This Opportunity

As a world-wide leader of environmental and transportation consulting and planning services, we invite you to be a part of that vision. Our Land Use Planning group in Vancouver, Washington , is looking for a Senior Lead Land Use Planner to support and add to our wide and diverse range of land use planning services that enables future-ready growth.

The Senior Lead Land Use Planner will provide a variety of professional planning services that may include long-range planning, policy development and recommendations, environmental analysis including State Environmental Planning Act (SEPA) and National Environmental Planning Act (NEPA) compliance, and development review or entitlement planning for public and private clients. Experience with meeting facilitation, board and commission presentations, and community outreach for planning projects is desired. This position requires the ability to lead tasks with limited oversight and supervise the work of other staff and subconsultants. The ideal candidate will consider and incorporate into their work long-term risks and future ready solutions. They will provide task and project leadership, ensuring that responsibilities are delivered and adhered to with a level of quality that meets or exceeds acceptable client and industry standards. They will develop and foster client relationships and identify and pursue new projects.

It is widely stated—and supported by studies—that candidates, especially women, are less likely to apply for a job unless they believe they meet 100% of the hiring criteria. WSP's talent acquisition goals include hiring the candidate who is best able to meet the performance objectives of the role. We therefore encourage persons with non-traditional skill sets and experiences to apply, even if you believe you do not meet 100% of the qualifications and hiring criteria described.

Your Impact

• Serve as planning project manager, deputy project manager, and major task lead and collaborate with project managers, task managers, project team technical leads, subconsultants, and other disciplines such as planning, engineering, sustainability and transportation team members, to provide future ready solutions for clients.

• Plan, organize, and execute a broad range of planning projects, including project budgets, tracking hours and expenses, and task completion.

• Lead land use analysis tasks related to environmental planning, including NEPA and SEPA documentation.

• Lead a variety of planning projects including comprehensive plan updates, code amendments, shoreline master program updates, on-call planning for local agencies, and entitlement planning for private clients.

• Develop and/or oversee development of planning documents including: comprehensive plans, subarea plans, master plans, staff reports and project narratives, public involvement plans, feasibility assessments, zoning and development codes, shoreline master programs, and SEPA checklists.

• Coordinate with clients, resource/regulatory agencies, subcontractors, and technical staff in a confident and professional manner.

• Manage client relationships and lead business development activities , including proposal writing.

• Mentor staff and review the work of staff.

• Manage time and effort effectively on multiple projects.

Who You Are

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Planning, Urban Planning, Geography, or a related field (or equivalent experience.)

• 10+ years of experience working in the planning field.

• Experienced project manager, deputy project manager, and major task lead.

• Highly proficient expertise with technical planning skills.

• Extensive knowledge of relevant environmental laws, permitting requirements, notification and compliance practices, and applicable Regional/State/Federal regulatory framework.

• Demonstrated technical competence leading planning projects within business sector (e.g. commercial, infrastructure, transportation, energy, etc.)

• Advanced expertise with consulting practices, conducting land use analysis and preparation of associated documentation.

• Experienced working on planning projects, including long-range plans, policy development, and entitlement.

• Ability to work independently and provide guidance, mentorship, and leadership to team or project members (including subconsultants), with strict adherence to QA/QC.

• Experienced with providing critical review for documents and preparing technical deliverables with a high degree of complexity.

• Strong self-leadership and interpersonal communication skills with the ability to effectively, persuasively, and tactfully interact with employees at all levels of the organization.

• Proficiency with technical and business writing, office automation and communication software, technology, and tools.

• Extensive critical thinking and problem-solving skills required to reach conclusions from data collation and identify the most effective solutions to accomplish objectives of assigned projects.

• Proven track record of upholding workplace safety and ability to abide by WSP’s health, safety and drug/alcohol and harassment policies.

• Must be flexible to a variety of schedules to meet business needs and able to prioritize responsibilities and quickly adapt to changes in work demands.

• Occasional travel may be required depending on project-specific requirements.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s Degree is preferred.

• Essential professional licensure/certification.

• Active member of local, regional, or national professional organization.

• Experience in ESRI ArcGIS applications and tools.

• Experience with Adobe Illustrator and other vector graphics software.

• Experience with regulatory compliance in Oregon and Washington.

WSP Benefits:

WSP provides a comprehensive suite of benefits focused on providing health and financial stability throughout the employee’s career. These benefits include coverage related to medical, dental, vision, disability, and life; retirement savings; paid sick leave; paid vacation (or other personal time); paid parental leave; and paid time off for purposes of bereavement, voting, and/or attendance at naturalization proceedings.

Compensation

Expected Salary (all locations): $97,100-$173,140

WSP USA is providing the compensation range that the company in good faith believes it might pay and offer for this position, based on the successful applicant’s education, experience, knowledge, skills, abilities in addition to internal equity and specific geographic location. WSP USA reserves the right to ultimately pay more or less than the posted range and offer additional benefits and other compensation, depending on circumstances not related to an applicant’s sex or other status protected by local, state, and/or federal law.

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About WSP

WSP USA is the U.S. operating company of WSP, one of the world's leading engineering and professional services firms. Dedicated to serving local communities, we are engineers, planners, technical experts, strategic advisors and construction management professionals. WSP USA designs lasting solutions in the buildings, transportation, energy, water and environment markets. With more than 15,000 employees in over 300 offices across the U.S., we partner with our clients to help communities prosper.

www.wsp.com

WSP provides a flexible and agile workplace model while meeting client needs. Employees are also afforded a comprehensive suite of benefits including medical, dental, vision, disability, life, and retirement savings focused on providing health and financial stability throughout the employee’s career.

At WSP, we want to give our employees the challenges they seek to grow their careers and knowledge base. Your daily contributions to your team will be essential in meeting client objectives, goals and challenges. Are you ready to get started?

WSP USA (and all of its U.S. companies) is an Equal Opportunity Employer Race/Age/Color/Religion/Sex/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity/National Origin/Disability or Protected Veteran Status.

The selected candidate must be authorized to work in the United States.

NOTICE TO THIRD PARTY AGENCIES:

WSP does not accept unsolicited resumes from recruiters, employment agencies, or other staffing services. Unsolicited resumes include any resume or hiring document sent to WSP in the absence of a signed Service Agreement where WSP has expressly requested recruitment/staffing services specific to the position at hand. Any unsolicited resumes, including those submitted to hiring managers or other business leaders, will become the property of WSP and WSP will have the right to hire that candidate without reservation – no fee or other compensation will be owed or paid to the recruiter, employment agency, or other staffing service.