What: CMAP seeks Assistants to be part of a large department and provide technical and professional support of CMAP’s long-range comprehensive regional planning, the Local Technical Assistance (LTA) program, and research, data analysis, and mapping work to contribute to the agency’s long-range and local planning efforts. Planning projects may include comprehensive plans, corridor or subarea plans, zoning revisions, studies of special topics such as housing or economic development, and similar planning activities. Research and Analysis projects may include GIS mapping, data processing, quantitative spatial analyses, and the development and documentation of new business intelligence tools and products, and methodologies for quantitative analysis.
Assistants are primarily expected to perform technical work researching, analyzing and writing technical planning documents and supporting public planning projects and initiatives, and related work. Assistants may also be asked to contribute to other CMAP activities, including but not limited to the implementation of ON TO 2050, as well as the agency’s general activities in policy, programming, and planning. Work is typically performed under the close supervision of a Planning Principal. This position requires travel throughout the region and candidates must have the ability and willingness to work with communities across the region. Essential functions include:
- Completes assigned tasks and projects; and manages workload and schedule to achieve desired outcomes and meet required deadlines.
- Effectively communicates with supervisors.
- Establishes and maintains positive relations with coworkers, and when applicable with external partners, stakeholders, and communities.
- Attends internal department meetings and internal and external committee meetings, outreach events, and workshops as assigned.
- Participates on project teams, helping to achieve desired outcomes.
- Conducts analyses and investigations and assists on reports, maps and graphics to effectively convey the findings.
- Assists with research, data collection and analysis, data mapping, graphics, and written plan content to planning projects, and completes other project related tasks.
- Completes other assigned duties as required.
- Assists with research, analysis, and writes content for reports regarding new policy directions and/or recommendations for transportation investments, land use regulations, and other government actions that affect CMAP's regional planning work.
- Completes other work plan items as assigned, such as research and development of new planning topics and approaches, plan implementation, or local capacity building.
- Assists with public outreach for projects including coordinating, planning, and participate in facilitating meetings with external partners, stakeholders, and the general public; responsibilities may include preparing agendas, meeting notices, meeting notes, and / or minutes and correspondence.
- Assists with processing tasks with large urban datasets, develops innovative G.I.S. scripting & analytical solutions, and performs other complex research and data analysis work to inform local planning decisions.
- Assists with work to automate the production of data tables, maps, graphs, and other business intelligence products.
- Assists with mapping and analysis tasks using ESRI GIS software or comparable, such as QGIS.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
- Demonstrated ability to contribute to complex projects and work as part of a team is required.
- Thorough skills in the use of personal computers, the internet, associated apps and software packages, hardware, and peripheral equipment.
- Some skills in utilizing spreadsheets, database tools, and geographic information systems (GIS).
- Ability to prepare technical information and to effectively communicate that information clearly to external and internal audiences orally, in writing, and in presentations.
- Some knowledge of urban and/or regional planning practice and an understanding of environmental, social, land use, and transportation considerations in planning.
- Some skills in principles of research, data collection and analysis, and technical writing.
- Some ability to document research, work collection, and processes.
- Some ability to read and understand complex plans and drawings.
- Ability to prepare technical information and to effectively communicate that information clearly to external and internal audiences orally, in writing, and in presentations.
- Some ability to analyze and systematically compile technical information and to prepare technical reports.
- Ability to assist with public outreach for projects including coordinating, planning, and participate in facilitating meetings with external partners, stakeholders, and the general public; responsibilities may include preparing agendas, meeting notices, meeting notes, and / or minutes and correspondence.
- Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with community or civic leaders, public sector officials and staff, partner agencies and organizations, and the general public.
- Some knowledge of urban and/or regional planning practice and an understanding of environmental, social, land use, and transportation considerations in planning.
- Some ability to read and understand complex plans and drawings.
- Some ability to perform mapping and analytical tasks using ESRI GIS, QGIS, or comparable software package.
- Some ability to perform data processing or analytical tasks using Python, R, SQL, and/or other scripting tools.
- General skills in principles of research, data collection and analysis, and technical writing.
- General ability to document research, work collection, and processes.
- General ability to analyze and systematically compile technical information and to prepare technical reports.
- General skills in working with large urban datasets, development of innovative GIS analytical solutions, and other complex research and data analysis work.
Qualified candidates should apply online at https://cmap.hyrell.com to be considered. Posting closes September 29, 2018. Find the job posting online here.