About our opportunity: 

The City of Asheville is seeking qualified applicants for the position of Planning Technician in the Planning and Urban Design department. The purpose of this position is to process and record various development plans and related applications and documentation and to perform related complex administrative duties in support of department operations.

What you may be doing:

• Performs customer service functions in person, by telephone, and by email.
• Receives and processes submissions from developers for projects that qualify for technical and administrative review.
• Receives and coordinates financial surety requests.
• Coordinates and administers logistics, and agendas, meeting minutes, and web site information.
• Conducts simple zoning compliance and permit reviews. 
• Provides on-call assistance to the general public and staff to answer permitting questions and assists with various forms and applications pertaining to land use, land disturbance, and zoning.
• Provides administrative support to assigned boards and commissions in support of the designated staff liaison.
• Communicates and provides technical assistance to homeowners, engineers, architects, designers, site inspectors, planning and zoning personnel, City officials and the general public.
• Processes a variety of documentation associated with department/division operations, within designated timeframes and per established procedures.
• Performs other related duties as required.

Benefits:

• Hiring rate: $ 23.59 per hour on a 37.5-hour work schedule.

• 13 paid holidays, plus you will earn paid sick and vacation hours

• Full access to the City of Asheville's benefit suite including Medical, Dental, and Life insurance options

• Enrollment in the North Carolina State Pension Plan and NC State 401K with company matching funds

• Hybrid work schedule to include 2 days offsite and 3 days onsite after training is completed.

About you:
We know your time is valuable. Applicants who meet the following minimum requirements or have comparable experience and/or education will be considered:

• Associate degree in Geography, Planning, or a related field.
• One year of experience in customer service and administrative or clerical support in planning and development environment
• Equivalent combination of education, training, and experience which provides the requisite knowledge, skills, and abilities for this job will be considered.
• Strong organizational and administrative skills
• Good Customer Service and Communication experience
• Aptitude in navigating city code and policy standards a plus!
   

Persons of all genders and races are encouraged to apply.

Specific Knowledge, Skills, or Abilities: Must be able to demonstrate proficiency in performance of the essential functions and learn, comprehend, and apply all City or departmental policies, practices, and procedures necessary to function effectively in the position.
Data Utilization: Requires the ability to review, classify, categorize, prioritize, and/or analyze data. Includes exercising discretion in determining data classification, and in referencing such analysis to established standards for the purpose of recognizing actual or probable interactive effects and relationships.
Human Interaction: Requires the ability to provide guidance, assistance, and/or interpretation to others regarding the application of procedures and standards to specific situations.
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, and/or advisory 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 with fractions; may include ability to compute discount, interest, and ratios; may include ability to calculate surface areas, volumes, weights, and measures.
Functional Reasoning:Requires the ability to apply principles of rational systems; to interpret instructions furnished in written, oral, diagrammatic, or schedule form; and to exercise independent judgment to adopt or modify methods and standards to meet variations in assigned objectives.
Situational Reasoning: Requires the ability to exercise judgment, decisiveness and creativity in situations involving the evaluation of information against sensory, judgmental, or subjective criteria, as opposed to that which is clearly measurable or verifiable.  

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 or workstation.
Sensory Requirements: Some tasks require the ability to perceive and discriminate colors or shades of colors, sounds, and visual cues or signals.  Some tasks require the ability to communicate orally.
Environmental Factors: Essential functions are regularly performed without exposure to adverse environmental conditions.