Mid-level Park Planner/Designer

PlaceWorks has an immediate need for a full-time park planner/designer to join our team in the Bay Area, Los Angeles, or Orange County. We are looking for an individual with 3-7 years of professional experience in park planning and design, (including through an internship or fellowship), who is creative, outgoing, self-starting, and passionate about helping shape and improve communities through their work.

Working in a collaborative and casual work environment under the guidance of skilled project managers and other senior staff, this team member will assist PlaceWorks’ Landscape and Park Planning teams currently working with State and local agencies, as well as with community organizations and non-profit partners, to plan and design parks and open spaces in California.  This position may also involve supporting planning and design projects at the firm, including comprehensive plans (general plans and specific plans), urban design, and landscape architecture projects.

We have a current need for this planner/designer to assist with the following:

• Support visioning and long-term planning projects for several California State Parks and Beaches, including research, mapping, concept and site plan development, and plan document writing.
• Support outreach and engagement to California communities, including communities of color, tribes, underserved communities, and others regarding park and open space access.  Develop outreach and engagement materials for use online and for in-person engagement.
• Assist with the planning, design and development of park master plans, community parks, trails, bikeways, and other public spaces, as well as the public outreach and engagement related to these projects.

Depending on experience, assist with project management tasks related to the above, including project tracking and scheduling, delegation of certain tasks to junior staff and with communication and  coordination with other team members/subcontractors.

You’re most likely a fit if:

• You love planning for the future of communities and making a difference with your work.
• You have strong writing and communication skills.
• You have experience in and enjoy developing park planning documents.
• You enjoy translating ideas into graphics, both for site planning and design as well as using graphics to illustrate concepts, ideas and processes.
• Supporting authentic engagement with diverse communities excites you and you’re willing to jump in to help with/participate in public outreach efforts, including design workshops and community outreach events. You may be asked to coordinate events or meetings, prepare and assemble materials/supplies, present, and/or facilitate discussions at workshops.
• You’re comfortable with public speaking.
• You’re able to attend and travel to client meetings and community workshops which may occur on weekday nights and weekends.
• You can work both independently and in a highly collaborative environment with team members across the state.
• You can manage your time to produce final project documents and products by stated deadlines and can work effectively on multiple projects at once.
• You have a bachelor’s degree or master’s degree in landscape architecture, urban design, visual arts, parks and recreation, or a related field.
• You are proficient with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint) and Adobe Creative Suite.  Proficiency in AutoCAD, Rhino, SketchUp, and/or ArcGIS is desired, but not required.

We work in a wide array of communities throughout California, and we encourage diverse candidates from non-traditional backgrounds to apply.

The pay range for this position is $65,000 – $105,000 per year, dependent upon experience and other relevant factors.

To apply to this position, please visit our website: https://placeworks.com/our-culture/careers/. When applying, please attach your cover letter, resume, and a writing sample or design portfolio as three (3) separate PDF attachments. Each attachment must be under 500KB. Alternatively, you may include a link to your writing sample/design portfolio if it exceeds 500KB. In your cover letter, please specify which office location you are interested in.