Planner II/Senior Planner - Town of Chapel Hill, NC

Who: Town of Chapel Hill, North Carolina

What: The purpose of this position is to support department planning activities, including development plan review, advisory board staffing, research, project management, and community engagement. Essential functions include:

• Development Plan Review: Conducts development plan review using Town of Chapel Hill development standards; works with staff from other Town departments and organizations as part of Technical Review Team. 
• Staff Support: Provides staff support to Town Advisory Boards, committees, and the Town Council. 
• Project Management: Manages and oversees implementation of various planning related projects according to departmental work plan and with limited supervision. 
• Data Research and Analysis: Gathers complex planning-related data and prepares analysis for staff review as directed by supervisor. 
• Report Preparation and Presentation: Evaluates data and prepares plans and reports for distribution and presentation to the Council, Advisory Boards, Town departments, and the general public. 
• Customer Service and Community Outreach: Provides planning information as needed to community stakeholders, development applicants, and others; engages community stakeholders and the general public in planning initiatives to share information and solicit input. 
• Performs other related duties as required, including review and analysis of development applications, providing assistance during the development review process, and supporting the administration and implementation of federal/state grants. 

Qualifications:

Project Associate: Urban Planning & Design - MIG (CA offices)

Who: MIG, Inc. is a national planning, design, management, communications, and technology firm with 275 employees in 15 U.S. offices. We are looking for dynamic urban planners and designers to join our Berkeley, Sacramento, and San Diego offices.

What: The Project Associate will work on general plans, specific plans, downtown plans, campus master plans, and streetscape design. This position will assist with plan analyses and reports; mapping, visualization, and graphics production; community engagement; and other efforts for public and private sector clients.
For consideration, we ask that you have an education and professional background in urban planning or urban design and foremost, a passion to work with a creative, driven team dedicated to creating great places.
This is a full-time position. Some evening and weekend work will be required for community engagement efforts and deadline-driven work.

Qualifications:

Fellowship, Center for Universal Education & Center for Transformative Placemaking - The Brookings Institution

Who: The Global Economy and Development Program and the Metropolitan Policy Program at The Brookings Institution (Brookings) are collaborating on a joint venture and currently accepting applications for a Fellow position within the Center for Universal Education (CUE) and Bass Center for Transformative Placemaking.

What: The successful candidate will be a scholar with deep experience in public policy and scaling strategies. Candidates should have a particular interest in urban policy, including family-friendly cities and inclusive growth. Candidates should have expertise in primary and secondary research, policy guidance and advising, building partnerships with external organizations, working collaboratively across disciplines and with multiple stakeholders.

The candidate will oversee the Playful Learning Landscapes project, including developing strategic directions, implementing activities, and growing the portfolio. Playful Learning Landscapes is an initiative that brings together the research, practice, and policy of two fields: the learning sciences and placemaking. The goal is to leverage the learning sciences in urban policy to help improve child and community outcomes.

The candidate will be expected to spend time developing and managing new partnerships, engaging with policy makers and other partners, and representing the project and its work in other external venues. The candidate will also be expected to produce regular research products on timely urban policy issues related to improving children’s learning, community revitalization and engagement, and long-term economic inclusion.

Qualifications:

Senior Data Scientist - Cook County Assessor

Who: The Assessor's Office is responsible for setting fair and accurate values for 1.8 million parcels of Cook County property. The value of these properties is not determined on an individual basis, but rather by a mass appraisal system. The mass appraisal system is a way to put fairness into the entire assessment process. In addition to working with other government agencies to stimulate economic development, job creation and the construction of affordable housing, we also seek to help county residents better understand the assessment process and take advantage of money-saving exemptions the office provides.

What: Reporting directly to the Deputy Assessor - Chief Data Officer (CDO), the Senior Data Scientist is responsible for advanced mathematical and statistical concepts and theories to analyze and collect data and construct solutions to problems in assessment methodologies for residential real estate. Performs complex statistical analysis on assessment data of residential real estate to validate and quantify trends or patterns identified by junior data scientists and modelers. The Senior Data Scientist constructs predictive models, algorithms and probability engines to support data analysis; verifies model and algorithm effectiveness based on real-world results. Designs experiments and methodologies to generate and collect data for use in the valuation and assessment processes. The Senior Data Scientist participates in the policy-making process by producing data-informed policy recommendations and prescriptive analytics. The Senior Data Scientist supervises and manages the workflow of direct reports, identifies and resolves issues or bugs with processes and scripts, identifies opportunities to improve processes and scripts, identifies potential new sources of low-cost data, and otherwise supports the CDO, as needed.
Essential duties include:

Housing Program Officer - Steans Family Foundation (Chicago)

Who: The Steans Family Foundation (SFF) was launched in 1986 to significantly improve the life outcomes of children whose parents do not earn a living wage. The Foundation’s first philanthropic investment was to a class of sixth graders through the “I Have A Dream Program”. SFF provided holistic support to ensure students successfully matriculated to high school, enrolled in college and graduated, or successfully entered the world of work. In 1996, SFF began to focus on the revitalization of vulnerable communities and made a strategic decision to concentrate its grantmaking in North Lawndale, located on the west side of Chicago. In 2016, the SFF expanded its reach to North Chicago, an urban community located north of Chicago in Lake County. The Steans Family Foundation recognizes that effective neighborhood revitalization efforts must come from and be sustained by community leaders and uses this guiding principle to build capacity in partnering with communities.

What: SFF seeks a full-time Program Officer to work with community partners and leaders, public officials, residents, funders and other stakeholders to create, implement and document community-led strategic efforts and further SFF’s inclusive housing investment goals.

Specifically, the Program Officer has responsibility for developing and implementing a new programmatic strategy focused on housing for North Lawndale. This work involves formulating community-specific housing priorities, investment strategies and policy alternatives that drive social change and promote neighborhood transformation while preserving the unique cultural heritage of North Lawndale. The strategy will center on assessing and identifying a range of high quality affordable housing needs and development opportunities.
Responsibilities include:

GIS I Instructor - Northeastern Illinois University (Chicago)

Who: Northeastern Illinois University (Chicago, Illinois) - Department of Geography and Environmental Studies (G&ES)

What: G&ES at NEIU is looking for a GIS instructor to teach an introductory course GES 391 - GIS I. GES 391 serves as a core course for the Geography undergraduate major and MA program, a very popular elective for Environmental Studies majors, and a required course for the undergraduate and graduate GIS Certificate Programs. It introduces the fundamental GIS concepts and techniques, including GIS data and attributes, joins and relates, projection and coordinate systems, data acquisition, digitizing, geocoding, and thematic mapping.
Catalog description: This course is an introduction to Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology for research applications. Students will study the conceptual and technical process of GIS research including project design, data acquisition, data manipulation, analysis, interpretation and display. The course is approved for graduate credit.

Qualifications:

Director of Public Policy - Greater Chicago Food Depository

Who: The Greater Chicago Food Depository is Chicago’s food bank. We provide food for hungry people while striving to end hunger in our community. We do this in partnership with 700 agencies and programs including pantries, soup kitchens, shelters and responses for children, older adults and veterans. This network distributes food where it is needed most throughout Cook County.

What: The Director of Public Policy serves as part of the Community Impact leadership team, leading the organization's strategies to leverage policy change to end hunger. The Director serves as an expert on legislative policy related to food insecurity, public benefits, healthcare, and other anti-poverty issues significantly impacting individual and families with low incomes.

The Director identifies policy legislative and administration opportunities through written proposals that build a case for advancement. Additionally, the Director supports the development of strategic communication campaigns designed to mobilize coalition partners. Annually, directs the process to develop the policy agenda for approval by the CEO and the Board of Directors. Leads the charge to expand benefits outreach services by creating new collaborations to connect clients to additional public benefits and support. Leads a staff working on policy, advocacy, and benefits outreach. Success requires collaboration with a diverse array of internal and external stakeholders.
Key responsibilities include:

Economic Development Program Manager - Community Design Collaborative (Philadelphia)

Who: The Community Design Collaborative strengthens neighborhoods through design. The Collaborative provides pro bono preliminary design services to nonprofits in greater Philadelphia, creates engaging volunteer opportunities for design professionals, and raises awareness about the importance of design in revitalizing communities. Since 1991, the Collaborative has matched nonprofits with skilled volunteers to engage their communities, put their visions down on paper, and advance to the next stage: gaining support, raising funds, and building projects.

What: The Community Design Collaborative is currently seeking an Economic Development Program Manager to coordinate technical assistance to support the revitalization of neighborhood commercial corridors in the City of Philadelphia. The Program Manager provides expertise on site specific projects, manages community engaged design process, serves on a design review committee, and organizes workshops and educational programs to support commercial corridor managers and businesses. Early design assistance informs high-impact, strategic investments for community organizations, utilizing their limited resources effectively and making positive contributions to the surrounding business district. The Program Manager is a contract-funded position through the City of Philadelphia Commerce Department.
Working closely with the Director of Design Services, the Program Manager will manage and deliver effective economic development programs, as described below:

Principal Policy Associate: Innovation for Inclusion - The Urban Institute (DC)

Who: At the nonprofit Urban Institute, we believe in the power of evidence to improve lives and strengthen communities. Our employees are empowered to open minds, shape decisions and offer solutions. We encourage intellectual honesty, innovation, diversity, and mutual respect, and our analysis elevates the debate, wherever it takes place.

Urban’s greatest asset is our people. We strive to attract and cultivate a vibrant, creative, and diverse community. Our employees drive Urban’s mission through entrepreneurship, innovation, leadership, effective communication, results-orientation, and relationship cultivation. Our success depends on engaging individuals who possess and value these attributes.

Within the Urban Institute, the Research to Action Lab (The Lab) is an innovation hub serving decision makers and creative thinkers eager to effect social change. We draw on the breadth and depth of Urban’s research insights to test new strategies and develop cutting-edge tools, programs, and trainings, as well as to provide strategic and philanthropic advice to public, nonprofit, and private sector leaders. The Lab is currently seeking a dynamic and highly motivated principal policy associate to serve in a leading role in an initiative that fills knowledge gaps on how a range of “smart” technologies affect historically excluded populations. The initiative will also identify and support best practices for incorporating equity into local technology policy and planning.

What: The Principal Policy Associate will serve as the managing director for an initiative to explore ways that the private sector and local leaders can harness technology and innovation to advance mobility, equity, and inclusion in cities. This expert will be responsible for leading research and policy projects that inform such efforts in the public and private sectors, managing relationships with funders and external partners, and conceptualizing and developing new bodies of work pertaining to technology, equity, and inclusion. The principal policy associate will work closely with the Urban Institute’s chief innovation officer and research and policy leaders from across Urban research centers, and our data and technology and communications teams. Responsibilities:

Development Planner - Village of Downers Grove

Who: Village of Downers Grove, Community Development Department

What: The position would assist the Community Development Department in planning and implementing the Village’s Comprehensive Plan and ordinances with regard to land use and development and provide technical expertise to staff and Village regulatory boards, including the Plan Commission, Zoning Board of Appeals and Architectural Design Review Board.
Major responsibilities include:

• Evaluating development proposals and petitions as they relate to the Village’s Comprehensive Plan, Zoning Ordinance and Subdivision Ordinance; 
• Conducting research and analysis to prepare recommendations and completing written reviews and reports on current development proposals and petitions; 
• Presenting reports to the Plan Commission, Zoning Board of Appeals and Architectural Design Review Board; 
• Case management including the coordination with various Village departments, external agencies, petitioners, and the public; and 
• Completing permit reviews on residential and commercial applications to ensure zoning ordinance compliance. 

Economic & Statistical Analyst - Fairfax County, VA

Who: Fairfax County, Office of Management & Budget

What: The Analyst serves as an advanced technical specialist and expert for demographic, economic and statistical research. Conducts research and analyses to support countywide need for land use, demographic, social and economic information. Manages and conducts all aspects of research and analyses processes to include problem definition; research design; primary and secondary data collection; data analysis; and report writing. Develops, utilizes, updates and documents complex computerized models, databases, methodologies and statistical tools for obtaining, analyzing and creating land use, demographic, social and economic information and forecasts. Utilizes advanced software such as SAS, R, ArcGIS, SQL and Microsoft Power BI to conduct spatial and statistical analyses and to summarize information. Considers the uses and potential uses by multiple clients to determine the appropriate information needed as well as the appropriate formats for disseminating data (e.g., reports, statistical tables, graphics, maps, Internet products, and databases). Designs and develops materials and approaches for disseminating conclusions and products to decision-makers, planners and the public. Designs, creates and updates web pages. Serves as trainer/mentor to build technical research and analysis capacity in others. As part of the selection process, candidates may be asked to complete written exercises and provide work samples.

Project Manager (2 positions) - Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation (San Francisco)

Who: Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation (TNDC) provides affordable housing and services for low-income people in the Tenderloin and throughout San Francisco, to promote equitable access to opportunity and resources. In the Tenderloin, TNDC stands as a catalyst for advancing community interests and a force for expanding the choices that enhance livability, such as housing, employment, education, food, cultural activities, and open spaces. TNDC values are: Integrity, Excellence, Diversity, Collaboration and Equity.

What: TNDC is hiring a Senior and an Assistant Project Manager. Both positions are outlined below:
The Senior Project Manager coordinates and implements all activities relating to project development from feasibility analysis through completion of construction. Essential responsibilities include:

Coordinator I, Electric Vehicle Infrastructure - Center for Sustainable Energy (San Diego)

Who: Center for Sustainable Energy (CSE) is an independent, mission-driven nonprofit organization with offices in San Diego, Oakland, Los Angeles and Boston. We accelerate the adoption of clean and efficient energy solutions via program administration, technical assistance, policy innovation, and other forms of market facilitation. We are uniquely positioned and engaged with a variety of stakeholders and market actors, including policy-makers, state and federal agencies, regional and local governments, utilities, business and civic leaders, and individuals in both the general market and equity sectors. Our technical areas of focus include distributed energy resources (renewable energy, energy efficiency, energy storage, fuel cells, combined heat and power) and clean transportation.

What: The Coordinator is key member of the Electric Vehicle Infrastructure team providing broad support on project activities and developing expertise related to the planning and deploying electric vehicle charging solutions. Under general supervision from the Senior Project Manager and EVI team staff, the Project Coordinator will assume responsibilities that include conducting research, developing regional planning documents, leading communications with clients and industry stakeholders, building awareness/education/adoption of EVs and EV infrastructure nationwide.
Essential responsibilities include:

Planning Director - Friends of the Chicago River

Who: Since 1979, Friends of the Chicago River has been working to improve the health of the Chicago River system for the benefit of people, plants and animals; and by doing so, has laid the foundation for the river to be a beautiful, continuous, and easily accessible corridor of open space in the Chicago region.

What: Friends of the Chicago River seeks a planning director to advance our mission to improve and protect the Chicago River system and help realize our vision of the river as a 156 mile blue/green corridor of healthy accessible open space that supports and connects people and wildlife. A key member of the leadership team, the planning director will be conservation minded with an advanced degree in urban planning, or a related field, and have demonstrated experience communicating with a diverse audience of partners, stakeholders, and government agencies. As the only organization exclusively dedicated to improving the Chicago River, Friends seeks an individual who has experience with and is committed to the environment and views the river as an important part of the history, culture, and future of the Chicago region.
Key responsibilities include:

Research Assistant (Economics, Justice and Society) - NORC at the U. of Chicago

Who: NORC at the University of Chicago is an objective, non-partisan research institution that delivers reliable data and rigorous analysis to guide critical programmatic, business, and policy decisions. Since 1941, NORC has conducted groundbreaking studies, created and applied innovative methods and tools, and advanced principles of scientific integrity and collaboration. Today, government, corporate, and nonprofit clients around the world partner with NORC to transform increasingly complex information into useful knowledge.

The Economics, Justice and Society (EJS) Department focuses on a broad range of topics relating to critical economic and social issues. We are home to many of NORC’s largest and longest-running surveys, and we also engage in policy analysis and evaluation research relating to social programs and issues, the economy and the labor force, transportation and traffic safety, and crime and law enforcement. We work with a diverse set of clients and partners, including policy-makers and data users in national, state and local governments, academia, and the press.

What: The Research Assistant’s responsibilities include:

Land Use Staff Planner - JSD Professional Services (Madison, WI)

Who: JSD Professional Services employs professional engineers, stormwater management and water quality professionals, planners, landscape architects, land surveyors, construction managers, technicians, and support personnel. Our qualified staff enables us to provide complete services in planning & development, civil engineering, transportation engineering, municipal engineering, structural engineering, water resources, landscape architecture, construction services, surveying & mapping, and ecological/environmental services.

What: JSD is seeking a highly motivated individual to perform work tied to a broad spectrum of land use and development projects, including plats, concept plans, lot layouts, neighborhood / regional plans, master planning, entitlements, research and zoning.

The person employed in this position is expected to provide professional services either as part of a collaborative design team led by a project manager or directly to public and private sector clients as directed and supervised by the Senior Planner. Work assignments will be broad and diverse in nature and the Staff Planner should expect to be engaged in a variety of activities including but not limited to the following:

Project Manager - National Equity Fund

Who: The National Equity Fund, Inc. (NEF), a leading syndicator of low-income housing tax credits, is seeking a Project Manager for our Chicago office.

What: The primary function of this position is to manage and coordinate due diligence and underwriting process for tax credit equity investments in affordable housing opportunities. The essential duties and responsibilities will include:

• upon securing a project, coordinate project meeting with developer including all entities involved, 
• lead role in arranging and reviewing third party market study and work with third party market analyst to obtain a finished product in accordance with company specifications, 
• prepare market write-up for investment proposal and recommend rent and income parameters for assigned deals based upon market study and due diligence, 
• prepare expense analysis for IP, coordinate with internal departments to evaluate proposed operating budget, 
• prepare the guarantor financial analysis for the IP and obtain guarantor due diligence and conduct initial guarantor and entity review, including online search, 
• review project due diligence and projections throughout closing process, with designated VP Project Management, monitor review of due diligence and completion of checklist, responsible for responding to investor questions, 
• provide assistance and support to internal staff as needed; relating to modification to deal structure post-closing, monitor construction and lease-up and assist in analyses at time of project conversion to perm loan and other duties as assigned.