Planner 1 - Community Plans

Metro Nashville Planning Department

Nashville, TN

Salary: $84,667

Community Plans – Planner 1

The Metro Nashville/Davidson County Planning Department is seeking an individual to support the Community Plans section in the department’s Long Range Planning division. It is an exciting time to be a part of a department that is shaping Nashville’s future! The Planning Department is engaged in identifying opportunities, developing strategies, and recommending infrastructure and other improvements to address growth. The department leads the preparation and update of various planning studies and develops and recommends innovative policies and zoning tools to assist in their implementation.

The Community Plans – Planner 1 position will work closely with the Community Plans team and colleagues across the department to support planning projects with supervision by senior planners and/or management staff. The Community Plans section oversees and coordinates Metro Nashville-Davidson County’s General Plan – NashvilleNext, its 14 Community Plans, and the Major and Collector Street Plan. The section focuses heavily on community engagement, and strong public speaking, analytical, and writing skills are essential parts of the section’s work.

Job Description

The successful candidate will work closely with Metro Planning colleagues and contribute to the development of community plan updates, small area plans, and policy amendments. Planners in the Community Plans section routinely work with members of the public, design professionals, elected and appointed officials, and other stakeholders.

Additionally, a successful candidate for this position will have knowledge of urban planning and design practices including GIS analysis and community participation and demonstrated experience effectively communicating complex planning concepts and ideas to a variety of stakeholders. Finally, the individual will have effective time management and organizational skills and experience in time-sensitive situations with competing priorities.

Responsibilities

• Compiles and analyzes data pertaining to characteristics of the Nashville area.
• Interprets federal, state, and local regulations and ordinances.
• Examines current conditions in the community, analyzes trends, such as population growth and movement, and develops projections on future needs/problems of the Nashville area.
• Assists in ensuring work meets management and elected officials’ expectations and is completed within specified budget and time frame.
• Consults and coordinates closely with other Metro agencies and departments, and with partner agencies and organizations at the local, regional, state, and federal levels, to identify needs and goals and resolve technical issues.
• Assists in coordinating the review of professional planning work and deliverables for compliance with agreed upon goals, outcomes, and conditions.
• Performs GIS mapping and analysis as needed.
• Assists in the identification of stakeholders and the development of a dynamic and inclusive community engagement strategy for planning and implementation projects.
• Performs various administrative duties.
• Writes letters and prepares reports and graphic displays.
• Processes paperwork associated with various planning activities.
• Attends meetings and speaks to the public and elected and appointed bodies as needed.

Qualifications

• Knowledge of the principles, practices, and trends in community and land planning, urban design, and multimodal transportation planning, including the effective use of data.
• Skill in collecting and/or analyzing data.
• Skill in working with various internal and external stakeholders, including the public, with differing visions and objectives.
• Ability to accurately read and interpret complex materials and process paperwork according to established procedures.
• Ability to conduct studies, analyze findings, and determine trends and/or make recommendations.
• Ability to collaborate effectively in a team setting, including in-person and/or virtually.
• Ability to effectively multi-task on a variety of project types, and across time sensitive deadlines.
• Ability to communicate clearly and timely both orally and in writing with a variety of stakeholders.
• Ability to ask for and receive support from peers, management, and executive staff.

Required Skills

• MS Office suite: required
• GIS – ArcMap or ArcGIS Pro: required
• Adobe Pro and InDesign: preferred
• Facebook, Twitter, Instagram: preferred

Key Attributes

Must be able to demonstrate attention to detail; problem solving; motivation to learn; clear and timely communication both orally and in writing with a variety of stakeholders; ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships and support peers in collaborative work.

Education & Experience Requirements:

Minimum education and experience requirement: Bachelor's degree in Planning, Architecture, Engineering, or a similar field, from an accredited college or university and two (2) years of related experience, or master’s degree in Planning, Architecture, Engineering, or a similar field from an accredited college or university.

Salary and Benefits

This Planner 1 position will be filled as a contract position (non-civil service) with an annual salary of $84,667 along with excellent health, dental and retirement benefits, and competitive paid vacation time, paid sick leave, and paid holidays. Additionally, the Planning Department currently works a 3/2 hybrid work week.

How to Apply

Applications will be received up to October 9th, 2026.

Qualified applicants should send a letter of interest and resume to:

Randi Semrick at randi.semrick@nashville.gov  

The Planning Department does not discriminate based on race, color, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, religion, creed or disability in admission to, access to, or operations of its programs, services, or activities. Discrimination against any person in recruitment, examination, appointment, training, promotion, retention, discipline, or any other employment practices because of non-merit factors shall be prohibited. For ADA inquiries, contact Randi Semrick, ADA Compliance Coordinator, at (615) 862-7230 or e-mail her at randi.semrick@nashville.gov. For Title VI inquiries, contact Human Relations at (615) 880-3370. For all employment-related inquiries, contact Human Resources at (615) 862-6640.