Alta Planning + Design is seeking a Planning Associate in the field of transportation for our Oakland, CA office.
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 which 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 property 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 material.
- Developing, implementing and maintaining annual strategic plans (“SPROCKET” 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.