Planner, Principal (Planning and Policy)

The City of Richmond, VA is seeking a Principal Planner for its Planning and Development Review Department. This full-time, permanent role involves leading complex planning projects, developing land use and zoning regulations, and implementing the city's Master Plan. The position requires a high level of responsibility and expertise, with duties including budget management, public engagement, and collaboration with various stakeholders. Salary ranges from $76,906 to $123,943 annually.
Salary : $76,906.00 - $123,943.00 Annually
Location : Richmond, VA
Job Type: Full-Time Permanent
Job Number: 05M0000096
Department: Planning and Development Review
Opening Date: 10/09/2025
Closing Date: 10/24/2025 11:59 PM Eastern

Are you Richmond R.E.A.D.Y? Respect. Equity. Accountability. Diversity...YOU!!!

This is an EXCITING time to Join the City of Richmond! We are committed to nurturing talent, fostering growth opportunities, and building strong connections within our workforce. As we continue to make strides to becoming the employer of choice, we are thrilled about the below employee benefit enhancements:
• Virginia Retirement System (VRS)
• Language Incentive
• Referral Bonus
• Tuition Assistance Program
Description
This classification provides the most senior-level, professional planning services with a high degree of responsibility, independence, judgement, and discretion. The incumbent serves as a subject matter expert responsible for completing and leading highly-complex tasks and large-scale projects regarding the development, application, and administration of land use, zoning, architectural, and urban design strategies and regulations that develop a more accessible, productive, resilient, and exceptionally built environment. This position is with the Planning and Policy Team which is responsible for implementing the recommendations of City's Master Plan - Richmond 300: A Guide for Growth and developing and amending citywide, district, and community land use plans as well as the zoning ordinance and policies necessary to implement such plans.

SUPERVISION EXERCISED / RECEIVED
Exercised: This classification typically does not supervise other employees, but may serve as lead worker, assigning work and monitoring work completion.
Received: This classification typically reports to a Director; Deputy Director; or a Program and Operations Manager.
Note: Other reporting relationships may apply.
Duties include but are not limited to

These duties are a representative sample; position assignments may vary.
• Prepares, adopts, and amends citywide, district, and community land use plans as well as the zoning
• ordinance and policies necessary to implement such plans
• Reviews capital budgets to ensure alignment with master plan priorities
• Prepares plans of work and assign tasks and projects
• Prepares, evaluates, and awards requests for proposals
• Researches, directs, and manages initiatives, regulations, programs, and related agency and
• interdepartmental policies
• Prepares and administers budgets, contracts, and programmatic agreements
• Makes interpretive decisions on behalf of the organization regarding the means for executing the goals
• established by City policy
• Provides technical assistance to residents and business owners and serves as a primary point of contact for
• applicants
• Formulates and recommends strategies for solving complex issues
• Prepares for, organizes, and facilitates various meetings and public engagement activities with diverse
• groups of internal and external stakeholders, especially those from historically underrepresented
• communities
• Networks, communicates, and meets with attorneys, consultants, executives, municipal representatives,
• community boards, and professional associations
• Compiles and analyzes data to create charts, maps, and other visualizations for presentations and
• publications; presents findings to boards, commissions, and Council, and publishes information on City
• websites
• Drafts, reviews, and responds to various documents, ordinances, and emails

Qualifications, Special Certifications and Licenses

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:
TYPICAL KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES: These are a representative sample; position assignments may vary.

Knowledge (some combination of the following):
• Principles, methods, and practices of planning, land use, zoning, and urban design, and how they affect each other
• Euclidian, form-based, and hybrid approaches to zoning
• Local land use laws, zoning codes, board and commission functions, and parliamentary processes
• Rezoning, special use permit, variance, special exception, site plan, plan of development, subdivision, and certificate of appropriateness regulations and review processes
• Current issues and initiatives that involve engaging diverse groups on a neighborhood, community, and citywide basis
• Principles, methods, and practices of transportation planning, economic development, affordable housing, public history and culture, environmental planning, and brownfields redevelopment
• Architectural styles, techniques, and typologies
• Federal, state, and local historic preservation laws and practices, including Section 106 review, and how to coordinate with the State Historic Preservation Office, National Park Service, and Advisory Council for Historic Preservation

Skills (some combination of the following):
• Preparing and administering budgets, contracts, and programmatic agreements
• Preparing plans of work and assigning tasks and projects
• Making interpretive decisions on behalf of the organization regarding the means for executing the goals established by City policy
• Researching, directing, and managing initiatives, regulations, programs, and related agency and interdepartmental policies
• Establishing sequences and timelines for complex development projects
• Preparing, evaluating, and awarding requests for proposals
• Preparing, adopting, and amending citywide, district, and community land use plans as well as ordinances and policies necessary to implement such plans
• Coordinating and conducting timely interdepartmental reviews for land use, zoning, historic preservation, and urban design applications, plans, and permits for compliance with applicable codes, ordinances, and regulations, including field inspections and investigations
• Providing technical assistance to residents and business owners and serving as a primary point of contact for applicants
• Formulating and recommending strategies for solving complex issues
• Preparing for, organizing, and facilitating various meetings and public engagement activities with diverse groups of internal and external stakeholders, especially those from historically underrepresented communities
• Networking, communicating, and meeting with attorneys, consultants, executives, municipal representatives, community boards, and professional associations
• Compiling and analyzing data to create charts, maps, and other visualizations for presentations and publications with ArcGIS; SketchUp; Adobe Acrobat, InDesign, Illustrator, and Photoshop; and Microsoft PowerPoint, Access, and Excel
• Presenting findings to boards, commissions, and Council and publishing information on City websites
• Drafting, reviewing, and responding to various documents, ordinances, and emails

Abilities (some combination of the following):
• Thrive in a fast-paced, high-stakes, large and diverse political environment and adapt and improvise as
conditions, deliverables, and deadlines change
• Think critically, using logic and reason to identify solutions
• Communicate clearly and concisely, both in writing and speech
• Facilitate discussion and debate and exhibit excellent interpersonal communication to resolve conflicts
• Maintain composure in stressful situations
• Provide superior customer service and manage unhappy clients

MINIMUM TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE
• Bachelor's degree in comprehensive, regional, transportation, or urban planning; urban design, environmental design, or landscape architecture; law public administration, management; real estate; economic development; environmental or public policy; architecture, architectural history or historic preservation; sustainability; geography, urban ecology, regional or urban studies; civil or environmental engineering; or a related field
• Eight (8) years of experience, of which two (2) years may include internships, apprenticeships, volunteer work, or graduate training
• An equivalent combination of training and experience (as approved by the department) may be used to meet the minimum qualifications of the classification

LICENSING, CERTIFICATIONS, OR OTHER SPECIAL REQUIREMENTSNo special certification or license required.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
• Master's degree in a field described above
• Ten (10) years of experience, which may include internships, apprenticeships, volunteer work, or graduate training, especially working for local government, in a historic urban environment, and with diverse and underserved communities
• Certification, credentials, or accreditation by the American Planning Association (AICP or CUD), Congress for New Urbanism (CNUa), American Institute of Architects (AIA), International Economic Development Council (CEcD), International Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design Association (ICCP), GIS Certification Institute (GISP), U.S. Green Building
Supplemental Information
Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job. Prospective and current employees are invited to discuss accommodations.

ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS:
Working conditions may include exposure to travel to other locations within the City of Richmond as well as outside of the City of Richmond; exposure to hazardous physical conditions such as mechanical parts, electrical currents, vibrations, etc.; atmospheric conditions such as fumes, odors, dusts, gases, and poor ventilation; inadequate lighting; intense noise; and environmental hazards such as disruptive people, imminent danger, and a threatening environment.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS AND WORKING ENVIRONMENT:
Due to the nature of work assignments, incumbents must be able to perform detailed work on multiple, concurrent tasks with frequent interruptions and under time constraint. The essential duties of this classification may require the ability to regularly finger, talk, hear, see, and perform repetitive motions; frequently walk; and occasionally stoop, reach, stand, push, pull, lift, grasp, and feel. The working conditions may contain environmental hazards. In terms of the physical strength to perform the essential duties, this classification is considered to be sedentary, exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally, and a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to move objects.
Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

The City of Richmond provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

The City of Richmond is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, the City of Richmond will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided with reasonable accommodations. If you require reasonable accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to participate in the job application and/or the interview process, please contact Jessica McKenzie, Human Resources Manager by email at

This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruitment, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.
The City of Richmond Values Veterans. We are an official V3 Certified Company.

The City of Richmond is a proud partner with the US Army Partnership for Your Success PaYS Program.
With over 4,000 employees, the City of Richmond is an "Employer of Choice" among cities throughout the nation. The City strives to hire and retain employees who bring dedication and talent to the workforce. Offering a competitive, cost effective, and quality benefits package is one element of an "Employer of Choice".

The City offers a full range of benefit programs from initial hire through retirement. Please visit our Web site for details.
01

10-point compensable veteran. You must have an existing compensable service-connected disability of 10 percent or more. Other 10-point veteran include disabled veteran or a veteran who was awarded the Purple Heart for wound or injuries received in action, veteran's widow or widower who has not remarried, wife or husband of a veteran who has a service-connected disability, widowed, divorced or separated mother of an ex-service son or daughter who died in action, or who is totally and permanently disabled. Do any of these apply?
• Yes
• No

02

5-point veteran's must have been discharged under honorable conditions and had one of the following: Active duty in the Armed Forces of the United States, in a war, or during the period 4/28/52-7/1/55 or active duty for more than 180 consecutive days other than for training, any part of which occurred during the period beginning 2/1/55 and 10/14/76 or active duty during the Gulf War sometime between 8/2/90 - 1/2/92 or active duty in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized or active duty for which more than 180 consecutive days other than for training, any part of which occurred during the period beginning 9/11/2001 and ending on the date prescribed by the Presidential proclamation or by the law as the last date of operation Iraqi Freedom. Do any of these apply?
• Yes
• No

03

Which answer best describes your highest level of education?
• High School Diploma/ GED
• Some college
• Associate's Degree
• Bachelor's/ Advanced Degree
• None of the above

04

Do you have a Bachelor's Degree or higher in comprehensive urban planning; urban design, environmental design, landscape architecture, law public administration, management, real estate, economic development, environmental or public policy, architecture, architectural history or historic preservation, sustainability, geography, urban ecology, regional or urban studies, civil or environmental engineering?
• Yes
• No

05

Do you have eight (8) years of experience, of which two (2) years may include internships, apprenticeships, volunteer work, or graduate training
• Yes
• No

Required Question