Planner II

PLANNER II
Economic Development Specialist & ARPA Coordinator
UNION AFFILIATION: EPPMTEA
Pay Grade: 41 ($61,944-$73,679)

Under the supervision of Director of Planning & Economic Development or a designated superior, performs professional and responsible planning work in connection with municipal planning, housing, economic development, and special projects. In addition this position will coordinate the City’s efforts to assist local businesses with funds from the American Rescue Plan Act, (ARPA). This Act will bring an unprecedented level of funding to the City of East Providence from 2021-2024. These funds will be essential to community recovery from the COVID pandemic. Planning and monitoring the use of these funds requires a dedicated effort that will include community outreach, creation of new programs to meet community needs as well as strengthening existing programs, and monitoring spending to ensure compliance with the Act.

Assignments are usually received from supervisor in some detail; the extent of detail depending upon the difficulty or nature of the assignment. The incumbent must exercise independent judgment in competing assignments and in planning work details and making technical decisions. Performs related work as required and assigned.

ILLUSTRATIVE DUTIES

Evaluates economic, statistical and demographic data to analyze best means to attract, retain or expand businesses and/or industries within the city.
Coordinate activities with local businesses regarding financing incentives, permitting issues, technical assistance and other related matters.
Identifies and recruits likely business prospects, responds to new business inquiries, maintains an inventory of available sites/buildings, and aggressively markets suitable sites to such business prospects.
Promotes retention and expansion of business and industry within the city, develops and maintains a cooperative working relationship with existing businesses, identifies existing business retention and expansion needs, conducts research, and identifies and utilizes available resources to address those needs.
Maintains and develops contacts with landowners, developers, site consultants, realtors, entrepreneurs, government officials, private industry representatives, chambers of commerce, and economic development related organizations and agencies.

Work with the Director of Economic Development and planning to create a promotional and marketing strategy for the City.

The ARPA responsibilities include coordinating the City’s strategic planning and community outreach efforts around the programming of ARPA funds. This will require engaging with multiple stakeholders within the City and the community to determine goals and priorities and develop appropriate programming to meet the stated goals. The Coordinator will also need to work closely with the City’s Finance Department to ensure programs fit within the available budget and that expenses proposed are appropriate and eligible under the ARPA guidelines

Prepare and oversee any necessary materials for any grant proposals seeking necessary information for such proposals from any other City Departments.

Prepare and submit timely, any required Federal and or State funding reports.

DESIRABLE ABILITIES KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS

Knowledge of principles and practices of economic development, redevelopment and reuse, business retention and recruitment programs, marketing and advertising, real estate, development/redevelopment financing alternatives, and annexation procedures.

General knowledge of zoning, comprehensive planning, and site development.

Skill in applying economic development practices and principles to attract, recruit, retain, and expand businesses.

Knowledge in applying policies, procedures and standards pertaining to the municipal planning process and interpreting maps, graphs and statistical data.

Skill in analyzing and systematically compiling technical and statistical information and preparing grants, technical reports, proposals and correspondence.

Ability to work confidentially with discretion regarding economic development projects.

Ability to comprehend and understand local, state, and federal programs and/or incentives benefiting economic development initiatives and projects.

Ability to exercise a high degree of sound independent judgment and work within established guidelines with little direct supervision; and interpret and apply applicable laws, codes and regulations and work proactively and utilize innovative techniques and ingenuity in implementing economic development programs.

Ability to attend evening meetings as required.

Ability to work in a team environment and establish and maintain effective and cooperative working relationships with city officials and employees, the general public and representatives of other agencies toward the accomplishment of assigned projects.

Ability to communicate effectively and persuasively in a variety of situations, prepare clear and comprehensive written reports, and perform basic and complex mathematical and statistical calculations.

Ability to develop, write and implement strategic plans and provide necessary documentation to support economic development program requirements, independently design, plan and conduct research and analysis on basic to complex research projects, and gather, analyze and evaluate a variety of data.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Graduation from a recognized college or university with a Master's Degree in Planning and one year of responsible professional experience in a planning department or a Master's Degree in related field with three years of required experience; must be able to utilize computer programs to conduct planning research and analysis; experience with MICROSOFT, EXCEL, DATA BASE DEVELOPMENT, GRAPHIC DESIGN, SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS, GIS/ESRI preferred; familiarity with Economic Development and Planning regulations and guidelines; or any equivalent combination of experience and training which provides the desired abilities, knowledge and skills.

Please apply online at:
https://workforcenow.adp.com/mascsr/default/mdf/recruitment/recruitment....

Application and resume must be submitted no later than August 11, 2021, by 4:00 p.m.

At the City of East Providence we celebrate the diversity of our citizenry, and are proud to encourage inclusiveness in our workforce. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age or disability in employment or the provision of services.

ADA/AFFIRMATIVE ACTION/EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER