Planning Assistant

Starting your career and looking to return home to help communities in New Mexico and the Four Corners. Or looking for a change and wanting to join a professional planning firm and the best team in Northwest New Mexico. Here's your opportunity!

Employment Details:

The Planning Assistant provides a wide range of administrative and technical support work in service to and on behalf of executive and planning staff, while gaining knowledge, experience and skill in the planning field.

• Administrative Support:
  Assists planning and executive staff with calendaring, communications, document management and other office support functions.
• Technical Support:
  Assists planning and executive staff with technical functions related to the planning and program work of the COG organization, including but not limited to:
• Research:
  Conducting research on a variety of topics as required by the organization's programs, projects and services; compiles, interprets and applies statistics; and prepares research reports.
• Document and Data management:
  Assisting in managing the COG's website, social media, document databases (including file storage) and GIS and graphical media.
• Technical writing:
  Assisting executive and planning staff in the preparation of technical reports, grant proposals, graphics, mapping products and correspondence for internal and external use; uses standard and specialized software on the computer as primary tools of communication and documentation.
• Meeting facilitation:
  Assisting COG planning and executive staff in preparing for, facilitating and documenting a variety of meetings and workshops.
• Project management:
  Providing technical and logistical support to specific projects or events as assigned; may take on primary responsibility in some assigned project areas.
• Inter-agency communications:
  Assists with inter-agency communications and liaison tasks on behalf of COG planning and executive staff and in support of various client services, projects and events; prepares and assists in delivering written and verbal reports as needed and assigned to governmental and other groups.

• College education:
  Bachelor's degree preferred, or actively pursuing such a degree, preferably including areas of study related to planning and community development. Equivalent knowledge, experience or expertise as applicable to this position may be substituted for academic credentials.
• Related experience:
  At least one year of experience in professional and/or internship work related to community planning & development, public administration, grantsmanship, project management or related fields. Compatible academic coursework and technical skills may be substituted for past experience; multicultural experience will be positively considered.
• Strong interpersonal skills:
  Good teamwork and cooperative skills; positive, flexible and constructive attitude; mature approach to conflict resolution.
• High energy:
  Ability to sustain high levels of performance, enthusiasm, flexibility and productivity, to handle productive stress, and to meet deadlines.
• Professional commitment:
  Commitment to meet high professional standards; ongoing professional interest in the work of regional and community development.
• Strong writing skills:
  Ability to independently compose and self-edit correspondence, reports, summaries, and proposals; ability to develop appropriate written products based on general information, direction and intent; ability to represent workshop and meeting results in narrative, tabular and other report formats.
• Good analytical skills:
  Ability to read, comprehend and evaluate a wide range of professional material; ability to research, interpret and report information across a range of topics and applications.
• Mature self‑direction:
  Ability to respond effectively to both specific and general direction and supervision; ability to show initiative in solving problems and seeking answers from a variety of sources.
• Sense of organization:
  Ability to organize various/numerous projects, schedules, activities, materials and information in an efficient and productive manner; good multi‑tasking skills.
• Fl…