Urban Planning Project Manager

Job Description

If you’re seeking an exciting opportunity to advance the practice of urban planning  in a way that allows you to consistently provide innovative and sustainable solutions to communities, work side-by-side with a team of the brightest minds in the industry and know that you’re part of a team that strives to make the world a better place, Freese and Nichols is where you should be. Our multidisciplinary group and firm overall support growth of this position with creative urban planners/ designers, expert engineers, skilled GIS analysts, talented transportation planners, landscape architects, and hazard mitigation experts.

Located within the Urban Planning and Design Group, this new planning manager position will focus on leading planning projects in our growing Southeast region, mentoring and developing staff, and building client relationships. The ideal candidate is not only passionate about long-range planning for communities, but is also excited to thoughtfully engage the public, incorporate systems-thinking into comprehensive plans, downtown plans, small area plans, codes and ordinances, and a wide variety of other plans and projects reaching across multiple design disciplines. This is a great opportunity to help strengthen an established national planning practice in the Southeast United States.

Responsibilities/Accountabilities

• Work in a collaborative environment as part of a multi-discipline team.
• Demonstrate ability to produce and QC well-written reports and highly visual documents.
• Manage personal timeliness and technical correctness of a project to ensure high-quality work that fits within a client’s budget and expectations.
• Be willing to travel as needed to meet project commitments, including overnight travel and evening client meeting obligations.
• Direct and facilitate public involvement and consensus-building meetings and workshops.
• Assist the group manager and team managers with related marketing and client development for planning assignments and help support/identify strategic direction to advance urban planning practices.
• Represent the company at conferences, seminars, meetings; make presentations to clients, government officials, and industry representatives.
• Serve as project manager and technical director on projects including Comprehensive Plans, Codes and Ordinances, and Downtown Plans. Plan, schedule, conduct and coordinate detailed phases of planning work.
• Support other types of plans and projects beyond planning-related plans such as resiliency, policy, transportation, and parks as needed based on workload.
• Draft proposals and statements of qualification within the directives of company policy relating to marketing.
• Supervise technicians and other planners when performing project tasks.
• Maintain liaisons with individuals inside and outside of the company.
• Develop relationships with identified key clients. 
• Conduct client-facing interactions to include identifying and pursuing desired projects. 

• 10+ years of urban planning-related work experience
• American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) certification
• Bachelor’s degree in Urban Planning, Architecture, Landscape Architecture, or a related field to planning is required.
• Proficiency in the Microsoft Office Suite and Adobe Creative Suite. Knowledge in GIS and engagement tools.
• This position requires experience in cross-sector planning (community and economic development, resilience, etc.), project management of multiple and complex projects, facilitation and engagement, project and scope development, GIS and other skills necessary to be successful in a government-client focused, high-paced firm.
• Client relationships in the Southeast United States or other related regions.

Preferred Skills and Qualifications

• Involvement in professional organizations such as the American Planning Association (APA), Urban Land Institute (ULI), and other client-rich organizations.
• Spanish language fluency (written and spoken)
• Background with local government or consulting serving municipalities/ counties.

At the heart of our culture is our LEADS values (Learn continuously, Engage as family, Act with integrity, Deliver quality, and Serve always).  Each year, our employee engagement survey confirms that our leaders and our employees live our values.

We strive to be the firm of choice for clients and employees through innovative approaches, practical results, and outstanding service.  For more than 130 years, we have been planning and designing the infrastructure our communities need:  developing water supplies, designing roadways and bridges, preparing for natural disasters, and much more.

Besides our comprehensive benefits package (see more at https://www.freese.com/services/benefits-that-work/), we offer paid overtime for salaried employees, an annual bonus, and access to company cabins in Red River, New Mexico.  We are proud of our flexible work environment which includes a hybrid schedule with up to 40% of remote work, and an alternative work schedule program which provides a day off every other Friday.

Join our team of 1,300+ employees as we grow from Virginia to Colorado. Learn more about working here at https://www.freese.com/careers/.

Freese and Nichols is firmly committed to Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and prohibits employment discrimination for employees and applicants based upon race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, pregnancy, genetic information, disability, status as a protected veteran, or any other protected category under applicable federal, state, and local laws.