Planner I

The Jackson County Planning Department is looking to fill a Planner I vacancy. This is a great opportunity for planning professionals that would like to live, work, and play in the mountains of Southwestern North Carolina.

Jackson County is comprised of 494 square miles of breathtaking mountain vistas and over 200 named rivers and streams accentuated by picturesque waterfalls in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Not only does the County possess great natural beauty, it is also home to several unique small mountain towns and communities. These areas include popular tourist destinations like the Town of Dillsboro, luxurious second home communities like Cashiers, and the County’s economic centers like the Town of Sylva and the Cullowhee community, home of Western Carolina University. As important as our geography and natural beauty is, it is the people and their rich cultural traditions that have defined Jackson County’s past and will define its future. A large part of the great cultural traditions is that of the Native American history, as Jackson County is a part of the ancestral lands of the Cherokee Nation. Today, it is home to a part of the tribal lands of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.

Responsible for performing professional planning, research, analytical, and technical duties in the County Planning Department to ensure orderly growth of the County and efficient administration of County resources. Position reviews, approves, and/or certifies development and permit applications, plan, plats, projects, programs, to ensure compliance with County land use regulations; compiles maintains, and analyzes data and information pertaining to population growth, land use, economic development, and related areas; and/or certifies plans, plats, projects, and programs to ensure compliance with local and state regulations, ordinances, and policies