Manager, Planning

Manager, Facilities Planning

The Frederick County Public School (FCPS) District’s mission is to inspire, innovate & motivate. FCPS serves more than 46,000 students and 280,000 residents in twelve municipalities spread across 667 square miles. FCPS provides a diverse and inclusive learning environment, where excellence in college and career preparedness are paramount. The commitment to our community is to provide exceptional education and equity for "every child, every day".

POSITION OVERVIEW

The Supervisor of Facilities Planning has the primary responsibilities of preparing the educational facilities master plan (EFMP) including enrollment projections for the school system as a whole and for each school, preparing the six-year capital improvement plan (CIP) including budgets for all major construction projects, preparing original and amended funding applications for construction and renovation projects submitted to the Maryland Interagency Commission on School Construction, and the management of the site acquisition, architect selection and pre-design process for Frederick County school construction projects.  This position also prepares the educational specifications for all new schools, additions and renovation projects, coordinates attendance area boundary studies, feasibility studies and other facility related studies, oversees FCPS review of county and municipal residential development plan referrals and submission of plan review comments and APFO reports to local Planning Commissions as well as the GIS efforts of the facilities department.  This position also serves as FCPS representative on state and local planning related issues.

Required Qualifications

Education/Training/Experience

• Graduation from a four-year accredited college or university, in the field of planning, civil engineering, public administration or a closely related field.
• Five (5) years of experience in school, institution, or community planning.
• Four (4) years of experience in development of Capital Improvement Plans and budgets.
• Experience with Excel, PowerPoint and similar computer applications.
• Experience in Geographic Information System (GIS)applications.

Certification/Licenses

• American Institute of Certified Planner (AICP) credentialed

Preferred Qualifications

Education/Training/Experience:

• Master’s Degree from an accredited four-year college or university in the field of planning, public administration, civil engineering or a related degree program.
• Experience with developing facilities master plans for school systems, or other public and municipal entities
• Experience with enrollment projections
• Familiarity with FCPS policies and procedures

Certification/License:

Accredited Learning Environment Planner (ALEP)

Essential Functions

Prepares the Educational Facilities Master Plan (EFMP), including:

• Prepares enrollment projections for the system and individual schools.
• Analyzes subdivision data, local comprehensive plans, construction cost data, and other data as required.
• Analyzes facility needs for school system and recommends new schools, additions, renovations, and systemic projects as well as site acquisitions.
• Serves as coordinator with FCPS departments and spokesperson for the public and outside organizations regarding the EFMP.

Prepares annual capital improvement program (CIP) and capital budget, including:

• Prepares scope of work for major capital projects in six-year CIP and systemic renovations.
• Analyzes and prepares budgets for major capital projects in six-year CIP.
• Prepares funding requests to county and state agencies and subsequent responses and follow-up documentation.
• Prepares pay-go analysis to track state funding awards, impact on local funding requests and County's ability to be reimbursed for forward funded capital projects. 
• Serves as coordinator with FCPS departments and spokesperson for the public and outside organizations.

Plans school construction projects, including:

• Supervises the preparation of educational specifications (ed specs) in collaboration with curriculum specialists, school administration and MSDE staff.
• Identifies and secures school sites, including negotiating with property owners and developers and the review and approval by state and local agencies, either through development review process or through acquisition.
• Coordinates with architects, engineers, local and state agencies and assists with securing permits, agency approvals, etc. as needed in pre-design phases of project.
• Supervises the preparation of feasibility studies for complete school renovations.
• Prepares necessary documents relating to selection of architectural and engineering services.
• Ensures projects are completed in compliance with applicable specifications, regulations, time schedules, and budgets.

Supervises the GIS, data collection, inventory, and analysis, including:

• GIS data needs with other FCPS departments
• Annual geocoding of student data
• GIS data bases for facility services department including coordination with local and state sources of data.
• Coordination with county, state, and municipal agencies to share GIS data.

Strategic Planning Supervision:

• Redistricting studies including researching, collecting and analyzing all data required to prepare attendance boundary options for the BOE's review and approval; preparing and implementing community engagement plan associated with the redistricting; responding to community questions and comments; and implementing the BOE's decision for new attendance boundaries.
• Planning studies associated with school consolidation and closings.
• State Rated Capacity updates for each of the schools ensuring compliance with state regulations.
• Preparation of legal documents associated with FCPS properties, including reviewing and processing deeds and plats for FCPS properties as well as easements, rights of ways, and other encumbrances.

Coordinates with state and local agencies on planning related matters, including:

• Reviews residential development plans and prepares comments and adequate public ordinance reports.
• Preparation of planning studies such as pupil yield studies, building assessments, utilization studies, etc. 
• Reviews and comments on comprehensive plans, other state/local plans and proposed state and county regulations.
• Represents FCPS on local and state planning related committees as necessary.
• Attends facilities and finance committee, county and municipal planning commission, city council, county commissioner, and state meetings as needed, and presents information and reports when necessary.

Supervises the planning team, and consultants hired for planning efforts, including:

• Facility Planner I and Facility Planner II
• Planning Data and GIS Analyst
• Part time employees and interns
• Outside legal counsel, and consulting civil engineers and architects
• Capable of performing the essential functions of the position, with or without reasonable accommodations.

The above list is a summary of the essential functions of the job, not an exhaustive comprehensive list of all possible job responsibilities, tasks, and duties.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS & WORK ENVIRONMENT

• The physical requirements of this position include: sitting, walking, standing, climbing stairs, driving cars, repetitive motion of the hands/fingers (e.g., keyboarding, turning pages), lifting up to 25 pounds, seeing objects peripherally, using depth perception, seeing close work (e.g., typed print), distinguishing colors, hearing conversations or sounds, hearing via radio or telephone, communicating through speech, and communicating by writing/reading.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES

The following knowledge, skills and abilities detailed below will make a candidate successful in this position.

• Knowledge of community and land use planning principals and practices
• Knowledge of school facility planning principals and practices
• Skilled in effective written and oral communication
• Skilled in leadership and supervision
• Skilled in program development and process improvement
• Ability to prepare planning documents and interpret ordinances, laws, codes, contracts, deeds and easements.
• Ability to maintain strictest confidence concerning personnel, site acquisition negotiations, legal documents and student information.
• Ability to adapt and maintain professional composure in emergent situations and during Board of Education and other community meetings.

Benefits:

Frederick County Public Schools offers a robust benefits package to include Medical, Vision, and Dental benefits and paid time off. In addition, FCPS is a part of the Maryland State Retirement Pension System.  For more details about the benefits, we offer please go to fcps.org/benefits.

FREDERICK COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

THIS JOB DESCRIPTION HAS BEEN WRITTEN TO INDICATE THE GENERAL NATURE AND LEVEL OF WORK PERFORMED BY AN EMPLOYEE HOLDING THIS POSITION.  IT IS NOT WRITTEN TO INCLUDE OR BE INTERPRETED TO INCLUDE A COMPREHENSIVE INVENTORY OF ALL DUTIES, RESPONSIBILITIES, AND QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED OF THE EMPLOYEE.  NOTHING IN THIS DESCRIPTION RESTRICTS MANAGEMENT’S RIGHT TO ASSIGN OR REASSIGN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OR ADD REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS AT ANY TIME.