Senior Floodplain Planner; Planner

This position is primarily remote. Attendance at required in- on meetings and occasional travel to various work sites, businesses, and meeting locations is also expected.

As a Senior Floodplain Planner in the Surface Water Management division, you will play a key part in advancing the County’s floodplain management initiatives by assisting with the implementation of programmatic recommendations. This may include leading and facilitating work groups, managing consultants and contracts, and building tools such as dashboards to track progress on flood plan implementation. You will collaborate closely with other County departments and Planning and Public Works divisions to ensure alignment and efficiency.

With several capital projects entering early planning stages, you may also provide additional project management support for preliminary capital projects efforts, helping to move forward alternatives analyses and design work. Additionally, you will serve as the primary contact for Surface Water Management Advisory Board (SWAB) members, supporting planning and coordination while ensuring appropriate engagement from division staff.

Planning and Public Works (PPW) stewards a healthy and vibrant community by collaboratively planning and investing in our people, infrastructure, systems, and policies. PPW’s team has more than 800 members that collaborate, innovate and inspire in performing essential services to the community. The department is responsible for the County road and levee systems, sewer systems, airports, ferries, building permits, environmental review, sustainability, community planning, and code enforcement – just to name a few!

Learn more about Planning and Public Works rcecountywa.gov/ppw.

To thrive in this role, you will build strong collaboration by fostering teamwork, respecting diverse perspectives, and keeping all stakeholders informed as you work toward solutions that benefit everyone working toward a resilient community. Success will also come from your ability to manage projects and programs effectively, integrating ideas from others, gaining stakeholder support, monitoring progress, and addressing challenges proactively to ensure deadlines are met.

Strong planning and organizing skills will help you anticipate impacts, prioritize tasks, and adjust strategies based on input and evolving circumstances. Finally, verbal and written skills will be essential for communicating complex concepts in plain language, structuring information logically, and tailoring tone and style to meet the needs of different audiences. By combining these strengths, you will not only advance critical floodplain initiatives but also create an environment of transparency, trust, and shared success.

You will have an opportunity to work alongside a diverse and talented team of PPW professionals, agencies, and community leaders to support planning activities by problem‑solving and developing innovative solutions to ensure the best services possible for the residents of Pierce County. Your contributions will strengthen program tracking and reporting, build institutional knowledge, and maintain compliance with state and federal programs, ensuring continuity for these critical efforts.

Additionally, Pierce County is committed to your growth, providing access to robust online learning and professional development programs to help you thrive and advance in your career.

• Review and monitor various programs, projects and applications to ensure compliance with various codes, plans, contracts, agency policies and procedures, and rules and regulations.
• Develop and prepare planning documents including drafting code amendments, regulations, policies and procedures.
• Interpret local, state and federal laws, regulations and guidelines as they relate to assigned responsibilities and stay abreast of various legislative changes.
• Perform research, prepare special studies, write reports, collect and analyze various statistical and/or technical data to apply to a wide range of planning…