ASSISTANT PROJECT MANAGER

ASSISTANT PROJECT MANAGER

 

Visalia Office

 

Position Purpose

Working in cooperation with others throughout the company, the Assistant Project Manager is accountable for successfully coordinating integrated components of projects. The Assistant Project Manager works closely with the Project Manager and other QK staff (e.g., team leaders, technical experts, accounting department, marketing staff), to assure that all aspects of the project are completed on schedule and within budget. Success is measured by achieving results, based on defined standards, in the following areas:

  • Client satisfaction: the quality of clients’ experience from pre-proposal through project completion
  • On-time product delivery, including meeting or exceeding agreed-upon project schedules
  • QK’s project staff satisfaction; the quality and timeliness of information, communication and feedback related to the client and project
  • The quality of all work products

What You'll Do

ESSENTIAL TASKS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

  • Work with senior staff to develop comprehensive project plans to be shared with clients as well as other staff members
  • Plan and monitor resources in Deltek for various projects within multiple disciplines and for multiple project managers, ensure resource availability and allocation throughout the life of the project
  • Assist project manager in formulating project proposals by researching past projects, evaluating proposal request details, and coordinating intel from various internal resources as needed to formulate a comprehensive and competitive proposal
  • Coordinate project scope, schedule and budget, including monitoring progress versus achievement of clients’ expectations, escalate to management as needed
  • Maintain continuous communication on project status with clients and all internal and external stakeholders
  • Attend meetings with clients to take detailed ordering briefs and clarify specific requirements of each project
  • Develop spreadsheets, diagrams and process maps to document client and stakeholder needs, project progress, timelines and quality milestones
  • Collect data to provide status reporting regarding project milestones, deliverable, dependencies, risks and issues
  • Documents quality control milestones and informs key stakeholders when proper documentation is not submitted
  • Participate in quality issue resolution, document for learning measures
    Assist in collecting documents needed in disputes, negotiations, arbitration or litigation, as needed
  • Monitor, track and assist in controlling outcomes to resolve issues, conflicts, dependencies and critical path deliverables
  • Work with project managers to determine the frequency and content of status reports from the project and program team. Analyze results of status reports, assist in troubleshooting problem areas. Deliver appropriate and effective management and executive level communication, especially as issues arise
  •  Anticipate client, business, and community issues and communicate suggestions to influence managerial and team attention to them
  • Monitor project performance and advise project manager of ways to correct performance gaps.
  • Build organizational relationships; understand the roles and interrelationships of all partners; foster teamwork within and across departments; and cultivate a strong, diverse network or relationships inside and outside the firm
  • Visit construction site to monitor progress and other duties per the contract documents, reporting all findings to the project manager and other stakeholders in a timely fashion
  • Attend client meetings, take notes, make presentations and represent the project manager and QK as necessary
  • Billable production: varies, typically 80-90%

Who We Need

ESSENTIAL SKILLS AND ABILITIES

  • Ability to collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions
  • Proficient with Deltek and Microsoft Office suite
  • Ability to work well with others (as a team member) and alone
  • Ability to handle pressures related to internal and external project and proposal delivery schedule
  • Proven ability to gather and interpret information, and develop and present (orally and in writing) sound business conclusions
  • Team based approach to decision making and problem solving
  • Visual acuity and ability to communicate well, in writing and verbally, with other staff, clients, and agencies to accomplish team goals.
  • Ability to sit or stand for long periods and walk on uneven surfaces to conduct site visits
  • A current driver’s license and good driving record may be required if employee will be making field visits and/or meeting with clients outside the company’s office

PREFERRED SKILLS AND ABILITIES

  • Desire to be helpful to internal and external clients
  • Ability to create strong relationships in a mentoring capacity
  • Proven ability to successfully work against a deadline and within constrained budgets
  • Strong critical thinking skills that allow for quick problem solving and innovative solutions
  • Proven ability to motivate others
  • Demonstrated ability to provide constructive feedback and/or make management aware of concerns in a positive and productive manner
  • Proven ability to communicate complex technical ideas and concepts to non-technical people effectively

Education

  • Associate’s degree or equivalent work experience in project management, engineering, land surveying, planning, etc.

Organizational Relationships

The Assistant Project Manager provides both support and leadership to project manager and project teams. This person will have to develop relationships with staff in various disciplines in order to achieve the end goal of delivering a quality product. The Assistant Project Manager reports to an assigned Group Leader or Branch Manager. Assistant PMs are expected work with all disciplines throughout the entire company and develop strong working relationships with Group and/or Technical Leaders throughout the company in order to meet our “One Company” vision. Those holding this position are also expected to provide mentorship to junior staff and insight to the Senior Management Team and Branch Managers.

Experience

  • Minimum of three (3) years’ experience in a dual role of support and leadership
  • Previous experience in engineering, construction management, planning, or land surveying preferred

Senior Planner

Senior Planner

 

All Offices – Hybrid, or Remote Work Options

 
 

Position Purpose

Senior Planners work alongside other planners in providing site-specific analyses and geographic resources for development in urban and rural areas. They assist in land-use and infrastructure planning. Senior Planners think analytically about the best way to use and develop urban resources, maintain the health of communities and work to protect the environment from serious hazards. The Senior Planner most often requires advanced professional planning experience of high complexity and variety. Some functions are similar to those of the Senior Associate level, though the Senior Planner often leads or is significantly involved with larger, more complex planning assignments. Planners at this level exercise greater independence and judgment, receiving general supervision from senior management. This position is a professional position with responsibility for oversight and management of environmental planning projects and coordinating environmental planning aspects of projects as a part of more complex engineering projects. This position is one of a team or department leader who works confers with his/her supervisor on difficult or complex planning projects and generally works with minimal direction.

What You'll Do

  • Oversight of all aspects of projects, including monitoring contracts, creating budgets, monitoring timelines, developing schedules, and enduring quality deliverables
  • Formulate and conduct technical planning studies
  • Maintain communication with client and/or other project managers from project conception through completion
  • Manage, lead, train, develop, and mentor other technical and professional staff and/or Planning workload
  • Manage project plans, budgets, timelines, and ensure quality deliverables
  • Prepare and oversee research, field work, legal regulations, and documentation in support of Planning reports and documentation
  • Read, interpret, compose, and review Categorical Exclusions, EAs, EIRs, and other technical documents  Prepare, coordinate, and facilitate public involvement meetings and workshops  Prepare and/or coordinate preparation of winning proposals and lead proposal presentations
  • Develop recommendations affecting land use, public utilities, community facilities, housing, and transportation to control and guide development
  • Generate creative solutions to issues that may conflict with the client’s initial project plans
  • Visit field sites to gather facts and data, and conduct investigations
  • Prepare technical studies and documents, with emphasis on NEPA and CEQA documents
  • Prepare and oversee research, field work, legal regulations, and documentation in support of NEPA and CEQA document preparation
  • Read, interpret, compose, and review Categorical Exclusions, EAs, EIRs, and other technical documents
  • Lead and manage work of other planning staff
  • Attend meetings inside and outside of the firm
  • Familiarity with, and assistance to senior staff for monitoring contracts and budgets
  • Other duties as assigned or as needed in order to successfully complete project deliverables or meet internal goals

Who We Need

ESSENTIAL SKILLS AND ABILITIES

  • Strong technical writing, analytic, and problem-solving skills
  • Strong project management skills (e.g., organizational, leadership, communication, critical thinking, financial, time management, etc.)
  • Ability to find creative solutions to complex environmental and planning issues, which may include political and socioeconomic issues, while meeting the needs of the client
  • Ability to mentor others in organizing, collecting, and analyzing data, generating and evaluating alternatives, reaching logical conclusions, and formulating consistent recommendations
  • Quantitative analysis skills
  • Ability to work in a team environment, lead teams, and lead, mentor, and supervise staff
  • Ability to sit and stand for long periods
  • Strong ability to communicate well (in writing and verbally) with other staff, clients, and agencies to accomplish team goals
  • Visual acuity and manual dexterity.
  • Ability to perform repetitive wrist and hand motions required
  • Ability to travel to field sites and walk long distances may be required on occasion

PREFERRED SKILLS AND ABILITIES

  • Drive to be helpful to team members, including mentoring junior staff
  • Strong critical thinking skills that allow for collaborative innovation in problem solving and project planning
  • Demonstrated ability to motivate others and drive results
  • Ability to develop and maintain positive client relationships
  • Ability to be resourceful
  • Proven ability to successfully work against a deadline and within constrained budgets
  • Ability to teach junior staff both agency and firm standards
  • Ability to provide constructive feedback in a positive and productive manner
  • Ability to communicate complex technical ideas and concepts to non-technical people

 

EDUCATION

  • Bachelor’s or Master’s (preferred) degree in land use, environmental, urban, regional or city planning, community planning, landscape architecture, geography, or related field. AICP required.

Experience

  • Minimum of eight (8) years of experience in planning, environmental, transportation, and/or socioeconomics (or Bachelor’s degree and ten (10) years general planning experience)

Associate Planner

Associate Planner

 

All Offices – Hybrid or Remote Work Options

 
 

Position Purpose

Associate Planners must think analytically about the best way to use and develop urban resources, maintain the health of communities, and work to protect the environment from serious hazards. This position is characterized by increasingly specialized knowledge of the planning field and a more elevated level of required duties and responsibilities compared with the Planning Assistant. The Associate Planner is expected to possess in-depth knowledge within one or more planning specialties such as economic development, comprehensive planning, or environmental planning. This position is a professional position with responsibility for compiling and interpreting complex data, then utilizing the information to prepare technical documents including General Plans and Specific Plans. An Associate Planner is a team member who works with direction from his/her supervisor and expresses a higher level of independence than an Assistant Planner by performing more complex tasks with less direct oversight.

What You'll Do

  • Gather, compile, and analyze data on economic, social, and physical factors affecting land use 
  • Research local and county ordinances, regional and state regulations, and transportation studies 
  • Assist in developing recommendations affecting land use, environmental, public utilities, community facilities, housing, and transportation to control and guide the development 
  • Assist in preparing, coordinating, and facilitating public involvement and consensus-building meetings and workshops 
  • Visit field sites to gather facts and data, and conduct investigations 
  • Review reports, data, and/or entitlement applications completed by other staff 
  • Prepare technical memoranda, meeting minutes, transmittals, presentations, and other written materials 
  • Compile, analyze, and prepare data and other materials for proposals and proposal presentations 
  • Assist in preparing noise, air modeling, land use, and socio-economic studies 
  • Conduct and oversee research and documentation in support of NEPA and CEQA document preparation, and technical planning studies 
  • Perform environmental analysis and coordinate permitting and other issues with agencies 
  • Perform various planning tasks which may require interpretation or coordination of complex components (i.e., policy interpretation, habitat restoration, client specifications, etc.) 
  • Develop recommendations affecting environmental issues associated with land use 
  • Provide input and creative solutions to assist in solving those issues that may conflict with the client’s initial project plans 
  • Provide input on EIRs, EAs, and other technical documents 
  • Interpret, compose, and review Categorical Exclusions, EAs, EIRs, and other documents 
  • Draft maps, utilizing GIS, in support of NEPA and CEQA documents 
  • Assist in teaching junior staff 
  • Other duties as assigned or as needed in order to successfully complete project deliverables or meet internal goals

Experience

  • Two (2) to five (5) years of experience in planning, transportation, and/or socioeconomics (or MA/MS plus two (2) years’ experience)