Senior Planner - Metropolitan Council (St. Paul, MN)

Who: The Metropolitan Council is the regional government agency serving the seven-county Twin Cities metropolitan area. We plan 30 years ahead for the future of the metropolitan area and provide regional transportation, wastewater, and housing services.

Our Community Development Division is responsible for the Council's regional growth strategy, planning and technical assistance to local communities, and parks and open space. This also includes the Metropolitan Housing and Redevelopment Authority (Metro HRA) and the Livable Communities Program.

What: The Senior Planner will be responsible for supporting the Community Development Department's responsibility for the preparation and maintenance of the regional development guide (Thrive MSP 2040), and Regional Systems and Policy Plans, which includes review of local comprehensive plan amendments, environmental reviews, watershed district plans, housing reviews, and other planning types of reviews. Will serve as a sector representative providing planning technical assistance to Council members and local governments. Will assist in the development of resources and technical assistance related to implementation of local comprehensive plans. 


Planner (Marion, IL)

Who: Greater Egypt Regional Planning and Development Commission - Marion, IL 62959

What: Under the general direction of the GIS and Environmental Planning Manager, performs assigned work in any one or more of the commission’s planning programs; assists local units of government in preparing grant applications, conducts research and prepares reports, attends local units of government meetings, provides technical assistance as requested. Responsibilities include:

Community Resilience Associate, The Nature Conservancy - New Haven, CT

Community Resilience Associate

The Nature Conservancy

Professional Area: 

Community Development and Redevelopment

Experience: 

1-3 years

Website: 

https://careers.nature.org/psp/tnccareers/APPLICANT/HRMS/c/HRS_HRAM.HRS_CE.GBL?P...

Location: 

New Haven, CT

The Nature Conservancy is the leading conservation organization working to make a positive impact around the world in more than 35 countries, all 50 United States, and your backyard. Founded in 1951, the mission of The Nature Conservancy is to conserve the lands and waters on which all life depends.

The Community Resilience Associate will help build a regional framework for resilience within and across coastal and inland municipalities through planning, policy, and projects that reduces risks from natural hazards and climate change.  The position will require extensive community-based engagement, partnership building, land use policy reviews, green/natural infrastructure project design, and on-call support for municipalities and regional organizations within New London County, Connecticut.  This position is a key addition to a highly effective team engaged with coastal resilience on local, state, national, and international platforms since 2007.  This is a one-year term position commencing upon hire date.  

Essential functions for this position include all of the following:

• Advances and strengthens working relationships with priority municipalities, Council of Governments, and a broad array of stakeholders on behalf of the Conservancy’s Coastal Resilience Network and North American Urban Program;
• Supports development of resilient practices, policy, and projects via community-driven workshops and design charrettes;
• Gathers and synthesizes geospatial data relating to watershed hazard risks/strengths and green/natural infrastructure projects;
• Reviews and develops local land use policy suggestions to improve resilience;
• Conducts field visits and site reviews with partners at the municipal and regional scale;
• Provides on-call services to priority municipalities on resiliency and hazard issues.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in science-related field and 2 year related experience or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Experience with community outreach and workshops.
• Experience in local land use policy review and interpretation.
• Experience utilizing GIS software and data for geospatial analysis and product development for diversity audiences.
• Experience conducting field visits and site reviews of coastlines and waterways with engineers, designers, and planners.
• Experience managing databases and producing reports.
• Experience coordinating multiple projects and managing timeframes.
• Experience working with Microsoft Office Suite software. 

Preferred Qualifications

• Knowledge of coastal systems, freshwater ecology, and resource management concepts in the context of risk reduction, hazard mitigation, and resilience at the local to regional scales.
• Experience in municipal-based planning and innovative land use policy applications.
• Background in environmental/landscape design – particularly green/natural infrastructure projects.
• Solid GIS background and proven product development, including ability to utilize data and analytical tools and applications. Analyzing, manipulating, and interpreting data, including statistics.
• Database management skills including creation of map products and report production.
• Completing tasks independently with respect to timeline(s).
• Working knowledge of common software applications (e.g. Word, Excel, Web browsers) as well as project conceptual design software programs. 
• Communicating clearly via written, spoken, and graphical means in English and other relevant languages.
• Ability to understand program budget development and monitoring – successful grant writing background.
• Ability to interpret guidelines and evaluate information and adapt accordingly.
• Ability to work independently and/or with minimal supervision.
• Bi-lingual and multi-lingual candidates are welcome.

How to Apply:

To apply to position #43538, submit resume and cover letter as one document via the following link.https://careers.nature.org/psp/tnccareers/APPLICANT/HRMS/c/HRS_HRAM.HRS_CE.GBL?Page=HRS_CE_JOB_DTL&Action=A&JobOpeningId=43538&SiteId=1&PostingSeq=1

You can also go the careers.nature.org page on The Nature Conservancy's website and search the job board for position #43538 - Community Resilience Associate.

All applications must be submitted in the system prior to 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on October 23, 2015.  Click “submit” to apply for the position or “save for later” to create a draft application for future submission. Once submitted, applications cannot be revised or edited. Failure to complete required fields may result in your application being disqualified from consideration.

Planning Associate (Planner II/GIS), Texas A&M University - Houston, TX

Planning Associate (Planner II/GIS) 

Texas A&M University

Website: 

http://tcwp.tamu.edu

Location: 

Houston, TX

The position will be open until filled. First review will be September 04, 2015. 

The Texas Coastal Watershed Program is seeking a Planning Associate (Planner II/GIS) for their Houston-Clear Lake office. This position will assist with urban and environmental planning projects on the Texas Coast and beyond. Projects in our office deal with GIS-based scenario planning, watershed planning, coastal risk mitigation, and habitat conservation.

Primary duties require experience with GIS analysis and data development, GIS-based scenario planning, planning research and methods, and report writing. Knowledge of land development, comprehensive urban planning, scenario planning tools, and coastal hazards will be very beneficial. This is part of a FEMA funded opportunity that seeks to broaden the conversation about hazard mitigation on Texas Gulf Coast towards long-term planning and hazard mitigation, and will be a remarkable opportunity to support planning work in communities across Texas.

Salary: $42,000-$52,000 per year, commensurate. 

This position is located in Houston-Clear Lake, TX. The position is full time with benefits, paid sick leave and vacation. Website: tcwp.tamu.edu. The position is for new projects which are not described on our website. 

To apply contact smikulencak@tamu.edu with subject line: "Planning Associate (GIS)- Houston." Include a cover letter, a resume, and a three page sample of your writing from previous work. Please do not submit project portfolios - they will not be considered until an interview is scheduled.

Major Essential Duties: 

• GIS & Planning Analyses. Compile and summarize research and data on a range of community planning issues and from multiple sources; Perform quantitative research in GIS; Develop, test, and update planning scenarios in GIS; Incorporate quantitative findings into the development of GIS projects; Prepare reports and summaries for project deliverables; Prepare charts, tables, graphics, and presentations; draft publications related to planning principles and GIS analyses for stakeholders and general public use.
• Program Development and Support Activities. Work closely with project team to develop and implement projects and existing programs; identify and address technical and logistical requirements related to GIS and planning projects; maintain and update program resources online; build and sustain relationships with program partners; support project tasks as required by project managers; administrative and logistical project support.
• Community Planning Workshops. Coordinate logistics and outreach for public workshops and stakeholder meetings; Attend workshops and public meetings outside of usual business hours; Some travel required.

Occasional Duties: Reporting and other administrative tasks as required carrying out essential duties

Required Education: Bachelor’s degree in Urban Planning or closely aligned degree in Geography or Environmental Management;

Preferred Education: Master’s degree in Urban Planning or closely aligned degree in Geography or Environmental Management;

Required Experience: No experience required

Preferred Experience: 2 or more years professional work in the planning field or closely related project work in environmental resources; project work in GIS analyses in support of planning.

Required Licenses, Certs, or Registrations:none

Preferred Licenses, Certs, or Registrations: AICP, GISP

Required Special Knowledge, Abilities, and Skills:

• Applicants must be able to work in a collaborative professional environment and to contribute to the strategic development of projects and programs;
• Must be able to write effectively and clearly;
• Knowledge of principles of local government planning practices, land development, and conservation;
• Knowledge of coastal risks and hazards;
• Must utilize ESRI ArcGIS software for data acquisition, data development, and planning analyses;
• Must have knowledge of GIS methods in support of plan development;
• Knowledge of principles of GIS systems, projections, and cartography;
• Ability to manage time effectively and be able to prioritize project duties;
• Ability to write summaries about key information from regulations, plans, and official policies;
• Ability to clearly summarize technical information for public use;
• Adept with spreadsheet analyses and creating tables;
• Must be proficient with Word and Excel.

Preferred Special Knowledge, Abilities, and Skills:

• CommunityViz Software and development of GIS projects in CommunityViz;
• Knowledge and skills for the development of online mapping tools;
• Knowledge of statistical analyses with planning data;
• Specialized knowledge of the land development process and coastal hazards;
• Skills with web content development.

Other Requirements:Some travel required