Planner I

Planner I

Salary

See Position Description

Location

City Hall, 316 N 26th St., Billings, MT 59101

Job Type

Full-Time

Job Number

202600078

Department

Planning & Community Services

Division

Planning

Opening Date

04/02/2026

• Description
• Benefits

"Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis."

Position Overview

Salary Range: $31.6513 - $42.3850/hour. Salary reflects Step 1 and Step 7 of a 7-step pay scale. Salary at hiring will be dependent upon applicants education, experience, and training.

Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with occasional evening or weekend meetings.

Job Summary:

Under supervision of the Planning Division Manager, to perform a variety of duties including responsibility for assistance with current, long range and transportation planning activities, including subdivision review and processing, building plan review, zoning permit, zone change, special review, and variance review and processing. The position participates as a member of special staff working groups on current planning, long range planning, and transportation planning projects. This position also meets with community and civic groups and makes presentations to governing boards.

Scope of Responsibility:

Performs advanced troubleshooting or analysis; uses judgment to select from multiple known alternatives. Failures and successes impact the division or functional operations, with moderate financial impact on the overall organization. Requires frequent interaction to provide detailed procedural explanations or technical responses and/or occasional contact to negotiate basic agreements, where relationships involve cooperation within the overall organization and/or directly interfacing with individual customers or vendors.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Department Operations

• Provides general customer service regarding planning requests to the general public, city and county departments, governing agencies and the business community. Responds to customer inquiries regarding codes, laws and ordinances; responds to questions, complaints and inquiries as appropriate on the phone, via email and in person at the counter. Follows up with customers regarding required information and ensures information is obtained. Forwards questions or concerns to appropriate staff when additional assistance is needed. Participates in customer service counter coverage as a primary duty.
• Receives and processes land use applications, inquiries. Performs site inspections for applications and generates staff reports to the governing body, including maps, digital photos, tables and mailing lists for the public. Makes presentations to advisory boards and governing bodies.
• Reviews various other permit requests such as temporary use, fence and sign permits. Notifies appropriate personnel and the customers when the application process is complete. Ensures the application complies with appropriate rules and regulations
• In coordination with and under the direction of senior staff, researches and writes recommendations for changes and improvements to land use codes.
• Coordinates activities with other City and County departments and divisions including Building, Engineering, Police, Fire, Public Works and Administration.
• Maintains files and records related to land use applications and permits; prepares a variety of written reports, memoranda and correspondence.
• Inputs and retrieves a variety of information using GIS, Innoprise, and internet sources.
• Researches, compiles and distributes information for a variety of planning efforts including, but not limited to long range planning documents which may include growth policies, neighborhood or sub area planning documents. Participates in public meetings. Information gathering may also require data gathering and analysis. Prepares and presents recommendations to advisory boards and governing bodies.
• Researches and compiles information and data as requested for current, long range and transportation planning

Performs other duties as assigned.

Qualifications and Skills

Required Qualifications & Skills:

• Four (4) year degree from an accredited college or university with major course work in geography, urban/rural planning or a related field
• One (1) year of related work experience in government or private sector planning

OR

• Four (4) years' experience in government or private sector planning

Physical Demands and Working Conditions

Working conditions require moderate physical effort, moving between 5 and 25 pounds, where effort is intermittent, less than 15% of the time. Working conditions require high attention to detail and deadlines occasionally (between 15% and 45% of the time). A typical workday involves exposure to multiple disagreeable elements, none of which are of greater than moderate intensity, on an intermittent basis (less than 15% of the time).

Some requirements in this job description may exclude individuals who pose a direct threat or significant risk to the health and safety of themselves or other employees. All requirements are subject to modification to reasonably accommodate individuals with disabilities.

Requirements are representative of minimum levels of knowledge, skills, and experience required. To perform this job successfully, the worker must possess the abilities and aptitudes to perform each duty proficiently.

This document does not create an employment contract, implied or otherwise. The City retains the discretion to add duties or change the duties of this position at any time.

The City of Billings offers a complete benefits package to our full-time employees including medical, dental, and vision insurance, retirement/pensions, paid holidays, vacation and sick leave. The City offers life and long term disability insurance to all full-time employees. Optional plans are available for employees that include health savings account, flexible spending account, and 457 deferred compensation accounts.

To learn more details, visit the link below.

Benefits-at-a-Glance

Employer City of Billings

Address 316 North 26th Street

Billings, Montana, 59101

Phone 4062376210

Website https://billingsmt.gov