Planning Administrator

Onslow County, NC

$71K — $93K *
Education, Government & Non-Profit
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in Planning, Public Administration, Landscape Architecture, Engineering, or related field.
  • At least two years of relevant experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
  • 1-2 years of supervisory experience preferred.
  • Thorough knowledge of Onslow County Zoning and Subdivision Ordinances and Comprehensive Plan.
  • Familiarity with North Carolina General Statutes regarding land use and development.

Responsibilities

  • Supervise, evaluate, and train team members in the Planning Division.
  • Conduct quality control of site plan reviews and zoning permits.
  • Assist in budget preparation for the Planning Division.
  • Conduct analysis of technical land use topics using ESRI products.
  • Respond to inquiries from citizens and developers about zoning ordinances.
  • Coordinate public outreach efforts to engage citizens and provide education.
  • Prepare materials for meetings with the Planning Board and County Commissioners.

Benefits

  • Health Insurance through Cigna covering various healthcare services.
  • Dental insurance covering basic to major dental procedures.
  • Vision insurance covering materials and eye exams.
  • Retirement benefits through the North Carolina Local Governmental Employees' Retirement System.
  • 401(k) contributions from the County with matching options.
Full Job Description
Salary : $71,767.70 - $93,298.19 Annually
Location : Jacksonville, NC
Job Type: Full-Time
Job Number: Planning Admin July 2026
Department: PLANNING
Opening Date: 07/14/2026
Closing Date: 7/21/2026 12:00 AM Eastern

Job Description

Performs difficult technical and administrative work in the administration of the Onslow County Zoning Ordinance, Subdivision Ordinance, Onslow County Comprehensive Plan, and related codes or work as apparent or assigned. Work is performed under the supervision of the Director or Deputy Director. Continuous supervision is exercised over the Planners.

Position Responsibilities

  • Supervision
    • Facilitates a safe work environment where employees are treated with respect, dignity, and compassion.
    • Manages performance and completes annual performance evaluations for direct reports.
    • Supervises, evaluates, and trains team members in the Planning Division.
    • Assists in reviews and attends meetings with the Planners to ensure quality control and excellent customer service.
    • Coordinates the training of the team members in the Planning Division from the direction given by the Director.
    • Provides quality control and supervision of the Planning Division's evaluation and review of site plans, subdivision plans, and issuance of zoning permits or subdivision approvals.
    • Coordinates with the Zoning Administrator on daily operations and long-range planning as necessary.
    • Assists the Director in the annual budget preparation of the Planning Division.
  • Long Range Planning and Ordinance Amendments
    • Conducts detailed analysis and develops reports to include recommendations on complex or technical land use topics to include the use of ESRI products.
    • Conducts detailed analysis and develops memorandums to include recommendations on the Onslow County's Comprehensive Plan implementation and updates, Zoning Ordinance, and Subdivision Ordinance.
  • Application Review
    • Reviews zoning permit applications and all site plan types for accuracy and compliance with the Onslow County Zoning Ordinance, adopted plans and ordinances, and any applicable State or Federal regulation.
    • Reviews subdivision or development proposals or plans for accuracy and compliance with the Onslow County Subdivision Ordinance, adopted plans and ordinances, and any applicable State or Federal regulation.
    • Reviews project or application proposals for consistency with the Onslow County Comprehensive Plan.
  • Public Engagement
    • Responds to citizen, contractors, builders, and/or developer questions regarding the Onslow County Zoning Ordinance and Subdivision Ordinance.
    • Prepares and oversees the preparation of meeting materials, public notifications, staff reports, presentations, and board materials for the Onslow County Planning Board and Onslow County Board of Commissioners as directed by the Director.
    • Facilitates public outreach and engagement to citizens and groups through providing public education, workshops, and presentations in coordination with the Land Use Administrator and/or Director.
    • Develops strong and positive rapport with community partners and Technical Review Committee partners in coordination with the Director.
  • Additional Functions
    • Performs assigned functions as a Disaster Ready Team (DRT) member, if assigned or volunteered.
    • Performs related tasks as assigned.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential function satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Qualifications

Thorough knowledge of the following:
  • Onslow County Zoning Ordinance, Subdivision Ordinance, and the Onslow County Comprehensive Plan;
  • Methods and procedures used in planning, coastal planning, and urban development;
  • North Carolina General Statute as it relates to land use and development regulations;
  • Public engagement and public relations best management practices and strategies.

Thorough ability in the following:

  • To operate standard office equipment including a personal computer and applicable office productivity software;
  • To analyze and compile technical and statistical information and prepare reports;
  • To interpret various rules and regulations;
  • To read and interpret plans;
  • To maintain effective working relationships with employees, property owners, citizens, contractors, and other departments or agencies;
  • To prepare and present oral or written reports;
  • To facilitate meetings;

Physical Requirements:

This work requires the occasional exertion of up to 10 pounds of force; work regularly requires sitting, speaking or hearing, using hands to finger, handle or feel and repetitive motions, frequently requires reaching with hands and arms and occasionally requires standing, walking, pushing or pulling and lifting; work has standard vision requirements; no special vocal communication skills are required; no special hearing perception is required; this work does not require any specialized sensory utilization; work has no exposure to environmental conditions; work is generally in a very quiet location (e.g. park trail, storage or file room).
Education, Experience, and Special Requirements

Bachelor's degree with coursework in Planning, Public Administration, Landscape Architecture, Engineering, or related field and at least two years of experience, or equivalent combination of experience and education.

1 to 2 years of supervisory experience is preferred

Special Requirements:
  • Valid driver's license.
  • Certified Zoning Official (CZO) and American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) preferred.

Salary will be determined based on qualifications, internal equity, budget, and market considerations.
Regular Onslow County employees have the ability to participate in a wide array of employee benefits including:

Health Insurance
Health Insurance is provided by Cigna and covers a wide variety of healthcare services.

Dental Insurance
Dental insurance is provided by Delta Dental to full-time employees and covers a percentage of basic to major dental procedures, including orthodontia for children and adults.

Vision Insurance
Vision insurance is provided by MetLife to full-time employees and covers a variety of materials (contacts and glasses frames/lenses) and an annual eye exam.

North Carolina Local Governmental Employees' Retirement System
Eligible employees are automatically enrolled in the retirement system and must contribute 6% of their gross salary each pay period. Once eligibility requirements are met, employees will be able to receive monthly payments for life based on their salary, age, and years of service credit.

NC401k
The County contributes 1% of employees' gross salary into the 401(k) account regardless of the employee's deferral amount. In addition, the County matches employee deferrals up to an additional 4%.

Vacation Leave
Regular full-time employees earn 13.5 days of vacation leave per year. With each 5-year increment of employment, vacation accrual increases.

Sick Leave
Regular full-time employees earn 12 days of sick leave per year.

Paid Holidays
County employees receive paid holidays annually. The Board of County Commissioners approves and may adjust the schedule as deemed necessary.

ComPsych Mental Health Services
The County provides Mental Health and Life Services through ComPsych to help employees and their families with personal, family and job-related problems such as counseling, crisis support, work-life resources, legal and financial consultations, and organizational support tools.

Supplemental Benefits
County employees are also offered a variety of supplemental benefits such as Life Insurance, Flexible Spending Accounts, 457b Deferred Compensation Plan, and MetLife Supplemental Plans.

For more information, please visit and click on the Benefits tab.
01

Which of the following best describes your highest level of completed education?
  • High School Diploma or GED
  • Associates Degree
  • Bachelors Degree
  • Masters Degree
  • Doctorate
  • None of the above

02

Do you possess a valid driver's license?
  • Yes
  • No

03

Based on your review of the position requirements, are you able to perform the position duties with or without reasonable accommodation?
  • Yes
  • No

04

Are you a Certified Zoning Official (CZO)?
  • Yes
  • No

05

How many years of experience do you have in a supervisory position?
  • None
  • 6 months or less
  • 6 months to 2 years
  • 2 years to 5 years
  • 5 years or more

06

Onslow County's Core Values are REACH (Resilience, Excellence, Accountability, Customer Service, Honesty). Which value resonates most with you and why? How would you exemplify this value in your position?
07

Do you possess American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) certification?
  • Yes
  • No

Required Question

Similar Jobs

More Jobs at Onslow County, NC

More Education, Government & Non-Profit Jobs

Find similar Planning Administrator jobs: