City Planner

City of New York•Queens, NY

About The Position

The NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is seeking a highly skilled professional to serve as a City Planner. This role involves leading complex technical, analytical, and planning initiatives to enhance operational efficiency, support modernization, and improve cross-unit coordination within the Bureau of Water and Sewer Operations’ Records Central Office. The position requires strong project management capabilities, analytical depth, and the ability to collaborate effectively with internal teams, applicants, partner agencies, and community stakeholders. The Records Central Unit (RCU) manages public access to water and sewer infrastructure records, including maps, tap cards, and as-built drawings, through the Permit & Application Review Information System (PARIS). The planner will act as a project manager for developing and implementing new technical systems, identifying stakeholder needs, defining scopes of work, evaluating technical solutions, and guiding projects from planning through execution. This includes managing project schedules, resolving issues, and assessing Bureau operations through organizational and workflow studies. The role also involves implementing new procedures, drafting guidance, conducting training, troubleshooting, and monitoring outcomes of new initiatives. Regular interaction with external stakeholders is expected to present objectives, explain findings, gather feedback, and resolve issues. Additionally, the planner will review and process PARIS records requests, ensuring accuracy and completeness, troubleshooting discrepancies, and coordinating with engineering and technical teams to resolve complex requests. The position supports interagency coordination and aligns recommendations with agency objectives like the Streamlining Procedures To Expedite Equitable Development Initiative (SPEED).

Requirements

Must be permanent in the Civil Service Title of City Planner.
A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university and two years of satisfactory full-time experience in city planning; or a satisfactory combination of education and/or experience that is equivalent to the above.
Graduate education in city planning, urban planning, urban design, architecture, landscape architecture, transportation engineering, public administration, economic development or related fields may be substituted for experience on the basis of 30 graduate semester credits from an accredited college for one year of experience.
All candidates must have a baccalaureate degree.

Nice To Haves

Strong project-management skills, including experience defining scopes of work, developing schedules, and guiding technical or operational projects from planning through implementation.
Demonstrated analytical ability, including experience conducting research, evaluating workflows, identifying process gaps, and developing evidence-based recommendations.
Proficiency with the ESRI ArcGIS application suite, including ArcMap and/or ArcGIS Pro, to support the delivery of complex records requests that rely on spatial data.
Ability to produce high-quality maps, perform spatial analyses, interpret geodatabases, and communicate map-based information clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences.
Familiarity with ArcGIS extensions, add-ons, and data management tools is strongly preferred.
Ability to communicate complex technical or analytical findings clearly in written, verbal, and visual formats to a wide range of stakeholders, including applicants, consultants, community groups, and agency staff.
Strong judgment, initiative, and decisiveness when resolving planning or technical challenges and coordinating across multiple units or agencies.
Ability to maintain organized datasets, track project progress, and prepare high-quality planning or project documentation that supports informed decision-making.
Experience conducting research and data analysis to support planning standards, operational recommendations, and process improvements.
Skill in building constructive working relationships and serving as a liaison between internal teams, external partners, and community stakeholders.
Ability to present information in a clear, objective, and professional manner and to capture stakeholder needs accurately.
Familiarity with technical systems such as databases, mobile applications, collaboration platforms, or permitting systems, and interest in system modernization and digital workflow improvements.
Comfort managing multiple priorities in a dynamic, fast-paced environment, while maintaining attention to detail and producing high-quality work.

Responsibilities

Serve as a project manager for the development and implementation of new technical systems that support Bureau functions.
Identify stakeholder needs, define scopes of work, evaluate potential technical solutions, and guide projects from planning through execution.
Develop and manage project schedules, resolve technical and planning issues, and ensure objectives are met efficiently.
Perform high-level analytical work to assess Bureau operations, conduct organizational and workflow studies, and identify process gaps.
Prepare complex research products, evaluate operational performance, and develop recommendations to improve efficiency and program effectiveness.
Implement new procedures, draft operational guidance, conduct trainings, troubleshoot issues, and monitor outcomes of new initiatives.
Meet with applicants, consultants, community groups, and agency partners to present objectives, explain analytical findings, gather feedback, and resolve planning or technical issues.
Review and process PARIS records requests, ensuring accuracy and completeness of submitted documents.
Troubleshoot discrepancies in records requests and maintain detailed records of request activity.
Coordinate with engineering, technical teams, and external agencies to resolve complex, multi-step requests.
Represent RCU in meetings to communicate processes, resolve issues, and ensure consistent application of RCU policies.
Perform complex analytical work to evaluate Bureau operations, implement new policies and procedures, and support interagency coordination.
Maintain organized datasets, prepare applicant-facing resources, and align recommendations with agency objectives.