of interest, there is a 3-step application process.
Step 1: Click on the Apply for Job button, then select Universal Application. Click on Register to create a User Account, which requires a username and email. A link will be sent to you from manager@preservenet.org to create a password. We suggest that you add this email to your safe senders list so you don't miss receiving this important link. You will be instructed to Log In to Preservenet using your username or email and password, which will take you back to the Universal Application.
Step 2: The Universal Application is required to apply for all NCPE internships. You fill out this form only once. In addition to contact information, educational status, work history, and experience, it requires two attachments: (1) the 2 most recent years of academic transcripts. These may be unofficial transcripts if official versions are unavailable. A PDF is preferred, labeled Your Your Last Name_Your First Name_Transcript. (2) a resume or CV (curriculum vitae). Please limit to a maximum of 4 pages; 2 pages are preferred. A PDF is preferred but jpg, png, doc, or docx file types are accepted. Label Your Last Name_Your First Name_Resume. This form may be saved as a draft and completed later. Use the link provided to return to the form.
Step 3: Once you submit the Universal Application, you may browse and apply for NCPE internships using the link provided. Complete the application process by clicking on the Apply for job button found at each internship listing and upload the required Essay. Use the essay to explain why you are applying for an internship, including how your interest areas will benefit the National Park Service (NPS) and how the internship will further your studies and career goals. Be as specific as possible; there is a 400-word maximum length. Submit the essay to finish the application for that position. You may apply for a maximum of 6 internships during an application round; there is no limit at other times of the year. DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP!
Logging in with a Registered User Account and completing the Universal Application is required to apply for NCPE Internships. Please visit the Universal Application page to register for an account and complete the form. After logging in and completing the form, refreshing this listing will display the Job Application to apply online.