Planner - City of Knoxville, Tennessee

Who: City of Knoxville, Tennessee

What: Knoxville-Knox County Planning is looking for a creative and dedicated planner to join our team. This is an entry-level position in the Planning Services Division. The division administers development regulations and processes applications for rezoning, use on review, subdivision, and sector plan amendments for the City of Knoxville and Knox County. The division also studies community growth patterns and prepares plans that guide agency policies. 

TYPICAL JOB DUTIES INCLUDE

• Provide support to the agency’s customer service counter.
• Review rezoning requests, subdivisions, right of way closure applications, and development plans.
• Prepare recommendations for the Planning Commission.
• Organize and conduct meetings for community participation. 
• Assist in the preparation of land use and community facilities plans, including sector plans, corridor studies, and ordinance amendments. 
• Provide assistance to other planning staff.

SKILLS WE ARE SEEKING

• Positive attitude.
• Creative thinking. 
• Strong commitment to public service and community involvement. 
• Ability to work as part of a team and across agency divisions. 
• Ability to build collaborative relationships with colleagues in multiple jurisdictions. 
• High level of personal accountability. 
• Excellent communication, both oral and written. 

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

• Master’s degree in urban planning or related field with one year of experience, or bachelor’s degree with four years of relevant experience. 

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Master’s degree in urban planning. 
• Membership in American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP). 

SALARY

• Salary is commensurate with experience, beginning at $42,000.

HOW TO APPLY

Send your resume and a cover letter to: 

Tina Piatt 

Knoxville-Knox County Planning 

Suite 403, 400 Main Street

Knoxville, TN 37902 

tina.piatt@knoxplanning.org

REVIEW OF RESUMES AND COVER LETTERS WILL BEGIN ON MONDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2020. THE POSITION IS OPEN UNTIL FILLED. 

Resumes submitted without a cover letter will not be reviewed. If you opt to submit application materials electronically (email, Indeed.com, Planetizen, or other digital portal), it is your responsibility to contact us to confirm that your materials were received.It is our policy to contact only those candidates selected for an interview. An offer of employment will be contingent on the candidate passing a background check before starting work. Visit Knoxville-Knox County Planning for more information about our agency. 

LIVING IN KNOXVILLE, TN

• Eclectic neighborhoods and communities
• Abundance of outdoor recreation opportunities
• Home of the University of Tennessee flagship campus
• Gateway to the Great Smoky Mountains
• Moderate climate

Special Advisor on Equity and Inclusion - Illinois Housing Development Authority

Who: Illinois Housing Development Authority

What: Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA), one of the Nation’s preeminent Housing Finance Agencies and one of the State’s ten largest financial institutions, is currently seeking a Special Advisor on Equity and Inclusion to build upon their 50+ year leadership in housing finance.

The position has been created to focus on driving change and positive outcomes by applying a racial equity lens to the work of IHDA. The position requires a passion for diversity, equity, and inclusion, an understanding of both societal and housing and real estate industry best practices related to DEI, and the ability to communicate these issues to all levels of employees in the organization. A key first step will be to develop a Racial Equity Plan for IHDA in conjunction with the executive and leadership teams, staff, and the Board. The incumbent will act as a change agent in coaching managers and the leadership team to help them successfully develop and implement their part of the plan. HR will be a key partner. Interaction and collaboration with other state agencies to improve processes such as procurement are also expected.

Responsibilities:

• Develop written strategies for the purpose of developing IHDA’s diversity and inclusion goals in the areas including, but not limited to, procurement, grant making/resource allocation, public policy, training, hiring, and next generation of developers. 
• Lead IHDA’s efforts on DEI, partnering closely with staff and the Board,
• Develop new programs and practices that effectively help IHDA to reach its goals. Create metrics and processes to measure and monitor company diversity, inclusion, and equity. 
• Partner with key leaders across the organization and assist HR to drive accountability and transparency around targeted improvements in diverse representation. 
• Research and advise on diversity, inclusion, and equity issues; be a thought leader on all aspects of DEI bringing new and innovative ideas and best practices to IHDA. Help create and facilitate training programs around these values. 
• Provide support to various groups within IHDA; serve as a coach, guide, advisor, and mentor to committees and leadership teams.
  

Requirements:  

• Bachelor’s degree required. Relevant background might include, but is not limited to counseling, psychology, social work, human resources, business, liberal arts, or organizational development. Master’s degree preferred. Minimum of 5 years’ experience in diversity and inclusion programs required. Some understanding of affordable housing and government agency work preferred.
• Experience leading organizational-wide initiatives. Experience driving change defined by metrics. Strong presentation, coaching, and collaboration skills. Experience with designing, implementing measuring, and training on diversity programs and outcomes. Confidence in addressing and working with sensitive diversity issues. Experience with effectively relating to various levels of staff and establishing constructive internal and external relationships. Strong business acumen and communication skills to partner, consult, influence and build relationships.
  

Excellent benefits package, including 401 (k); immediate vesting.

Associate Urban Planner (Multiple Openings) - Chicago

Who: Houseal Lavigne Associates, LLC, Chicago, IL  60601

What: Provide both technical and innovative solutions, to develop comprehensive plans and programs for the use of land and physical facilities. Performing research, drafting text, summarizing process and project components. Designing and promoting plans affecting land use, zoning, public utilities, community facilities, housing or transportation. Performing analysis, developing planning recommendations and concepts. Developing maps and graphics. Assessing the feasibility of land use proposals and identifying necessary changes. Identifying opportunities or development plans for sustainability projects or programs to improve energy efficiency, minimize pollution or waste, or restore population density. Reviewing and evaluating environmental impact reports pertaining to private or public planning projects or programs; and developing plans for public or alternative transportation systems for urban or regional locations to reduce carbon output associates with transportation. 

Location:  188 W. Randolph St., Ste. 200, Chicago, IL 60601

 

Minimum Qualifications:  
Education: Bachelor* – Urban Planning/Design; will accept equivalent foreign degree.

Experience: Two* (2) years in the position above, as an Urban Planner/Designer, or in a related urban planning/design role.

Education and/or experience must include:

1. Defining and successfully completing complex GIS projects, including applying ArcGIS Desktop concepts to establish workflows, processes, and perform troubleshooting.

2. Preparing site plans, including translating sketches and sketch concepts into 2D site plans, preparing base maps for use in CAD software, and performing site layouts and details, including siting existing and proposed buildings and programming elements and details, such as parking lots, driveways, maintenance drives, service shelters, detention ponds, and landscaping.

3. Preparing 3D urban plans working with CityEngine, ArcGIS Pro, SketchUp, or AutoCAD.

4. Gaming or rendering engines, including building virtual reality environments to visualize urban design concepts and design scenarios developed in ArcGIS Pro, SketchUp, or AutoCAD.

5. Website design and development, including the use of ArcGIS Online to share web maps, GIS data, to assist municipalities in creating ArcGIS Hub websites and Esri Storymaps.

*Will accept Master’s degree in Urban Planning/Design in lieu of experience; will also accept any fully equivalent combination of relevant education, training, and/or experience.

 

Employer Contact:
Devin Lavigne

Houseal Lavigne Associates, LLC

188 W. Randolph St., Ste. 200

Chicago, IL  60601

Director of Homelessness Prevention, Policy and Planning - City of Chicago

Who: City of Chicago

What: Under direction, functions as a senior manager in directing the implementation and execution of the Department of Family and Support Services' comprehensive Plan to End Homelessness, and performs related duties as required

Essential Duties

• Directly supervises a work unit engaged in overseeing individual components of the Plan to End Homelessness, ensuring that the plan's strategic policies are effectively implemented and its objectives in reducing and preventing homelessness are met. This work unit is also charged with RFP development,establishing contract documents and performance improvement strategies for delegate agencies. 
• Provides guidance and direction in developing programs and initiatives to effectively address issues and combat the problems facing the City's homeless population 
• Participates in the planning and development of programs designed to prevent and end homelessness (e.g., temporary housing, permanent supportive housing, etc). 
• Evaluates the effectiveness of and provides guidance on performance improvement strategies for the department's homeless programs and services, ensuring programs and services are aligned with local and national guidelines and standards 
• Provides management oversight in the awarding of contracts and the allocation of funds to delegate agencies, ensuring monies are disbursed appropriately to meet initiatives as outlined in the Plan to End Homelessness 
• Confers with executive level staff at the departmental level and the Mayor's Office to report on the progress towards stated objectives and the performance of the various programs under the comprehensive Plan to End Homelessness 
• Monitors and analyzes statistical data to identify trends in services and implements performance and service standards 
• Acts as a collaborative partner with key stakeholders (e.g., local organizations,governmental entities, and community-based coalitions, groups and agencies) in an effort to develop systematic response efforts relative to homelessness issues 
• Represents the department in meetings, planning groups, special task force initiatives and work groups to discuss homelessness policies, programs and services 
• Reviews and evaluates proposed federal and state legislation impacting the homelessness agenda and prepares reports on the city's position and recommended policy changes 
• Keeps abreast of new or emerging homelessness initiatives and best practices and recommends changes to departmental policies and procedures as appropriate 
• Identifies and researches specific problems and areas of opportunities and concerns and makes recommendations necessary to ensure program and operational efficiency 
• Responds to inquiries (e.g., media, public, community groups, etc.) and comments regarding program concerns 
• Evaluates performance of subordinate staff and makes recommendations for disciplinary action
  

THIS POSITION IS EXEMPT FROM THE CAREER SERVICE

Qualifications

Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Bachelor's Degree in the Social Sciences, Human Services, Planning, Business or Public Administration, or a directly related field plus five years of experience in the planning and administration of a social service program of which three years is in a management/supervisory role related to the responsibilities of the position, or an equivalent combination of education, training and experience, provided the minimum degree requirement is met.

Disclaimer - "Accredited" means any nationally or regionally accredited college, university, or law school where the applicant is enrolled in or has completed an Associates,Bachelors, Masters, or Juris Doctorate degree program.

NOTE: To be considered for this position you must provide information about your educational background and your work experience. You must include job titles, dates of employment, and specific job duties. (If you are a current City employee, Acting Up cannot be considered.) If you fail to provide this information at the time you submit your application, it will be incomplete and you will not be considered for this position. There are three ways to provide the information: 1) you may attach a resume; 2) you may paste a resume; or 3) you can complete the online resume fields.

NOTE: This position requires applicants to complete an interview. [MM1] The interviewed candidate(s) possessing the qualifications best suited to fulfill the responsibilities of the position, will be selected.

Education & Employment Verification - Please be advised that if you are selected to be hired you must provide, upon request, adequate information regarding your educational and employment history as it relates to the qualifications of the position for which you are applying. If you received your degree internationally, all international transcripts/diploma must be accompanied by a Foreign Credential Evaluation. If the City of Chicago cannot verify this information, any offer extended to you will be withdrawn and you will not be hired

Evaluation: Your initial evaluation will be based on information provided on the application form and documents submitted with the application. Applications must be submitted by the individual applicant. No second party applicants will be accepted.

Residency Requirement: All employees of the City of Chicago must be actual residents of the City as outlined in 2-152-050 of the City of Chicago Municipal Code. Proof of residency will be required.