Senior Community Planner

Senior Planner

Ready to take the next step as a planning leader or bring your public-sector experience into a collaborative consulting environment?

Bolton & Menk is seeking a Senior Planner to join our growing Urban & Community Planning team. In this role, you'll help shape the future of communities by leading complex planning projects, serving as a trusted advisor to clients, and mentoring the next generation of planning professionals.

Whether you're looking for greater responsibility and leadership opportunities or seeking more variety and multidisciplinary collaboration, this role offers the chance to expand your impact while helping advance our mission that all people should live in safe, sustainable, and beautiful communities.

As a Top Workplace, this is a unique opportunity to collaborate with a talented, supportive team and make a lasting difference in the communities we serve. With over 75 years of experience, Bolton & Menk specializes in providing community infrastructure solutions across the Midwest, Southeast, and beyond.

What You Will Be Doing:

As a Senior Planner, you'll take a leadership role in managing planning projects from concept through implementation while serving as a key resource for clients and project teams.

You'll lead and manage a variety of planning initiatives, including land use planning, comprehensive planning, development review, entitlement support, policy development, community engagement, and other community planning efforts. You'll analyze complex planning issues, evaluate trends and regulations, and provide strategic recommendations that help clients make informed decisions.

You'll serve as a trusted advisor to communities, developers, public officials, and stakeholders by leading presentations, facilitating meetings, and guiding public engagement efforts. From community workshops and planning commission meetings to client strategy sessions, you'll help build consensus and move projects forward.

In addition to project leadership, you'll play an important role in strengthening our practice by mentoring staff, reviewing technical work, contributing to business development efforts, and assisting with proposals and client pursuits. You'll have the opportunity to influence both project outcomes and the continued growth of our planning team.

Most importantly, you'll enjoy the variety that comes with consulting. One day you may be leading a comprehensive planning effort, while the next you're helping a growing community evaluate development opportunities, facilitating public engagement, or collaborating with engineers and landscape architects on transformative community projects.

At Bolton & Menk, planners are empowered to do more than write reports. You'll have a seat at the table with clients, opportunities to shape project strategy, and the ability to collaborate across disciplines to solve complex community challenges.

Our employee-owned culture means your voice matters, your contributions are recognized, and your success contributes to the long-term success of the firm. We invest in our people, provide opportunities for continued professional growth, and foster an environment where collaboration, innovation, and community impact go hand in hand.

This position may be located in Duluth or St.Cloud, MN

What We Are Looking For:

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Urban Planning, Public Policy, or a closely related field from an accredited college or university.
• Approximately 8-10+ years of progressive planning experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• AICP certification strongly preferred, but not required.
• Experience leading planning projects, client relationships, and stakeholder engagement efforts.
• Strong knowledge of land use planning, community development, zoning, entitlement processes, and planning best practices.
• Experience preparing planning studies, technical reports, development reviews, and public-facing documents
• Strong communication, facilitation, presentation, and relationship-building skills.
• Valid driver's license and willingness to travel to project sites and client meetings as needed.

Bolton & Menk will currently not be providing visa sponsorship or Optional Practical Training Extensions for STEM Students. Individuals must be legally authorized to work in the US at the start of employment without a need for current or future visa sponsorship.

Salary Range: $93,960 - $167,400 depending on years of experience and credentials

Supporting Our Employees

There's life at work and life outside of work. Bolton & Menk has a number of benefit programs and amenities to support you and your family throughout whatever stage of life you are in.

Benefits:

• Competitive compensation plan - overtime compensation available to most employees
• Discretionary bonuses available to most employees
• ESOP - Employee ownership (ESOP); 100% company-paid contributions
• 401(k) Match Program
• Paid time off (PTO)
• Volunteer Time Off (VTO)
• Six paid company holidays
• Two floating personal holidays for events…