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)
