Principal Urban & Regional Planner

Role Description

The Principal Urban & Regional Planner role is a full-time position based in the Spokane-Coeur d'Alene area. The Principal Urban & Regional Planner’s day-to-day responsibilities include managing multiple projects and project development tasks in both current and long-range planning. The Principal Urban & Regional Planner must possess advanced professional planning experience to perform a variety of management-level, independent, and multi-disciplinary team activities.

This role must provide project and team leadership and organization, balancing and prioritizing multiple projects and deadlines.

Work associated with comprehensive/long-range planning: Successful project management, leadership, and development of long-range planning products including comprehensive plan updates (associated with Washington’s RCW 36.70A), leading community engagement, climate planning associated with Washington House Bill 1181, sub-area planning, master plans, transportation, parks, recreational, and open space plans, housing action plans, economic development and analysis, capital facilities plan updates, and more.

Work associated with current planning: Providing planning leadership for small-to-large sized community clients, including land use and development administration, permit reviews, meeting facilitation, code enforcement, developing ordinances, code amendments, and updates, reporting to planning commissions, committees and city councils. Tasks may also include performing technical planning and/or environmental review on behalf of clients, preparing application materials, and conducting feasibility analysis of code requirements.

The ideal candidate will have professional experience in the Pacific and Inland Northwest (WA, , OR). Preference for candidates located in the Spokane area (or able to locate within 30 days). Frequent in-person team and client meetings are required. Some infrequent overnight and multiple day travel may be necessary.

You have a passion for serving others and a commitment to high-quality work. You have a proven ability to work both independently and as part of a team, as well as the ability to constructively lead projects and team members. Ensuring projects are performed on time and within budget. Providing positive and productive communication, creativity, and adding value to a collaborative process.

You have experience working with local governments in the Northwest (WA, , OR) and experience with city and county comprehensive plans, zoning codes, development standards, and their relationship to development administration and design.

You also have experience reviewing land-use and building permits for compliance with city, county, state or other rules and regulations, experience with federal, state, and tribal laws and legislation related to planning, and excellent policy analysis, research, writing and communication skills, and report preparation.

You excel in presenting findings internally and to clients (written and oral) and can dig deep into data analysis and use of GIS-generated mapping, geographic layers analysis, analytical charts and tables, info graphics, and other types of graphic support to a variety of projects.

• A passion for serving others and a commitment to high-quality work.
• Excellent communication skills, written and verbal, with the ability to interact and present to clients and the public.
• Leadership and project management experience.
• Proven ability to work both independently and as part of a team. Ability to lead projects and team members, providing positive and productive communication, creativity, and adding value to a collaborative process.
• Skillsets related to climate planning, comprehensive planning, master planning, urban design, & transit or transportation planning.
• Experience working in Urban and Regional Planning with local governments in the Pacific / Inland Northwest (WA, , OR).
• Experience developing and administering city and county comprehensive plans, zoning codes, development standards, understanding their relationship to development administration and design.
• Experience reviewing land-use and building permits for…