ESA is looking for a Senior Community Planning Business Development and Project Manager with a strong emphasis on business development and project management to join our dynamic team in the Bay Area. This role requires a strategic thinker with excellent leadership and client service skills who can drive community planning initiatives, manage complex projects, and spearhead business development efforts to support our team’s growth objectives.

Do you love shaping the future of the built environment and thrive in a dynamic, equity-centered workplace? Are you passionate about driving business and team growth while managing impactful community planning projects? If so, we have an exciting opportunity for you!

Who You Are

  • Bachelor's or Master’s degree in Urban Planning, Architecture, Engineering or a related field.
  • 10 or more years of experience in urban planning, with a focus on business development and project management.
  • Proven track record of successfully managing complex, multi-year projects with large teams.
  • Strong understanding of urban planning principles, zoning regulations, and land use policies. Proficiency in design software, such as Adobe Creative Suite, ArcGIS, SketchUp, or other is a plus. 
  • Excellent leadership, oral and written communication, and negotiation skills.
  • Ability to manage multiple projects and priorities in a fast-paced environment.
  • Proficiency in project management software and tools.
  • Professional certification (AICP, LEED AP) is a plus.

What You Will Do

  • Lead and manage community planning projects from inception to completion, ensuring alignment with company goals and client expectations related to management of scope, schedule and budget.
  • Serve as a contributing author for community planning work products, for municipal and private development clients, including but not limited to these project types: Specific/Master Plans, Area/Neighborhood Plans, General Plan Updates (including housing, safety, environmental justice, open space and conservation elements), zoning regulations, due diligence, entitlements and permitting, Sustainability/Climate Adaptation and Action Plans, Planned Unit Developments, and community engagement programs.
  • Coordinate with multidisciplinary teams and subconsultants that may include community planners, urban designers, architects, landscape architects, economists, engineers, environmental planning specialists, among others to deliver innovative and comprehensive planning solutions.
  • Develop and implement business development strategies to identify and seek new community planning opportunities.
  • Build and maintain strong relationships with clients, partners, and community stakeholders, which may include participation at industry events and occasional travel.
  • Conduct market research and follow development trends to inform business development efforts.
  • Lead, prepare and coordinate proposals and other business development activities.
  • Present technical content to clients, stakeholders and regulatory bodies.
  • Mentor and guide junior team members and project managers to foster a collaborative and high-performing team environment.
  • Ensure compliance with local, state, and federal regulations and standards in all planning and development activities.
  • Assist with team building and recruiting activities. Potentially serve as a people manager with direct reports.

What’s Special About Our Community Development Team 

This Senior Community Planner position will sit within ESA’s Northern California Community Development business group. Our Community Development team has built a legacy of success providing planning services,  environmental compliance and clearance, and advancement. We combine our firm’s technical depth in natural resources science and environmental planning with deep knowledge of local regulatory practices and procedures, including the most current legislation and case law, to create value-added, cost-effective, and legally defensible solutions for our clients.

ESA is unique in that we have a deep scientific, technical, and regulatory expertise, which we apply to our planning and environmental review projects. We keep project approval and implementation at the forefront, balancing long-term planning, community attributes, stakeholder objectives, and cost. Our focus is on comprehensiveness and clarity, and the result is that our planning, CEQA and NEPA documents are frequently recognized by professional organizations with awards for creative approach and quality.

We work on many exciting projects that contribute to smart, resilient environments, including:

ESA has established multiple pay ranges tailored to the economic factors in the geographies in which ESA staff reside. For this position, the range is approximately as listed based on our anticipated hiring locations as noted in the above job details. Actual compensation is determined by several factors including but not limited to an individual’s related experience, education, skills, and the city in which the applicant lives.  

CA Pay Transparency Clause
$119,568—$179,352 USD

 

 

Who We Are 

We are a 100% employee-owned environmental consulting firm who values diversity and inclusion and celebrate the differences that make each of us unique. Our culture is built on mutual respect, recognizing that our variety of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives leads to better solutions, which fosters our continued success for our employee-owners and clients. 

In accordance with ESA’s duty and responsibility to provide and maintain a safe workplace that is free of known hazards and to minimize the exposure to potential hazards, any employee who works from an ESA office or conducts any other in-person ESA work-related activity is required to submit their proof of vaccination status or have received an approved exemption and accommodation in states which this applies. 

 

ESA is an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to a diverse and inclusive work environment. (EOE M/V/F/D) 

 

 

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