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)
