Senior Planner (Land Use and Zoning Specialist)

Matrix has been named a Zweig Group 2024 Best Firm to Work For and a 2024 Hot Firm!

About Matrix: Matrix Design Group, Inc., an employee-owned planning, engineering, and environmental consulting firm is actively seeking a Senior Planner in our Phoenix, Arizona or San Antonio, Texas offices. As an employee-owned company we are committed to fostering, cultivating, and preserving a culture of diversity, respect, and excellence.

Our strengths of service, innovation, and skill are a result of that belief. We have a friendly, collegial, cooperative atmosphere and offer a full range of benefits including medical, dental, vision, disability and life insurance; holiday, vacation and sick leave; training and education; 401(k) and an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP). Matrix employees are encouraged to participate in employee wellness programs, social committees, and community outreach programs. We strive to employ highly motivated people with excellent communication and applied problem-solving skills who desire to advance their talents and skills.

Salary Range: $100,000.00 to $120,000.00 Annually. Salary will be dependent upon experience.

Locations: Phoenix, AZ or San Antonio, TX

Summary:
Strong communities do not just happen-they are planned with care. They are creatively imagined, collaboratively planned, and primed to face tomorrow with optimism. At Matrix we are driving the future of Community Development. Our experts lead their fields, collaborating on projects that are as technically challenging as they are impactful, creative, and fulfilling. We are a place where you can apply your passion-and find endless opportunities to help make communities more equitable, resilient, and livable. Matrix Design Group is seeing a Senior Community Planner with extensive experience leading General and Comprehensive Plans; drafting modern zoning, form-based and unified development codes; and leading dynamic community engagement programs.

The successful candidate will have a strong command of the English language with senior level writing skills and the ability to convey complex technical planning concepts and techniques, in writing and verbally, to clients, public and private stakeholders as well as internal staff. Experience as a Project Manager for planning projects and zoning code rewrites is a must. Experience with large or complex projects is also desirable.

You should have experience handling project financials such as budget development, invoicing, progress reports and subcontractor oversight and experience in business development such as technical proposal development, teaming agreements, interviews and interview preparation, as well as marketing for the firm.

The Senior Planner is responsible for providing planning and program management services for assigned projects in a timely, accurate and cost-effective manner. This position specifically covers the area of land use policy, transportation and land use interrelationships, transit-oriented communities, economic development, housing policy, and urban design.

Essential Functions:

• Facilitate presentations and discussions with community and elected leaders.
• Writing skills at an elevated level of competency, writing sample will be requested of top candidates.
• The ability to travel to project sites.
• Project management including budgeting, scheduling, directing subordinates, reviewing and revising work products and prioritizing multiple projects and deadlines.
• Highly effective in assembling and leading multi-disciplined teams on complex projects.
• Efficient project management of multiple concurrent projects and demonstrates ability to readily identify potential problems on a project.
• Highly effective in building and maintaining client relationships.
• Manage and organize public consultation programs including making recommendations of key findings to the client.
• Lead marketing initiatives including strategic planning, opportunity identification, proposal pursuit and preparation, client liaison, and preparation of online marketing content.
• Maintain and strengthen client relationships and play a key role in client management and satisfaction.
• Plan, schedule, conduct, and coordinate the technical aspects of projects for the team.
• Supervise, coordinate and review the work of other professionals who assist in specific assignments.
• Perform due diligence and research on projects as required.
• Coordinate with clients, agencies and others to obtain and determine project requirements and approvals.
• Work in a collaborative, team environment toward successful project products and outcomes.
• Act as a mentor to junior and intermediate level planners and provide career development recommendations.
• Prepare and present proposals to potential clients or assist with proposal development.
• Prepare technical documents, presentations and other related planning products.
• Execute planning activities for a diverse clientele including: local communities, State, Federal and private sector clients.
• Meet with clients and their representatives as an individual or part of a team to explain details, resolve issues, answer questions, develop strategies / solutions to planning issues and maintain good relations.

Competencies:

• Excellent written and verbal communications skills for preparing and presenting planning reports and projects.
• Strong knowledge and/or experience with general land use planning, redevelopment planning, community facilitation, zoning, housing, and economic development.
• Proficient in computer applications such as MS Office Suite (Office 365), including the use of styles in Word, advanced excel, and advanced PowerPoint skill sets.
• Skills in how to apply graphic and mapping techniques and state of the art technology to compatibility planning products to create user friendly and easy to read products, to include info graphics and arc info story maps.
• Excellent interpersonal skills.
• Outstanding organizational, planning, and prioritization skills in support of rapidly changing scheduling and staffing.
• Critical thinking and the ability to analyze new data or unfamiliar information, to provide and make informed decisions or recommendations.
• Knowledge of land use theory, current planning trends, smart growth techniques, economics, finance operations, land use law, demographics, environmental design, resources development, and ecology.
• Creative problem-solving skills to gather relevant information to solve less well-defined planning problems.
• Strong working knowledge GIS and CADD applications and their capabilities to analyze land use trends and issues.
• Knowledge of basic purposes and functions of planning, methods in designing research studies, and identifying and utilizing data sources.
• Able to organize, collect, and analyze data, generate and evaluate alternatives, reach logical conclusions, and formulate consistent recommendations as necessary.
• Ability to manage multiple projects effectively and meet firm deadlines.
• Ability to speak Spanish is highly desirable.

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor's degree required in community / urban planning or related field.
• Minimum of eight (8) years planning experience, showing progressive increase in responsibilities, with four (4) or more in General, Comprehensive, and code-based planning.
• American Institute of Certified Planner (AICP) certification required.
• Valid driver's license, in conjunction with successfully passing the Company's MVR.

Other Duties:
Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Physical Demands:
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms and talk and hear. The employee is occasionally required to stand; walk and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds and work in a moderate to noisy work environment.