Planning Technician III

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.

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.

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