Project Manager/Principle Planner Job Description

Job Title: Project Manager/Principle Planner (Internal and External Posting)

Summary: This position serves as the project manager for projects within LocalPlans external client portfolio. The typical range of projects includes small-area plans, regulatory approval packages, LEED commissioning, neighborhood strategic plans, business site optimization, regulatory analysis, and site feasibility analysis. The optimal applicant will have extensive experience interacting with the public and will be able to manage multiple projects simultaneously. This position requires a solid understanding of urban planning practice as well as project management skills (see Qualifications below). Salary depends on experience.

Project Management Qualifications:

Required Skills (Things Facets): 1. Project Management Capabilities1: The applicant should be skilled in the general competencies of project management capacities and techniques. This skill-set should include knowledge of the following areas: a. Contracting b. Project Estimation c. Project Documentation d. Project Monitoring e. Cost Control and Budgeting f. Time Scheduling g. Project Planning h. Risk Analysis i. Change Management 2 2. Results-focused Professionalism : The applicant must embody a professional charisma that would allow them 3 to inspire those working on projects toward success without sacrificing the end result through baseless optimism . The applicant should be pragmatic and driven allowing them to move toward project completion with a true understanding of the constraints present. The applicants focus will ultimately translate into cost and time estimates that align with reality and the needs of LocalPlan. 3. Coping Skills/Flexibility4: In an environment that is likely to shift and transition with organizational dynamics (both internal and external), the applicant should maintain the ability to react appropriately in order to keep the project and its core objectives on course. 4. Project Management Software: Applicants will be expected to utilize a variety of software tools in order to communicate, track, and execute project management functions. These software tools include (but are not limited to): MS Project, MS Excel, E-mail (Outlook and Web-Based), MS Access, MS Visio, Google Documents, and BaseCamp. 5. Enterprise Project Portfolio Management: LocalPlan engages in over 50 external projects annually. The ideal candidate for this position will show an understanding of increasing organizational sophistication and in working with a Project Management Office. LocalPlans project management office expects a continuous feedback loop through which organizational capabilities can be refined and improved.

Murray-Webster & Hillson, 2002 Murray-Webster & Hillson, 2002 3 Rad & Anantatmula, 2009 4 Murch, 2001
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LocalPlan is committed to a policy of providing employment opportunities to all qualified people regardless of economic or social status and will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnic origin, national origin, creed, religion, political belief, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, age, veteran status, or physical or mental disability.

Project Manager/Principle Planner Job Description

Required Skills (People/Team Facets): 1. Communication/Conflict Resolution5: A successful applicant will be able to mediate debates and dialog between project stakeholders and within the project team. In addition, the applicant is expected to maintain a high degree of competence in communication through a variety of mediums and venues. Communication skills expected are listed below (note that this list is not exclusive): a. Graphic Communication b. Presentation Skills c. Verbal Communication d. Written Communication e. Emotional Leadership/Empathy f. Information interpretation and synthesis 6 2. Facilitation Skills : Outside of the need to communicate on a routine basis, the applicant will be required to facilitate deliberative dialogues between stakeholders and between employees. A successful applicant will maintain the ability to continue positive momentum on projects and to employ various decision-making frameworks that will result in project completion. 3. Leadership Knowledge7: The applicant should be capable of applying the basic principles of leadership to include generalized management principles and human resources knowledge that will allow them to employ teams efficiently and effectively. 4. Virtual Teams Management8: LocalPlan frequently conducts projects in a geographically dispersed manner. The applicant must display the ability to operate in a virtual project environment with team members spread out across the southeast via a variety of communication mediums. 5. Diversity Awareness: The applicant will be required to work with stakeholders and team members from a variety of economic, social, and ethnic backgrounds. It is imperative that the applicant be aware of communication and relationship building techniques that can transcend demographic categorization in order to maximize project efficiency.

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Crawford, 2000 Murray-Webster & Hillson, 2002 7 Brill, Bishop, & Walker, 115-140 8 Rad & Anantatmula, 2009

LocalPlan is committed to a policy of providing employment opportunities to all qualified people regardless of economic or social status and will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnic origin, national origin, creed, religion, political belief, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, age, veteran status, or physical or mental disability.

Project Manager/Principle Planner Job Description

Urban Planning Qualifications:
Professionally Credentialed - In order to demonstrate competence in urban planning job functions as well as to bolster the professional credentials of LocalPlan as a firm, a successful applicant will demonstrate specialty technical knowledge 9 10 11 12 13 14 through one or more of the following credentials: CNUa , AICP , ASLA , CFM , AIA , LEED Green Associate , LEED specific discipline15. Required Skills (Things Facets): 1. Geography/Geographic Information Systems: Applicants will be expected to produce quality geography related projects and to extrapolate statistical inferences from maps and related geographically focused information. In addition, the applicant should display competency in utilizing crowd-sourced information in a geographic context. 2. Statistical Compilation/Interpretation: Applicants will be expected to create, compile, and interpret statistical information from a variety of sources. In addition, the applicant may be required to supervise data collection through transect surveys, intercept surveys, windshield surveys, etc. 3. Legal/Regulatory Experience: LocalPlan is a full-service permitting company. Applicants are expected to have a thorough knowledge of legal frameworks through which permitting will take place. In addition, applicants will display knowledge of tracking regulatory changes and political movements that are underway. 4. Transportation/Infrastructure Knowledge: Successful applicants must demonstrate a knowledge of transportation and infrastructure systems from a conceptual standpoint. This includes the abilities to read appropriate schematics as well as to understand capacity/volume studies (i.e. traffic counts or alighting surveys). 5. Sustainability Focus: LocalPlan strives to be a leader in sustainability. Applicants should maintain a working knowledge of the following concepts: a. Low-Impact Development b. Stormwater Best Management Practices c. Green Construction Techniques d. Renewable Energy e. Alternate Transportation f. Contextually Sensitive Development

http://www.cnu.org/accreditation http://www.planning.org/AICP/ 11 http://www.asla.org/ 12 http://www.floods.org/ 13 http://www.aia.org/index.htm 14 http://www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CMSPageID=1815 15 http://www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CMSPageID=1815

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LocalPlan is committed to a policy of providing employment opportunities to all qualified people regardless of economic or social status and will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnic origin, national origin, creed, religion, political belief, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, age, veteran status, or physical or mental disability.

Project Manager/Principle Planner Job Description

Required Skills (People/Team Facets): 1. Community Input Solicitation: The applicant will be expected to seek community support and input on a variety of LocalPlan initiatives. This will extend outside of the communication skills required of project management in that the applicant will be expected to collect input from the community at large in order to construct qualitative/quantitative metrics for decision-making. 16 2. Advocacy Planning Skills : This position requires a substantial amount of advocacy on behalf of potential clients. Candidates for this position must demonstrate an ability to lobby for the needs of the client group/organization. This will include a fluent political knowledge of LocalPlans area of operations as well as insight into the social development of the region. 3. Social Justice: LocalPlan maintains a corporate philosophy of social justice. The applicant will be expected to monitor proposed actions to ensure that they are in accordance with principles of equity and social justice. 17 4. Charrette Management: LocalPlan utilizes the Charrette in a number of its public input sessions. Applicants will be expected to schedule, coordinate, and assemble an appropriate Charrette team for many of the projects encountered. Applicants should have a working knowledge of the methods set forth by the National Charrette Instititute. 5. Marketing Presence: Applicants must be able to consistently market LocalPlan as an entity as well as the individual projects that LocalPlan is responsible for. Applicants will be responsible for presenting plans which are deliverables of LocalPlan projects to the appropriate political body for regulatory approval. In addition, applicants will be expected to utilize various social media platforms to elevate the virtual presence of LocalPlan.

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Davidoff, 1965

http://www.charretteinstitute.org/

LocalPlan is committed to a policy of providing employment opportunities to all qualified people regardless of economic or social status and will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnic origin, national origin, creed, religion, political belief, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, age, veteran status, or physical or mental disability.

Project Manager/Principle Planner Job Description

References (included for academic purposes only):
Brill, J. M., Bishop, M., & Walker, A. E. (115-140). The Competencies and Characteristics Required of an Effictive Project Manager: A Web-Based Delphi Study. Educational Technology Research and Development. 54(2). , 2006. Crawford, L. (2000). Profiling the Competent Project Manager. In: Project Management Research at the Turn of the Millenium. Proceedings of PMI Research Conference (pp. 3-15). Paris, France: Sylva, NC: Project Management Institute.

Davidoff, P. (1965). Advocacy and Pluralism in Planning. Journal of the American Institute of Planners .
Murch, R. (2001). Project Management: Best Practices for IT Professionals. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall PTR. Murray-Webster, R., & Hillson, D. (2002). Scaling the PEAKS of Project Management Competency. The Project Mangement Festival (pp. 1-8). Noga Hilton, Cannes: PMI Europe. Rad, P. F., & Anantatmula, V. S. (2009). Integrated Project Planning. Berkeley Heights, NJ: Project Management Excellence, LLC.

LocalPlan is committed to a policy of providing employment opportunities to all qualified people regardless of economic or social status and will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnic origin, national origin, creed, religion, political belief, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, age, veteran status, or physical or mental disability.