Community Planner

National Park Service • El Portal, CA

17h • Onsite

About The Position

The Community Planner serves in the Strategic Planning and Project Management Division of Yosemite National Park, based at the El Portal Office. The position provides technical analysis, guidance, and coordination for park planning projects and monitors projects that have already been implemented. Duties may be developmental when the position is filled below the full performance level.

The planner assists with strategic planning for projects within Yosemite and coordinates complex initiatives involving multiple planning activities and policies. The role works interactively with Yosemite divisions, visitors, external gateway communities, contractors, Support Offices, the Region, the Federal Highway Administration, and the Washington Support Office. The position also supports multidisciplinary teams developing strategic plans and contributes to management studies, work plans, program development, analysis of alternatives and land-use data, and reports and correspondence.

The announcement describes qualifications at the GS-11 and GS-12 grade levels. Applicants must meet the basic educational requirement in community planning or a related field with specified coursework, or an allowed combination of coursework and experience. GS-11 applicants must also meet the stated specialized-experience, education, or combined-qualification criteria; GS-12 applicants must meet the stated specialized-experience criteria. The position requires U.S. citizenship or national status and is subject to background investigation and other federal employment conditions.

Requirements

• Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
• Must meet the basic educational requirement: a degree in community planning or a related field with at least 12 semester hours in specified planning subjects; alternatively, qualifying related-field applicants without that coursework must have at least one year of community-planning work under a community planner’s supervision and guidance, or meet the stated combination-of-education-and-experience option.
• For GS-11, at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to GS-9, or the stated qualifying graduate education, or a qualifying combination of education and experience. Specialized experience includes assisting with outdoor recreation and conservation planning; community-needs assessment and analysis of economic, social, and environmental data; reviewing plans for regulatory and policy consistency; providing technical assistance on environmental regulations concerning land use, natural resources, transportation, and outdoor recreation; and supporting community-factor data collection for major planning projects.
• For GS-12, at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to GS-11. Specialized experience includes planning and coordinating outdoor recreation and conservation documents and projects; assessing community needs and analyzing economic, social, and environmental data; reviewing plans for regulatory and policy consistency; providing technical assistance on relevant environmental regulations; and supporting collection of community data for major planning projects.
• Competitive candidates must meet applicable federal Time-in-Grade requirements.
• Must pass a background investigation and favorable adjudication, complete E-Verify employment verification, and participate in Direct Deposit.
• Must complete training and obtain and maintain a government credit card with travel and purchase authority.
• May be required to serve a one-year probationary period; continued employment requires written agency certification.
• Applicants must provide transcripts when required to substantiate education and must document hours worked per week as specified in the announcement.

Responsibilities

• Assist with coordinating strategic planning for projects taking place within Yosemite.
• Coordinate complex initiatives involving a variety of planning activities and policies, working with park divisions and external participants.
• Assist in facilitating multidisciplinary teams developing strategic plans for Yosemite.
• Manage highly visible and potentially controversial projects with external participation and limited precedents for action.
• Assist as a lead planner for management studies, including developing study and data-collection methodologies, evaluating resources, formulating recommendations, and developing long-range implementation strategies.
• Assist with establishing, monitoring, and updating comprehensive work plans; set priorities for allocating and structuring project work and assist in developing programs for Yosemite.
• Gather in-depth information and assist with complex analyses of alternative options, land-use patterns, transportation corridors, and project data.
• Prepare and submit in-depth correspondence and reports related to assigned program activities.
• Monitor previously implemented projects.

Benefits

• Federal employees and their families have access to a comprehensive benefits package; specific benefits depend on position type and should be confirmed with the hiring agency.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level