Senior Community Planner

Senior Project Manager, Community Planning

Group: Planning
Reports to: Associate Director of Community Planning, Katie Ward
Groups that Report to the Senior Project Manager, Community Planning: N/A
Receives Work/ Assignments from: Vice President of Planning, Cecilia Dvorak
Direct Reports: N/A
Indirect Reports: N/A
Target Hours: See Handbook
Target Utilization Rate: 75% Client Billable

The Company:

At Steadfast City Economic & Community Partners (www.steadfastcity.com), we are an economic development, community development, and non-profit consulting firm. We help businesses and real estate developers secure economic incentives when they expand or develop real estate. We also help communities, businesses, and community development organizations solve problems such as redeveloping/developing real estate, determining market feasibility for proposed projects, and performing planning and development related services. For non-profits, we secure New Markets Tax Credits to help finance community facilities in low-income neighborhoods and secure grant funding. We also assist them with overall positioning and fund-development/operational strategy.

We got started because we saw the opportunity to weave together government, business, economic development, real estate, social, and philanthropic sectors in a more aligned and impactful manner. We exist because we have a strong desire to elevate businesses who create jobs, real estate developers who create and rebuild neighborhoods, cities who need development, organizations working to effectuate positive economic and social change, and people who benefit from all of this occurring.

The Role:

The Community Planning Senior Project Manager will work closely with members within a fun and passionate team. Coming from a variety of educational backgrounds and work experiences, our unique backgrounds and holistic approach lend a new perspective to community and economic development planning projects. The Senior Project Manager will work under the direction of the Associate Director to tackle planning projects from RFP/Q and engagement letter to project execution. The Senior Project Manager will work closely with the grants and fund development, credits and incentives, and compliance teams when applicable to transition projects effectively and efficiently across disciplines as needed. The ideal candidate will be comfortable communicating and collaborating with colleagues across the organization, clients, and project stakeholders virtually, via email, by phone, and in person when necessary.

Day-to-day Role & Responsibilities:

As an employee at Steadfast City, everyone is expected to:

• Keep track of their time and materials through time and expense tracking as applicable.
• Lead and/or attend regularly scheduled meetings and be generally available 8-5 CST with some flexibility for home/life harmony

In this role, you will be primarily responsible for leading and managing projects and clients for Steadfast City, tied primarily to Community Planning Projects. This role will require a proactive attitude, excellent time management, effective writing, communication, and organizational skills.

• Continually innovate and identify opportunities to collaborate with internal Steadfast teams and bring greater value to client projects.
• Provide support and assistance across all areas of the company, particularly but not limited to your area of expertise.
• Proactively identify potential project changes and issues, coming up with plans to address them before they occur.
• Continue to develop knowledge and skill set around your particular area of expertise (outlined below).
• Develop and maintain client relationships.
• Attend networking/ Business Development events to connect with clients, potential clients, and other stakeholders.

Typical Tasks, as a project lead:

• Supervise projects, including project work, timelines, and workflow to ensure the project is completed efficiently and promptly to meet deadlines and ensure high-quality deliverables within budget
• Directly assist/support project team members on tasks that need to be completed, including but not limited to direction on research, analysis, and deliverable development
• Review materials provided by support/assist team members to ensure high-quality deliverables for the client
• Manage and prioritize projects keeping many clients with various timelines progressing and meeting deadlines as outlined in engagement.
• Critically assess opportunities and challenges, coming up with solutions and escalating appropriately to the Associate Director as needed.
• Keep the Associate Director and team members apprised of project status, deadlines, and needs to ensure adequate time is given for delegated tasks.
• Manage project crossover between Community Planning, Economic Development, Grants, Real Estate Credits and incentives, Business Credits and Incentives, and Compliance teams by leading and/or participating in introductory calls and providing other teams with insights into client goals, needs, and/or other relevant information.
• Track and stay within project budgets.
• Ensure project and client files are available to the team in an organized and predictable manner.

Typical Tasks, as a project support or assist:

• Provide other project managers (senior or otherwise) with support, particularly but not limited to your area of expertise, and work with the lead project manager to ensure deadlines are met through timely responsive assistance as needed.
• Support may include, and is not limited to research, writing, map development, analysis, and on-the-ground community engagement efforts, among other similar tasks.
• Expertise responsibilities could include Developing community-focused and minded plan recommendations, particularly around development and redevelopment of place, revisions to existing processes, and organization development.
• Facilitate effective community and stakeholder engagement processes to ensure inclusive decision-making and gather diverse perspectives.
• Assist or provide direction on the development of maps and supporting graphics for presentations, reports, plans, RFP/Q responses, or other team needs.
• Research and provide insight and working knowledge of municipal processes for the team’s edification and consideration, and client needs.
• Provide strategic recommendations around real estate strategy, including timing, layering of processes, and layering of incentives and/or taxing districts.
• Develop or provide direction on public presentations, including flow of slides, development of narrative, visually approachable, readable, and communicative slides.
• Give public presentations for public hearings, boards, commissions, or clients as needed.

Expectations:

• Lead Projects: Take charge of community planning projects from start to finish.
• Team Collaboration: Work closely with colleagues across different teams and disciplines.
• Client Communication: Keep clients informed and happy throughout the project.
• Effective Communication: Communicate well with everyone involved, whether it's through email, phone calls, or face-to-face meetings.
• Innovative Solutions: Use diverse perspectives to come up with creative solutions.
• Problem-Solving: Be proactive in solving problems that arise during projects.
• Flexibility: Be ready to adapt to changes in projects and client needs.
• Quality Control: Make sure project work is high-quality and meets standards.
• Documentation: Keep good records of project progress and decisions made.

Performance Evaluation:

Performance evaluations for a Community Planning Senior Project Manager will involve a 90-day review, followed by annual reviews, which will include a comprehensive assessment covering the following aspects:

Community Planning Team Skills

• Facilitation & engagement
• Mapping & GIS
• Presentation
• Project management
• Research
• Visual design
• Writing
  

Company-Wide Skills

• Attention to detail
• Clear and effective communication
• Ethics and value alignment
• Organization
• Proactive & follow up
• Problem solving & critical thinking
• Timeliness & meeting deadlines
• Willingness to try & learn

Skills & Qualifications:

• 5+ years of experience and Bachelor's or Master’s degree in Planning, Environmental development, Architecture, Social Work, Economic Development, Public Administration, or a related field, or some combination of equivalent experience
• AICP certification is a plus
• Experience with research, writing, facilitation, and community engagement.
• Working knowledge and experience with community development processes, stakeholder engagement techniques, and planning principles.
• Ability to delegate and work within a team environment with project assistance/support.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively on all project phases.
• Ability to prioritize while working on multiple projects and tasks.
• Ability to recognize when a situation needs to be escalated.
• A genuine desire to develop better, think bigger, and create transformative opportunities for the clients and communities that we serve.