Planning Specialist III (Flood Programs), Grade 23

ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION: 

The mission of the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is to enhance the quality of life in our community by protecting and improving Montgomery County's air, water, and land in a sustainable, innovative, inclusive, and industry-leading way while fostering smart growth, a thriving more sustainable economy and healthy communities. DEP is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals and values diverse perspectives, lived experiences, and cultures. DEP encourages BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color), immigrants, women, LGBTQIA+, individuals with disabilities and veterans to apply.

WHAT YOU’LL BE DOING:

Montgomery County has experienced an increase in flooding that impacts public and private property, which is expected to continue and intensify due to climate change and continued development in the County. In response, the County is developing a Comprehensive Flood Management Plan (CFMP). The CFMP will provide the roadmap for the County to address this growing risk. The plan will consist of several phases of work, including detailed, watershed-based technical studies and extensive analysis of the County’s policies, programs, and other activities related to understanding and reducing flood risks in the County. A major focus of the effort will be to address the impacts of flooding in frontline, underserved communities in the County.

The Planning Specialist III position will facilitate the planning, development and implementation of the CFMP. This will involve coordinating various aspects of future work under the CFMP, including providing support to the CFMP Steering Committee, Program Delivery Team, and Program Manager that are being established as recommended in the CFMP strategy document that resulted from Phase 1 of the effort. This position will also coordinate various outreach and public engagement activities related to the County’s flood management programs.

Key responsibilities of the position include, but are not limited to:    

• Providing support to the CFMP Steering Committee, Program Delivery Team, and Program Manager on all aspects of the CFMP’s development and implementation.
• Tracking the progress of, and reporting on, the implementation of elements of the CFMP.
• Providing support to County contractors working with the County to develop and implement the CFMP.
• Assisting with the identification, pursuit, and implementation of grant funding supporting flood assessment and mitigation activities.
• Coordinating communication, outreach, and engagement with County officials, including elected officials; individuals and community groups where watershed assessments and flood mitigation projects are occurring; and the general public about the progress and results of the CFMP.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR:

• An individual passionate about addressing the impacts of climate change, as well as addressing racial equity and social justice issues.
• An individual with at least three years of professional experience supporting the planning, development, and implementation of a comprehensive public policy program, with particular experience in flood and/or water resources management activities and projects preferred.
• An individual with strong organizational skills, the ability to manage multiple activities at once, and the desire to be part of a dynamic team.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: 

• This position requires the ability to attend meetings or perform work at locations outside the office.
• Occasional evening or weekend work outside of normal business hours may be required.
• To ensure a positive workplace and to comply with federal, state and County laws, the incumbent is responsible for completing mandatory trainings within the first three to six months or within the specified timeframe.
• Note: For information about Montgomery County Government’s comprehensive benefits package, please visit the MCG Total Rewards webpage and check out our competitive benefits!

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience: Three (3) years of experience in planning and research related to land use, urban economics, human services, environmental issues, conservation or other work directly related to some municipalities planning and development work.  
• Education: Graduation from an accredited college or university with a bachelor’s degree in planning, urban design, environmental studies, public administration, or related field.
• Equivalency: An equivalent combination of education and experience may be substituted.

Preferred Criteria

There are NO Preferred Criteria Assessments. All Applicants will be reviewed by the Office of Human Resources (OHR) for minimum qualifications. Those applicants who meet minimum qualifications will be rated “Qualified”, placed on the eligible list, and may be considered for an interview.  Employees meeting minimum qualifications of the same grade or higher will be placed on the Eligible List as a “Transfer” candidate and may be considered for an interview.

Preference for interviews will be given to applicants with the following.  Please address this information in a separate section of the resume:

• Experience in flood and/or water resources management activities and projects.
• Experience integrating racial equity and social justice considerations into climate programs, particularly addressing needs of frontline, underserved communities.
• Experience communicating large-scale environmental or other public policy programs to internal and external audiences.
• Experience with identification and utilization of grant funding.
• If selected for consideration for this position, you may be required to provide evidence that you possess the knowledge, skills, and abilities indicated on your resume.

Additional Employment Information

OHR reviews the minimum qualifications of all applicants, irrespective of whether the candidate has previously been found to have met the minimum requirements for the job or been temporarily promoted to the same position. This evaluation is based solely on the information contained in the application/resume submitted for this specific position/IRC.

Montgomery County Government is an equal opportunity employer, committed to workforce diversity. Accordingly, as it relates to employment opportunities, the County will provide reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities, in accordance with the law. Applicants requiring a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should contact the Office of Human Resources via email to OHR@montgomerycountymd.gov. Individual determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made in accordance with all applicable laws.

Montgomery County Government also provides hiring preference to certain categories of veterans and veterans/persons with a disability. For more information and to claim employment preference, please refer to the Careers webpage on Hiring Preference.

All applicants will respond to a series of questions related to their education, relevant experience, knowledge, skills and abilities required to minimally perform the job. The applicant's responses in conjunction with their resume and all other information provided in the employment application process will be evaluated to determine the minimum qualifications and preferred criteria status. Based on the results, the highest qualified applicants will be placed on an Eligible List and may be considered for an interview. Employees meeting minimum qualifications who are the same grade will be placed on Eligible List as a "Lateral Transfer" candidate and may be considered for interview.

If selected for consideration for this position, you may be required to provide evidence that you possess the knowledge, skills, and abilities indicated on your resume.

Montgomery County Ethics Law: Except as provided by law or regulation, the County's "Public Employees" (which does not include employees of the Sheriff's office) are subject to the County's ethics law including the requirements to obtain advanced approval of any outside employment and the prohibitions on certain outside employment. The outside employment requirements of the ethics law can be found at 19A-12 of the County Code. Additional information about outside employment can be obtained from the Ethics Commission website.

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