Planner - Commission of Architectural Review

**Posting number:** 05M00000068

**Department:** Planning and Development Review

**Job classification:** Planner\*

**Posting type:** Open

**Categories:** Planning and Development

Summary
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The City of Richmond Department of Planning & Development Review is currently seeking a qualified candidate for the position of Planner - CAR. The selected individual will be responsible for establishing and applying high-quality historic preservation standards that influence the design of public and private projects.

Examples of duties
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* Preparing reports and presenting findings to boards, commissions, and Council.
* Serving as Secretary to the Commission of Architectural Review (CAR)
* Reviewing plans, permits, and projects for compliance with historic preservation regulations and Commission decisions
* Providing technical assistance to clients, specifically on entitlement and permitting processes
* Leading project teams
* Supporting Section 106 reviews for public and private projects with federal funding.
* Preparing and administering programmatic agreements
* Updating City-wide survey of historic resources
* Organizing and facilitating public engagement activities
* Preparing mailings and public notices
* Creating publications, presentations, and content for website

Qualifications
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KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES: 
**KNOWLEDGE:**

* Knowledge of the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation
* Clear understanding of architectural history, architectural terms, styles, and construction methods
* Knowledge of Commission of Architectural Review Guidelines
* General knowledge of: urban planning and design; federal preservation laws and regulations; preservation planning; zoning ordinances; historic preservation principles; master planning; traditional neighborhood development; transportation planning; ordinance preparation; land title surveying; and engineering principles.

**SKILLS:**

* Skill in providing excellent customer service, including dealing with unhappy customers
* Negotiating and balancing the needs of citizens with economic demands, health and human service needs, goals of private corporations, and land use regulations.

**ABILITIES:**

* Ability to analyze information
* Communicating planning and local government policy issues to a range of audiences
* Interacting and working with different groups of people.

**MINIMUM TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE**

* Bachelor's degree in urban planning, historic preservation, architectural history, architecture, landscape architecture, or a related field
* Three years of experience or an equivalent amount of graduate level training.
* An equivalent combination of training and experience (as approved by the department) may be used to meet the minimum qualifications of the classification
* Ability to meet the Secretary of the Interior’s Professional Qualifications Standards

**PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:**

* Bachelor's Degree in Historic Preservation or Architectural History
* At least three years of experience and a Master's degree in Planning, with course work or certifications Historic Preservation or Architectural History, or a related field
* Excellent written and oral communication skills
* Proficiency in Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
* Ability to work in a challenging, rewarding, and fast-paced environment
* Experience working for a local government in an urban setting.

**LICENSING****, CERTIFICATIONS, and/or OTHER SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:**

* None required