Land Use/Urban Planner

Do you have a passion for all aspects of planning? Are you known for your creative and curious nature? Do you enjoy collaborating with others and working in teams?

Are you excited about planning that helps cities and communities grow and change in a sustainable manner, while also enhancing livability, affordability, equity, and accessibility?

Please double check you have the right level of experience and qualifications by reading the full overview of this opportunity below.

Otak, Inc., an award-winning multidisciplinary firm, is hiring a Land Use / Urban Planner to be a part of our planning team involved in assignments across the Pacific Northwest and beyond.

In this role, you will become an integral part of a collaborative team, engaging in a variety of urban planning and land use projects for both public and private sector clients.

Our work includes long-range and current planning with a strong focus on comprehensive planning, subarea planning, code review and amendments, environmental analysis documents, permitting and development review, and facilitating public involvement.

Come join our great team and growing Planning & Landscape Architecture practice. This position will be based in our Redmond, WA office, where we have a hybrid work environment with up to two days a week remote.

What you’ll do :

• Support a variety of planning, evaluation, research, mapping, and data analysis tasks involving coordination with planners, urban designers, landscape architects, architects, scientists, engineers, subconsultants, and clients on a wide range of planning projects.
• Provide support for the development of long-range plans for local communities including comprehensive plans, subarea plans, neighborhood plans, corridor plans, transit station area plans, and special district plans.
• Write and prepare plans and studies, staff reports, environmental compliance documents, code amendments and review documents, permitting and development applications, and other related work.
• Coordinate and interact with clients, members of the public, and key project interests and develop and facilitate effective and engaging public and community involvement plans and methods.
• Analyze data and prepare maps and evaluations using GIS, geographic layers analysis, analytical charts and tables, info graphics, and other types of graphic support to a wide variety of interdisciplinary projects.
• Create data visualization graphics / infographics, charts, tables, and outputs.

What you’ll bring :

• Bachelor’s and / or master’s degree in urban planning, urban design, community development, community planning, environmental planning, or associated discipline.
• 2 to 5+ years working in the field of land use / urban planning with an emphasis on experience working on projects for public agencies.
• Experience in the development of city and county comprehensive plans, zoning codes, development standards, and the implications on design.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with a commitment to producing technically-sound documents.
• Mapping skills using GIS and GIS Online, geographic layers analysis, analytical charts and tables, StoryMaps, info graphics, and other types of graphic support preferred.
• Experience working with the Adobe Creative Suite programs, Sketch-Up, and other graphic programs desired, with layout and graphics skills related to document design, presentations, data visualizations, preparing plans and reports.
• Knowledge of the State of Washington and Puget Sound planning context, including Growth Management Act, State Environmental Policy Act, Shorelines Management, Puget Sound Regional Council VISION 2050 and related guidance, and other relevant policies and regulations, as well as experience with regional and countywide land use and urban planning policies and initiatives.
• Experience in multi-modal transportation planning would be helpful.
• AICP or on track to obtain AICP desirable.

J-18808-Ljbffr