Planning Technician III

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Planning Technician III

Salary

$58,529.74 - $97,548.88 Annually

Location

FAIRFAX (EJ26), VA

Job Type

FT Hourly W BN

Job Number

25-00610

Department

Planning and Development

Opening Date

03/08/2025

Closing Date

3/21/2025 11:59 PM Eastern

Pay Grade

S21

Posting Type

Open to General Public

Job Announcement

Works within the Zoning Permit Section within the Zoning Administration Division. With minimal supervision and subject to timeframes, performs a variety of zoning administration functions to include the following tasks: 

  1. Reviews the technical zoning of more complex building permit applications for residential and/or nonresidential construction or additions.
  2. Reviews and issues other administrative zoning permits, such as home-based businesses, signs, and event permits, with increasing levels of complexity.
  3. Reviews and evaluates plats/surveys, site related plans, or building and architectural plans to determine compliance with minimum required yards, location regulations, proffers and/or development conditions, and similar county requirements.
  4. Provides technical review comments to applicants in the county’s PLUS permitting system and works to address identified deficiencies in their permit application submissions to ensure compliance and approval of permits.
  5. Provides general and more technical guidance to the public and other county staff regarding zoning regulations and the application and administrative processes for a variety of zoning specific permits and assists the same in answering questions regarding the broader county-wide development processes. This information is communicated to the customers in person at the public counter, by telephone or by written correspondence in the form of email or technical review comments in the PLUS permitting system. 

Note: This announcement may be used to fill multiple positions.

Employment Standards

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
Any combination of education, experience, and training equivalent to:
high school graduation or a GED issued by a state department of education;
plus four years of non-professional planning or zoning related work, as defined by the area to which assigned.

NECESSARY SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:
The appointee to this position will be required to complete a criminal background check to the satisfaction of the employer.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
Seeking individuals with knowledge of the practices of planning, building and/or zoning, and professional experience in the review and issuance of planning, zoning, building, and/or related permits. Must be an excellent communicator, with an ability to clearly communicate information orally or in writing to members of the public and other professional staff. Must have excellent writing skills with experience producing a variety of professional writing types, such as letters to the public and technical review comments. Must possess strong interpersonal and public relations skills to work effectively with various staff members in a team setting, citizens and other customers. Experience using a personal computer, word processing applications, printing and scanning equipment and Geographical Information System (GIS) based programs, Accela, PLUS, or related permitting review and/or government software. Specific experience in zoning ordinance, site review and/or building construction is highly desired, as well as experience in reviewing permit applications and other zoning related legal documents. 

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:
Employee may be required to lift upwards of 15 pounds. Position is primarily sedentary in nature; however, incumbent must be able to operate keyboard driven equipment to access, input and retrieve information from computer. The ability to reach and bend to retrieve files from a 7-foot-high shelf filing system. The ability to read site plans, ordinances, and other related land development data, either on paper or on a computer screen. All duties performed with or without reasonable accommodations.
 
SELECTION PROCEDURE: 
Panel interview and may include exercise.

The population of Fairfax County is very diverse where 38.7% of residents speak a language other than English at home (Spanish, Asian/Pacific Islander, Indo-European, and others) and we encourage candidates bilingual in English and a foreign language to apply to this opportunity.

Fairfax County Government prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, age, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetics, political affiliation, or military status in the recruitment, selection, and hiring of its workforce.  
 
Reasonable accommodations are available to persons with disabilities during application and/or interview processes per the Americans with Disabilities Act. TTY 703-222-7314. DHREmployment@fairfaxcounty.gov EEO/AA/TTY.
 
#LI-LD1

Merit Positions

Fairfax County is proud to offer employees an attractive and comprehensive benefits program, including the following:

  • Medical/Vision/Dental Insurance Coverage
  • Group Term Life Insurance
  • Long Term Disability
  • LiveWell Program
  • Flexible Spending Programs
  • Paid Leave (annual, sick, parental, volunteer activity, and more!)
  • Paid Holidays
  • Contributory Retirement Plan
  • Deferred Compensation
  • Employee Assistance Program
  • Employees' Child Care Center
  • Commuter Benefit Program
  • Continuous Learning Opportunities

NOTE:  Fairfax County Government is a qualifying employer under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. For more information about the PSLF program: Public Service Loan Forgiveness | Federal Student Aid

For additional details please visit the County's benefits webpage.

 

Non-Merit Positions

  1. Non-Merit Benefit Eligible: scheduled to work a minimum 1,040 hours and no more than a maximum of 1,560 hours in a calendar year.
    • Medical/Vision/Dental Insurance Coverage
    • Flexible Spending Program
    • Deferred Compensation
  2. Temporary:  scheduled to work a maximum of 900 hours in a calendar year.
    • No benefits

01
What is the highest level of education that you have completed?
  • Less than 12th grade
  • High school diploma or GED
  • Some college
  • Associate's degree
  • Bachelor's degree
  • Master's degree
  • Doctorate degree
02
Please indicate all major(s) or minor(s) for your completed degree(s). Check all that apply.
  • Urban planning
  • Historic preservation
  • Landscape architecture
  • Urban design
  • Environmental planning
  • Land use planning
  • Other (related field)
  • Other (non-related field)
  • Not applicable
03
If you answered "Other (related field)" or "Other (non-related field)" for the previous question, please list all of your majors and minors. If this question does not pertain to you, or you do not have a degree, enter "Not applicable".
04
If you answered "Some college" for the highest level of education completed, please indicate the number of quarter or semester hours you have completed towards a related degree.
  • Less than 45 quarter hours
  • 45 to less than 90 quarter hours
  • 90 to less than 135 quarter hours
  • 135 to less than 180 quarter hours
  • 180 or more quarter hours
  • Less than 30 semester hours
  • 30 to less than 60 semester hours
  • 60 to less than 90 semester hours
  • 90 to less than 120 semester hours
  • 120 or more semester hours
  • Not applicable
05
How many years of full-time equivalent non-professional planning or zoning related work experience do you possess?
  • None
  • Less than one year
  • One to less than two years
  • Two to less than three years
  • Three to less than four years
  • Four years or more
06
How many years of experience do you have interpreting and applying ordinances/codes including zoning, building, and/or subdivision codes?
  • None
  • Less than one year
  • One to less than two years
  • Two to less than three years
  • Three to less than four years
  • Four to less than five years
  • Five years or more
07
How many years of experience do you have reviewing and issuing zoning, building or related permits; construction plans; and/or site development plans for compliance with local ordinances and regulations?
  • None
  • Less than one year
  • One to less than two years
  • Two to less than three years
  • Three to less than four years
  • Four to less than five years
  • Five years or more
08
Do you have experience writing any of the following? Check all that apply.
  • Technical review comments to applicants and/or citizens as part of the review of zoning or land use related applications
  • Responses to public inquiries regarding zoning and/or land use matters, in letter or email form
  • Technical reports on land use topics and/or zoning applications, for elected boards and/or commissions
  • Training materials or standard operating procedures for professional staff in a work setting
  • None of the above
09
What type of planning and zoning related experience do you possess? Check all that apply.
  • Public sector
  • Private sector
  • Consulting
  • Other
  • None of the above
10
If you answered "Other" for the previous question, please explain below. If this question does not pertain to you enter "Not applicable".
11
Please indicate if you have experience in the following areas. Check all that apply.
  • Evaluating and issuance of zoning and/or related land use permits and applications
  • Interpreting Zoning Ordinance provisions/proffers
  • Reviewing site plans or construction plans
  • Training peers or other professional staff on zoning, building, sign or related land use topics
  • None of the above
12
Please indicate if you have experience in these following areas. Check all that apply.
  • The use of geographic information systems and related software, such as ArcGIS
  • The use of permitting or plan review software such as ProjectDox, PLUS/Accela products or related government software
  • The digital scanning of documents and related hardware and/or software
  • None of the above

Required Question

Employer
Fairfax County
Address
12000 Government Center Pkwy. Suite 270

Fairfax, Virginia, 22035
Phone
703–324–3311