Planning Clerk
How To Apply
Qualified Applicants should submit their resume via e-mail with the subject line, “Planning Clerk,” addressed to Jessica James, Chief Human Resource Officer at jobs@jeffcowv.gov or via US mail at:
Jefferson County Commission
Attn: Jessica James, CHRO
PO BOX 250
Charles Town, WV, 25414
Application deadline: Friday, June 5, 2026 at 5:00 pm.
- Job Title
Planning Clerk - Job Location (City, State)
Charles Town - Salary Information (optional)
$43,940-$70,303 - Job Description
Date posted: May 27, 2026
Pay: $43,940.00 – $70,303.00 per year
Job description:
The Jefferson County Department of Engineering, Planning, and Zoning is currently hiring for a Planning Clerk. This position performs administrative support including research and data collection and provides high-level clerical services in support of the daily operations of the Office of Planning within the Department of Engineering, Planning, and Zoning.
Grade 4 Salary Range
$43,940-$70,303
Max Budgeted for FY25-26: $46-48k
Please see full job description below
Why Work for Jefferson County?
Meaningful Work: Serve your community and contribute to projects that make a difference.
Career Growth: We invest in your success with training and development opportunities.
Extensive Benefits Package: We offer health/prescription, vision, dental, and life insurance coverage, as well as enrollment in the West Virginia Public Employee Retirement System or West Virginia Emergency Medical Services Retirement System.
Education Assistance: Take advantage of tuition reduction programs with Shepherd University and American Public University.
Diverse Opportunities: Whether you’re skilled in administration, planning and development, or public safety, we have a place for you!
Jefferson County Employee Benefits
Excellent employee benefits package includes enrollment in the West Virginia Emergency Medical Services Retirement System (WVEMSRS) plan; health/prescription, vision, dental, and life insurance plans; reduced tuition rates with local partner schools; paid vacation leave, paid sick leave, and thirteen to fifteen paid holidays per year.
How To Apply
Qualified Applicants should submit their resume via e-mail with the subject line, “Planning Clerk,” addressed to Jessica James, Chief Human Resource Officer at jobs@jeffcowv.gov or via US mail at:
Jefferson County Commission
Attn: Jessica James, CHRO
PO BOX 250
Charles Town, WV, 25414
Application deadline: Friday, June 5, 2026 at 5:00 pm.
FULL JOB DESCRIPTION
Statement of Duties The employee performs administrative support including research and data collection; as well as provides high-level clerical services in support of the daily operations of the Office of Planning within the Department of Engineering, Planning, and Zoning. The employee interacts with professional and administrative staff on a daily basis to manage workflow and ensure deadlines are met. Employee is required to perform all similar or related duties as assigned.
Special Requirements:Driver’s license may be required.
Essential Functions:
The essential functions or duties listed below are intended only as illustrations of the various type of work that may be performed. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment to the position.
1. Assist with administrative functions in support of the Office of Planning and Zoning including research and data gathering through the utilization and management of an online content management program (MyPermitNow) and an excel database.
2. Serve as the primary customer service personnel interacting with members of the public and applicants addressing questions concerning the Subdivision Regulations and Zoning Ordinance.
3. Support the Chief County Planner and Zoning Administrator by conducting data collection and analysis functions for planning related projects, as well as managing project deadlines. Strong time management skills is critical.
4. Prepare meeting documents including agendas and staff reports. Assemble and distribute agenda packets. Additional duties include preparing correspondence with the public as well as developers (e.g. land surveyors, engineers, and consultants) regarding application process and meeting procedures
5. Provide Clerical support to the Planning Commission with duties to include but not limited to attending evening meetings, setting up meeting room, managing audio/video recordings of meetings, managing virtual meeting room (e.g. ZOOM and/or GoTo Meeting), take meeting notes, and draft meeting minutes.
6. Prepare Legal Advertisements for each project file in accordance with State Law, Subdivision Regulations, Zoning Ordinance, and/or policy standards; prepare and post Notice of Public Hearings to County’s website, distribute through the County’s email alerts system, and send to additional Governmental Agencies as needed.
7. Accept and process new applications into a digital content management software program (including fee collection). Manage application submissions and plan review workflow for residential and non-residential development.
8. Manage digital workflow including distribution of project data and tasks to pertinent review staff, collection of review comments, and generation of summary review reports for distribution to applicants within prescribed time frames.
9. Provide primary telephone coverage and public inquiries, referring calls to professional staff as necessary.
10. Complete professional development training to improve skills.
11. Willingness to cross-train as a temporary fill-in for other positions in the office when deemed necessary by the Director, Deputy Director or the Chief County Planner.
12. Willingness to take on additional duties as needed in support of Departmental and County goals and objectives.
Recommended Minimum Qualifications:
Knowledge, Abilities, and Skill
Knowledge: Common policies, practices and procedures of the department and office operations; laws and regulations pertinent to position functions.
Abilities: Use good judgment and decision making abilities, prioritize tasks and work independently with minimum supervision, and follow established office policies. Ability to communicate professionally with people of diverse backgrounds and levels of education is required. Ability to conceptualize ideas, analyze technical documents, and compile complex information in concise writing.
Skills: Proficiency in utilizing Microsoft Office Programs including Word, Outlook Email, Excel, and PowerPoint. Proficiency in Adobe Pro (e.g. ability to prepare and assemble PDF documents). Basic computer literacy, including working knowledge of how to navigate the World Wide Web and strong typing skills. Must possess excellent written and verbal communication skills; strong organizational skills including record keeping and time management; and effective customer service skills.
Other:
Education: Requires basic knowledge of arithmetic, English and grammar. Ability in simple bookkeeping including payroll and accounts payable, posting and filing functions. Operational ability with office equipment such as typewriters, computers, adding machines and calculators. Ability to operate a motor vehicle. Apprenticeship (entry level) knowledge of crafts or trades. Equivalent to a high school degree received through a diploma or an equivalency examination.
Experience: Up to and including one year of prior work experience.
Accountability: The nature of work assures that errors are usually detected in succeeding operations. Consequences of errors, missed deadlines or poor judgment may include time loss caused by back checking by others and slowdowns in the processing of the work. Errors are generally confined to a single department, such as billing or accounting errors and/or failure to check a subordinate’s performance.
Judgment: Numerous standardized practices, procedures, or general instructions govern the work and in some cases, may require additional interpretation. Judgment is needed to locate, select and apply the most pertinent practice, procedure, regulation or guideline.
Complexity: The work consists of a variety of duties, which generally follow standardized practices, procedures, regulations or guidelines. The sequence of work and/or the procedures followed vary according to the nature of the transaction and/or the information involved, or sought, in a particular situation.
Supervision Required: Under general supervision, the employee is familiar with the work routine and uses initiative in carrying out recurring assignments independently with specific instruction. The supervisor provides additional, specific instruction for new, difficult or unusual assignments, including suggested work methods. The employee is expected to recognize instances which are out of the ordinary and which do not fall within existing instructions; the employee is then expected to seek advice and further instructions. Reviews and checks of the employee’s work are applied to an extent sufficient to keep the supervisor aware of progress, and to insure that completed work and methods used are technically accurate and that instructions are being followed. In many cases, the work is self checking, for example, requiring accounts to balance before proceeding.
Nature and Purpose of Personal Contact: Contacts are primarily with co-workers and the public involving frequent explanation, discussion or interpretation of practices, procedures, regulations or guidelines in order to render service, plan or coordinate work efforts, or resolve operating problems. Other regular contacts are with service recipients and employees of outside organizations such as vendors, banks and/or developers/ contractors. More than ordinary courtesy, tact and diplomacy may be required to resolve complaints or deal with hostile, uncooperative or uninformed persons. Employee may furnish news media with routine information such as meeting agendas or departmental procedures.
Work Environment: Typical indoor environment/office setting. Noise or physical surroundings may be distracting, but conditions are generally not unpleasant.
Physical Demands: Little or no physical demands are required to perform the work. Work effort principally involves sitting to perform work tasks, with intermittent periods of stooping, walking, and standing. There may also be some occasional lifting of objects such as books, office equipment and computer paper (up to 30lbs).
Motor Skills: Duties are largely mental rather than physical, but the job may occasionally require minimal motor skills for activities such as moving objects, operating a personal computer and/or most other office equipment, typing and/or word processing, filing, sorting of papers or operating a motor vehicle.
Occupational Risk: Duties of the job present little potential for injury. Risk exposure is similar to that found in typical office settings.
Confidentiality: Access to any and all confidential information on a County-wide basis.
Supervisory Responsibility: Employee, as a regular continuing part of the job, does not regularly supervise other employees.
Job Type: Full-time
- Application Instructions
Qualified Applicants should submit their resume via e-mail with the subject line, “Planning Clerk,” addressed to Jessica James, Chief Human Resource Officer at jobs@jeffcowv.gov or via US mail at:
Jefferson County Commission
Attn: Jessica James, CHRO
PO BOX 250
Charles Town, WV, 25414
Application deadline: Friday, June 5 2026 at 5:00 pm.
