Planning Associate

Position Priorities

An understanding and knowledge of Alta, its culture and services, the ability to collaborate across discipline boundaries and deliver solutions that meet client expectations in a cost-effective manner are required in order to successfully meet the requirements of this position.

The essential priorities of this exempt, salaried position are to:

• Nurture and grow client and industry partner relationships and secure work in support of Alta’s growth goals.
• Enhance Alta’s reputation as a trusted advisor and expert by educating clients and other relevant parties, and supporting solutions that will meet their business objectives.
• Appropriately manage large, complex projects in a budget-conscious and time-sensitive manner.
• Manage potentially large groups of staff.

Responsibilities + Tasks

Additional responsibilities of this position include, but are not limited to:

• Contributing to the development of proposals, statements of work, contract addenda, and scope changes; may include presenting proposals to clients and negotiating the final deliverables and costs.
• Identifying engagement goals and objectives leading the client and internal teams ensuring any risks to deliverable are properly managed.
• Communicating desired outcomes, and advocating for the client and managing expectations.
• Creating and maintaining project schedules, monitoring scope changes, securing necessary approval and implementing change orders.
• Communicating the status of project deliverables to clients in a timely and effective manner.
• Administering the project including scheduling meetings, developing agendas, and project documentation, coordinating internal project meetings, ensuring timely delivery, and managing resources.
• Managing and mentoring staff, providing feedback and professional development in a timely and effective manner; hiring and terminating staff as appropriate.
• Contributing to Alta’s internal Professional Development programs by developing and presenting the material.
• Developing, implementing, and maintaining annual strategic plans.
• May include oversight of daily office administrative functions for a local office.

Requirements
This position requires a combination of skills, experience and education including, but not limited to:

• Bachelor’s degree in Planning or a related field of study.
• Eight (8) or more of experience in a consulting environment or public entity; three (3) or more years as a Project Manager; three (3) or more years managing staff.
• Experience in the field of active, non-motorized transportation.
• Demonstrated understanding of the planning process and a general understanding of project management principles, methods and techniques.
• Ability to guide staff members and manage internal team expectations.
• Exhibits strong initiative and ability to capitalize on opportunities to enhance Alta’s position in the marketplace.
• Ability to manage competing priorities, and multiple simultaneous projects involving cross-functional project teams within budgetary and schedule constraints.
• Strong initiative and the ability to work independently with little or no supervision.
• Ability and willingness to travel.
• Excellent professional ethics, leadership skills, accountability, and decision-making capabilities.
• Excellent interpersonal, written, and verbal communication and analytic skills.
• Good presentation skills.
• Proficient in MS Excel, Word, Adobe Creative Suite, ESRI Arc GIS, or similar products.
• Proficiency in an enterprise-wide resource planning and project management tool.

Preferred Skills + Certifications
There are a number of additional skills, experience, and education that would be beneficial to this position including, but not limited to:

• Master’s degree in Urban Planning or a related field of study.
• Experience managing large projects for both private and public clients.
• Experience writing and/or presenting white papers and/or providing expert level presentations at conferences and other events promoting the field of sustainable infrastructure and active, non-motorized transportation.
• Experience using Deltek Vision.
• Experience using Spatial Analyst, Network Analyst.
• Active participation in industry-relevant professional associations and committees.
• AICP Certification.

To apply: please upload a resume and cover letter to be considered for this position. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Due to the high volume of applicants we will not be able to respond to email or phone inquiries.