Job Description

The Principal Planner leads all facilities planning and capital budget development for ACPS. The Principal Planner is responsible for developing, maintaining, enhancing, and communicating the school system's enrollment projections and facility capacity analysis. The incumbent will manage all geographic information system (GIS) data for the school division, including geo-coding, student population, demographic analysis, boundary analysis, preparing transportation data, and maintaining a facilities database. The incumbent also will serve as a technical advisor, frequently prepare and deliver presentations to the School Board and communities, and assist in the production of the data supporting the annual capacity analysis and capital improvement program. Work is performed under the general supervision of the Director of Capital Programs, Planning & Design, with close coordination with managers of other services of all the Facilities and Operations Department and other appropriate city, school, and community organizations.

Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor's degree in urban planning or a related field.
• Master's degree in urban planning or a related field a plus and may substitute for experience.

Certificates & Licenses:

• None required.
• AICP or equivalent strongly preferred.

Experience:

• Minimum five years' progressively responsible experience in school facility planning, demographics, or city/urban planning.
• Experience with leading planning studies, development of a capital improvement program, and theregulatory approval process a plus.

Skills:

• Ability to compile and to analyze student enrollment and demographic data; to participate in projectingpopulation, and student and related trends; and to prepare clear and concise reports.
• Meet and deal effectively with school officials, members of the parent community, elected officials, andthe general public.
• Must be able to work with a variety of computerized data programs, including GIS, Excel, InDesign,PowerPoint, and others.
• Effective oral communication skills a must.
• Essential Functions
• Manages long range planning programs and activities necessary to achieve departmental goals andobjectives.
• Manages special projects and studies, including directing the work of a team or other staff, from withinand outside of the department to include contracting consultants, preparing schedules, andadministering project budgets.
• Represents ACPS on panels, committees, and task forces.
• Develops and maintains GIS database.
• Works with various departments to develop projections for specialized programs.
• Updates student enrollment projections annually and reviews as needed throughout the year.
• Develops, coordinates, and maintains school capacity analysis.
• Responsible for school capacity assessments.
• Participates in annual update of CIP Budget plan for review by all internal stakeholders and laterapproval by Superintendent and School Board.
• Assists in the planning of future major infrastructure needs, including temporary facilities, additions,and new construction in the Capital Improvement Program.
• Assists the Transportation Department in verifying data, optimizing routing, and other duties asneeded.
• Assists in the assessment of ACPS land and facility use.
• Reviews potential land acquisition opportunities and provides related recommendations.
• Assists principals and other school level staff in space planning as requested or needed.
• Coordinates the collection, recording, and encoding of data to support long range school facilitiesplanning.
• Acts as an ACPS liaison to City Planning & Zoning office on proposed new development and the impacton schools.
• Maintains good working relationships with all City departments on behalf of the ACPS Operations team.
• Coordinates with City staff on boundary studies, site utilization studies, and demographics.
• Develops Transportation Management Plans with the City's Transportation Department to beimplemented division-wide and at the school level as required; and supports TMP coordinators inimplementing the plans.
• Prepares data summaries, data analyses, reports, and recommendations for internal use and externalpresentations to the School Board and Alexandria community.
• Prepares materials, gives presentations, and attends meetings often with the School Board and Cityagencies, public hearings, and other community meetings as directed.
• Collaborates and supports schools and other departments to achieve division goals.
• Supports redistricting efforts as a member of the Redistricting Steering Committee.
• Develops, maintains, and updates the boundary analysis as needed for redistricting.
• Prepares maps on an as needed basis to support ACPS departments.
• Participates and attends meetings related to the development of city plans.
• Manages planning/feasibility studies to support CIP development.
• Seeks grants to supplement CIP projects, where relevant.
• Performs related duties as required or assigned by supervisor.

Clearances

• Criminal Justice Fingerprint/Background Clearance.
• Tuberculosis Skin Test.

WP