Senior Planner/Associate Principal

Urban Planning Partners (UPP) seeks a full-time Senior Planner/Associate Principal to join our team.

Salary Range: $120,000 to $175,000 (DOE)

Urban Planning Partners has a significant amount of exciting work related to housing policy, community and stakeholder engagement, and planning entitlements for development projects. We also continue to have a steady stream of CEQA and contract planning work. Successful candidates for Senior Planner/Associate Principal will have strong knowledge or and experience in housing policy, CEQA, development/land use entitlement, community engagement, contract planning, and planning policy. Come join the UPP team and work with us on the following:

• Housing policy strategy for numerous agencies and local governments in the Bay Area.
• Community and stakeholder engagement around housing policy and transportation planning with a strong equity lens.
• Specific Plan development for downtowns, neighborhoods, and transitional areas in Bay Area, Central Coast, and beyond.
• Development land use entitlement management for developers, nonprofits, and corporate companies throughout Northern California on housing, commercial, and recreational projects.
• Contract planning for jurisdictions throughout the Bay Area, generally on a project-basis (versus staffing a full-time position for a city). Clients include Albany, Berkeley, Foster City, San Mateo, San Carlos, and Redwood City.
• Preparing CEQA documents for mixed-use and infill development, transit projects, Specific Plans, and Housing Elements. We are advocates for utilizing the streamline provisions when available and preparing more comprehensive analyses and EIRs when warranted.

We expect that you will work on a combination of the above with a focus in one or two areas. You will lead some projects and provide project support for others. There is also significant room for advancement. Leadership opportunities include, but are not limited to, participating on Executive Management Team, mentoring junior staff, and serving as a subject matter expert on specific planning issues.

Requirements

Senior Planner: Minimum of 5 years of experience, with 1-2 years of experience in project management.

Associate Principal: Minimum of 10 years of experience, with 5 years of experience in project management.

Ideal candidates will also have:

• Bachelor’s or master’s degree. Ideally focused on city/urban planning, housing policy, community development, environmental studies, or a related field.
• Experience managing multiple projects in a range of sizes, including client communication, contract, and budget management, ensuring quality control, and meeting deadlines.
• An understanding of zoning and other planning policies and regulations, typical city planning approval processes, and CEQA processes.
• Experience serving as main point of contact for clients and subconsultants, leading meetings, and presenting at City Council or Planning Commission sessions.
• Demonstrated experience or training in people management.
• Excellent writing/editing, research, and analysis (qualitative and quantitative), and communication skills.
• Ability to work collaboratively in teams and willingness to do what is needed to get the job done. This is critical in a small boutique firm––everyone does everything.

• Ability to think creatively, take initiative, and be comfortable with ambiguity as we often work with clients to define their scopes and take on innovative work without a direct precedent.

• Experience managing the proposal development process and leading and/or participating in interview processes.
• Flexibility, an orientation toward detail, and excellent time management and organizational skills.
• Creative problem-solving skills and ability to work in a fast-paced and professional environment.
• Legal eligibility to work in the U.S.
• Valid California driver’s license and ability to drive a vehicle for company business.
• Ability and willingness to work in office. This position is primarily on-site with four days in our Oakland office and one day remote each week. After one year, an alternative schedule may be considered.
• Ability to occasionally travel and attend evening and weekend meetings.

Desired

• Urban design experience (we have several objective design standards projects and Specific Plan and currently use subconsultants for our urban design work).
• Demonstrated ability to win and lead new work.
• Experience, training and/or interest in community engagement.
• Data analysis.

Extras

• Experience/Expertise with any of the following: equity, urban design, Adobe CS and/or GIS, formal training around community engagement and meeting facilitation.
• Active membership in a professional organization and AICP.
• Desire for significant growth opportunities including company leadership and ownership shares.
• Bilingual

This position would be a hybrid remote/on-site in Oakland with 4 days in the office.

Why Urban Planning Partners?

At UPP, we help create better places in partnership with our clients and the communities where we work. We are actively seeking talented people to join an empowered and collaborative employee environment. Located in downtown Oakland, we provide land use planning policy, community engagement, municipal planning, and environmental review consulting services on large complex projects throughout the Bay Area and Northern California.

We credit the success of our projects and the satisfaction of clients to our amazing staff and commitment to our core values: We Care, Collaborate, Reach, and We are Real. Urban Planning Partners is a relatively small (staff of 10) yet vital and respected firm––we punch above our weight. Come join our team and work on some of the most innovative planning projects happening in the region.

UPP offers excellent benefits (vacation, sick, and holiday pay; medical, dental, group life, and long-term disability insurance plans); transit cost reimbursement; monthly wellness stipend; 401k with 3% company contribution; profit sharing; charitable donation matching; and employee referral bonus program. UPP is an equal opportunity employer and encourages people of diverse backgrounds to apply.

In your cover letter, express why you are interested in UPP and are a great fit for this position. No phone calls please.

Thanks, and we look forward to reviewing your application!