Senior Planner/Project Manager (Part-Time)

Otak, Inc., an award-winning multidisciplinary firm, is hiring a part-time Senior Planner and Project Manager of planning projects for our practice in the Pacific Northwest and beyond. The position will be based in our Redmond, Washington office. You will work in a highly collaborative team environment on a variety of urban planning, long range and current planning projects for public and private sector clients.

We are looking for a highly organized, communicative and creative urban and land use planner, with a strong background in project management to help lead a variety of planning projects and mentor collaborative teams from inception to completion. The ideal candidate will be passionate and experienced with projects related to long range plans, comprehensive plans, subarea and neighborhood plans, code review and writing, public involvement and community engagement, permitting, environmental analysis, current planning and development review, and other similar assignments. We have a preference for candidates who are knowledgeable about Washington States Growth Management Act and Department of Commerce planning requirements.

Come join our great team and growing Planning & Landscape Architecture practice where sustainable and practical plans and designs enhance livability, equity, economic vitality, and accessibility for years to come! This position is 24 hours a week.

What youll do:

• Support and lead a variety of planning, analytical, and research tasks including leading projects and project tasks.

• Take on the role of project manager and coordinate and interact with a variety of clients, members of the public, and diverse project interests and develop effective and engaging public and stakeholder involvement plans.

• Write and prepare plans, studies, staff reports, environmental analysis documents, land use code/design guidelines, and other publications.

• Provide support and lead development of long-range plans for local communities including comprehensive plans, subarea plans, neighborhood and district plans, corridor plans, or plans and assignments.

• Develop, lead, and facilitate public involvement and community engagement programs that offer a wide variety of interactive tools and methods to meaningfully engage the public and diverse interests in planning projects.

• Process entitlement documents including planning/zoning code analysis, performing technical and/or environmental review on behalf of clients, preparing application materials, and conducting feasibility-level analysis of code requirements.

• Oversee and develop mapping and analysis referencing GIS, geographic layers.

• Oversee the development of and develop analytical charts and tables, info graphics, and other types of graphic support to a wide variety of interdisciplinary projects.

• Collaborate with and mentor other planning team members, including planners and other disciplinary experts, in the development of plans and completion of other assignments.

As a project manager, you will regularly:

• Serve as the primary project contact on behalf of Otak and primary project partners.

• Lead regular project communications with all project partners and diverse interests, including City departmental staff, elected and appointed members of councils, commissions, and boards, community groups, local businesses, residents, other agencies and service providers.

• Develop and maintain project work plans including budgets, schedules, and tracking of all associated deliverables in conjunction with workload planning.

• Oversee and support production of project deliverables as needed.

• Lead and/or support digital and in-person, on-site engagement activities.

• Collaborate with other team members from Otak and our subconsultants and partners, as well as client teams on a variety of planning tasks.

• Lead project pursuits, business development, and marketing efforts, including proposal writing, developing interview presentations and leading interviews, developing budgets and schedules, and other related tasks.

What youll bring:

• Bachelors and/or masters degree in urban planning, land use planning, urban design or a related field.

• 5 to 10+ years of experience working in the field of urban/land use planning with an emphasis on experience working on projects for public agencies.

• Experience completing a variety of planning tasks, as well as leading and mentoring teams on planning projects on the development of written content, research and analysis, environmental documents, maps, graphics, engagement materials, presentations, staff reports, code amendments, and other products.

• Experience working in the State of Washington planning context, including GMA, SEPA, and SMA, as well as experience with regional and countywide land use and urban planning policies and initiatives.

• Experience aligning plans with Puget Sound Region and County plans (desirable).

• Knowledge of city and county plans, policies, zoning codes, applicable codes, and implications on planning and design.

• Excellent writing and presentation skills, including strong QA/QC abilities, and the ability to present planning and design concepts to the client, community, and others through compelling presentations and storytelling.

• Experience successfully managing complex planning projects, including managing sub-consultant teams, supervising planning work by other staff, providing technical feedback, and maintaining project plans, schedules, and budgets, in conjunction with workload planning.

• Experience leading business development efforts, including proposal writing and strategy, developing budgets, and leading interviews.

• Experience working with ArcGIS programs, as well as the MS Office and Adobe Creative Suite programs, Sketch-Up, and other graphic programs. Note: fluency in Word, Excel, Powerpoint, GIS, and InDesign is required.

• AICP certification (or on track to pursue) and active in APA (preferred).

Please note that the salary information shown below is a general guideline only. Salaries are based upon candidate experience, qualifications, and work location as well as market and business considerations.

Salary Range: $43 - $64 per hour

Benefits

At our core, we believe that supporting our communities begins with supporting our employees. No matter what stage youre at in your career, we have a comprehensive total rewards program to enhance your quality of life, help support your family, and assist you in achieving your personal and professional goals. Otak employees enjoy competitive salaries; discretionary performance bonuses; no-cost medical, dental, vision, life and disability insurance, HRA/HSA; a 401(k)-retirement match that is 100% vested immediately; a hybrid work schedule; Paid Time Off (PTO) accrual based on your industry experience rather than your seniority plus 9 paid holidays per year; a commuter allowance (based on your office location); support for your professional registration and/or certification fees; and much more! If you are out of the area and interested in relocating for this opportunity, relocation assistance may be provided. The successful candidate for this position may be eligible for a signing bonus!

Why work at Otak? Watch this short video: