Associate Planner - Market Analysis Specialist
Local Technical Assistance Program
Associate Planner – Market Analysis Specialist (MAS2015)
Company/Agency: Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning
Job Category: Associate Planner
Experience Required: 3 to 5 years
Salary Range: $54,000 to $62,000
The Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) is seeking to hire a full-time employee to help implement the Local Technical Assistance (LTA) program, with a specialty in market analysis and economic development. This position will be filled at the Associate level. Compensation will be commensurate with qualifications and experience.
Qualifications and Skills
CMAP will recruit a planner at the Associate level with the knowledge, experience, and skills to assist in the implementation of local technical assistance projects, focusing on the intersection between transportation, land use, and economic development. This position will specifically focus on ensuring that the recommendations contained in LTA plans are market-feasible and promote long-term local and regional prosperity.
General qualifications and skills for the position include:
- Knowledge of local planning practice in northeastern Illinois, including plan and ordinance preparation, development review, and the role of appointed and elected officials.
- Understanding of the links between transportation, land use, housing, economic development, taxation, environment and natural resources, and community development.
- Ability to provide technical assistance, conduct trainings and workshops, and develop innovative, collaborative solutions to build local capacity.
- Experience working with elected officials and local government staff in designing and implementing policies, strategies, and regulatory approaches that support sustainability and address socioeconomic inequities.
- Excellent written and oral communication skills.
- Interest and ability to interact with partner agencies, local governments, and the general public.
- Ability to manage and contribute to complex projects and to work as part of a multi-disciplinary team.
Beyond these general qualifications, candidates should demonstrate experience and interest in economic development and market analysis. Specific qualifications and skills include:
- Enthusiasm for developing solutions for reinvestment in challenging sites and communities, and creativity in assessing options to do so.
- Experience conducting market analysis or otherwise assessing the market feasibility of projects across a range of communities and development types (i.e. residential, commercial, office, industrial, institutional). Specifically, experience in assessing market potential for hard-to-develop sites in disinvested or struggling communities is desired.
- Ability to communicate both positive and negative market analysis findings in a clear and useful manner.
- Experience with real estate development and knowledge of the real estate development process.
- Relationships with, or at least knowledge of, significant partner organizations active in redevelopment in the Chicago region.
- Understanding of how transportation investment, land use regulation, and other government actions affect redevelopment potential.
- Substantive experience with relevant data sources, such as CoStar, ESRI Business Analyst, Dun and Bradstreet, and similar sources.
- Experience in communicating quantitative analyses in an accessible format, and in connecting market findings to the planning process. Also, experience in gauging market potential through more qualitative means, such as interviews with local brokers and developers.
Education and/or Experience
A Bachelor’s degree in Planning or a related discipline is required, and a Master’s degree is preferred. At least 2 to 5 years of work experience in planning is required for the Associate level. Past experience in market analysis or real estate development is particularly desirable.
Contact Information
Send resume, cover letter, and contact information with Job Code: MAS2015
Email: hresources@cmap.illinois.gov
Mail: Human Resources
Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning
233 S. Wacker Drive, Suite 800
Chicago, IL 60606
Emailed resumes will receive an auto receipt. Position open until filled. The Chicago
Metropolitan Agency for Planning is an Equal Opportunity Employer.