Planner II – Housing and Community Development

Do you enjoy engaging stakeholders, working with homeowners, and developing products to guide decision-making? The Triangle J Council of Governments (TJCOG), a dynamic regional planning organization serving seven counties in the Research Triangle Region of North Carolina, seeks an experienced, creative housing and community development planner. The successful candidate must have a positive, customer-focused orientation, be able to deliver high-quality products in a timely manner and be able to work in a team environment to support a wide range of projects, programs and partnerships.

Description of Work  The planner will be part of a multidisciplinary, regional planning department engaged in long-term, regional issues integrating community development, environmental quality and infrastructure. The successful candidate will work within the TJCOG housing priority area and with partners in local, state, non-profit and regional organizations focusing on tools and techniques to preserve and increase the supply of affordable housing throughout the region. Work will focus on helping local communities, regional organizations, major institutions and non-profit partners understand and implement housing and community development solutions. This may include conducting research and developing housing plans and strategies, collecting, synthesizing, and visualizing data, coordinating stakeholder meetings, administering grant funding, and providing home repair services to low-income homeowners in the region.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities  The planner must have thorough knowledge of principles, practices, laws, regulations, tools and techniques related to land use and housing and community development decisions with an emphasis on housing affordability for a range of populations. Excellent research and synthesis skills are required. Excellent communication (writing, speaking, presenting), interpersonal, and consensus-building skills are imperative in this position, as well as the ability to understand and convey different perspectives and to identify creative solutions. Experience working with vulnerable populations is strongly encouraged. A background or interest in home preservation and housing rehabilitation is important, but not required. The person must be self-motivated, diligent, and able to work on multiple projects concurrently with limited direct supervision. The ability to use word processing, spreadsheet, database, meeting planning, and presentation software is required.

Training and Experience  A master’s degree in planning, community development or related field is required and two years of experience in municipal, county or regional planning is preferred. Candidates with a bachelor’s degree in a related field, extensive experience and demonstrated advanced knowledge in the relevant field, and that have documented participation in specialized instruction (e.g. associated with professional accreditation) may be considered. Oral and written fluency in Spanish is a plus.

Application, Resume and Cover Letter accepted at https://www.tjcog.org/about/our-job-opportunities

Position is open until filled with first review of applications on October 30, 2020