CMAP Associate Policy Analyst – Land Use and Housing

Associate Policy Analyst – Land Use and Housing (PALH017)

Company/Agency: Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning
Job Category: Associate
Experience Required: 2 - 5 years
Minimum Starting Salary: $52,500

The Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) is seeking to hire an Associate
Policy Analyst for the Policy Development Division. The primary focus will be Land Use and Housing. CMAP is the official regional planning organization for the northeastern Illinois counties of Cook, DuPage, Kane, Kendall, Lake, McHenry, and Will. CMAP developed and now leads the implementation of GO TO 2040, metropolitan Chicago's first comprehensive regional plan in more than 100 years. To address anticipated population growth of more than 2 million new residents, GO TO 2040 establishes coordinated strategies that help the region’s 284 communities address transportation, housing, economic development, open space, the environment, and other quality-of-life issues. See www.cmap.illinois.gov for more information.

Position Description
The Associate Policy Analyst will collect, manage, and analyze various data sources related to land use and development trends in northeastern Illinois. This position will also focus on analyzing the supply and demand of housing in northeastern Illinois, and develop compelling and persuasive analyses and reports which further the regional, state, and national dialogue on “jobs/housing balance” and strategies toward improving the transportation accessibility to employment and affordable housing for residents of metropolitan Chicago. This position will optimize the use of existing agency data resources, primarily data on land use and development, and conduct new analytic work which will move these resources from the collection stage to broad dissemination with an emphasis on impacting public policy. This position will also serve as the agency lead on issues of environmental justice and produce analysis on this issue. This position will coordinate with the work of other agency partners on issues of land use, development, and housing.

Essential Functions:
• Conduct analysis using agency data sources and other sources on regional land use
and development trends, including residential, commercial, industrial, and
agricultural development.
• Lead agency research efforts related to housing, land use, and development issues.
• Produce issue briefs and reports related to land use, housing, and community
development.
• Actively disseminate agency work products with the goal of impacting public policy.
• Conduct in depth analyses on fiscal and development impacts of local decisions, and
enhance agency capacity to analyze these types of questions.
• Enhance the agency’s capacity to analyze and forecast public finances related to
housing and community development.
• Monitor and evaluate regional, state, and national policies and initiatives that relate
to housing and community development issues.
• Coordinate with other regional organizations and lead regional responses, when
appropriate, to federal or state grant announcements.
• Attend relevant CMAP committees and participate in regional groups on these
issues as they affect metropolitan Chicago.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
• Excellent writing skills and the ability to communicate effectively on issues of public
policy and planning.
• Excellent data management skills and the ability to manipulate and analyze large
data sources in spreadsheets and databases.
• Demonstrated ability to lead complex research projects and produce reports and
issue briefs that are factual, original, compelling and persuasive.
• Direct and recent experience utilizing geographical information systems (GIS)
applications to analyze data and produce findings.
• Familiarity with statistical analysis, including multivariate analysis.
• Experience analyzing issues of land use, housing and community development
including fiscal and development impacts.
• Experience in and understanding of the residential and commercial real estate field.
• An ability to apply microeconomic theory and empirical evidence toward practical
purposes, and a demonstrated interest in the complex connections between
transportation, development, and the metropolitan economy.
• Familiarity with the governance structure of northeastern Illinois.

Education and/or Experience:
A Master’s degree in Public Policy, Planning, Public Administration, Economics, Real Estate or a closely related field is required. 3-5 years of direct work experience on closely relevant topics is required. Direct work experience in the residential or commercial real estate sector is preferred.

Contact Information
Send your resume, cover letter with contact information and Job Code (PALH017)
Email:
hresources@cmap.illinois.gov
Mail:
Human Resources
CMAP: Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning
233 S. Wacker Drive, Suite 800
Chicago, IL 60606
Emailed resumes will receive an auto receipt. We do not send receipts for mailed resumes.
Position open until filled. The Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning is an Equal
Opportunity Employer.