Senior Planning Associate (Hybrid Schedule) #1577

Alta is looking for a Senior Planning Associate to join and help grow and lead our teams in our Durham office. This is a unique opportunity for someone who wants to manage an office, and is passionate about active, multimodal, and sustainable transportation and the way it positively impacts our communities in need. If you are looking for an innovative organization and do work that connects people to places while advancing social justice, safety, and environmental resilience, apply with Alta today!

About Alta

Alta was founded in 1996 when communities were calling for safer streets for people walking and bicycling as the non-motorized transportation movement developed in North America. Alta pioneered the field of active transportation, evolving our planning and design work into a visionary practice that empowers people to live active, healthy lives and get them where they need to go. With staff located across the US and Canada, Alta has evolved its practice into a forward-thinking sustainable transportation company.

Alta works to mitigate climate change and advance safety and social justice through sustainable mobility.
We connect people to places by providing solutions across the disciplines of planning, design, engineering, education and encouragement programs, and community engagement.

Day to Day

The selected candidate would be our Charlotte office leader, working closely with our North Carolina leadership team to identify project opportunities, leading our most important projects, and mentoring our Charlotte team of engineers, planners, and designers.  This leadership position will play an instrumental role in helping to grow our North Carolina practice.

The selected candidate will lead project teams to deliver the most innovative active, multimodal, and sustainable transportation and trail projects in North Carolina and the southeastern United States.  Project types include rail with trail studies, greenway design, municipal planning, safety studies, corridor charrettes, and grant writing for the Charlotte metro and other regional clients.

Qualifications

Required
  • Bachelor’s degree in Planning or a related field of study.
  • 12+ years of experience in a consulting environment or public entity managing large projects; 3+ years of experience as a Project Manager; 3+ years managing staff.
  • Experience in the field of active, non-motorized transportation.
  • Demonstrated understanding of the planning process and a detailed understanding of project management principles, methods and techniques.
  • Proven ability to guide staff members and manage internal team expectations.
  • Exhibits strong initiative and the ability to capitalize on opportunities to enhance Alta’s position in the marketplace.
  • Demonstrated ability to manage competing priorities, and multiple simultaneous projects involving cross-functional project teams within budgetary and schedule constraints.
  • Experience writing and presenting white papers and/or providing expert-level presentations at conferences and other events promoting the field of sustainable infrastructure and active, non-motorized transportation.
  • Ability and willingness to travel.
  • Excellent professional ethics, leadership skills, accountability, and decision-making capabilities.
  • Excellent interpersonal, written and verbal communication, presentation, and analytic skills.
  • Proficient in MS Excel, Word, Adobe Creative Suite, ESRI Arc GIS, or similar products.
  • Proficiency in an enterprise-wide resource planning and project management tool.
Preferred
  • Master’s degree in Urban Planning or a related field of study
  • Experience using Deltek Vision
  • Registration as a Professional Landscape Architect or as a Professional Planner.

What We Offer

Flexible Schedule
Alta offers a flexible, hybrid work schedule where most employees work from home three days per week. In-office days support our collaborative culture, one of our core values. Our Durham office is located downtown, a thriving one-square-mile area filled with world-class restaurants and entertainment venues, and an incubator for creative thinking and innovative ideas. Destinations such as Central Park, Durham Food Hall, DPAC, and the Durham Bulls Athletic Park are just a short walk away; trend-setting trails such as the American Tobacco Trail and the upcoming Durham Rail-Trail are a short bike ride away.

Benefits
Alta offers comprehensive benefits to all full-time employees:
  • Medical: PPO or HSA medical plans, Alta pays 75% of the cost
  • Dental/Vision: PPO, Alta pays 90% of the cost
  • Life Insurance: Alta pays 100% of the premium for life and AD&D, equal to your base compensation
  • 401(k): Alta provides a safe harbor match up to 4%
  • PTO: 21 days accrued annually to start
  • Holidays: 11 total company paid holidays
  • Parental Leave/Short-Term Disability
  • Additional Benefits: Wellness reimbursement up to $800 annually, Alta Gets Around benefit of up to $900 annually, 5-year travel award, and professional development opportunities

 

 

*The following statements pertain to US Candidates Only*

About Alta Planning + Design

Alta is an Equal Opportunity Employer
Alta Planning + Design, Inc. is committed to providing equal employment opportunity for all employees and applicants. It is our policy that decisions involving people are made on the basis of job-related criteria, independent of an individual’s gender, race, color, national origin, age, religion, marital status, sexual orientation, military or veteran status, physical or mental disability for which reasonable accommodation is available, and any other status protected by law. This includes decisions involving hiring, job placement, transfer, promotion, compensation, benefits, training, and company-sponsored programs. Alta Planning + Design maintains formal employment policies, available online and by request.
Affirmative Action Plan
Alta Planning + Design, Inc. is a federal contractor subject to affirmative action regulations requiring written Affirmative Action Plans (AAP’s) for minorities and women, and for covered veterans and individuals with disabilities. We worked intensively with a local firm that specializes in Affirmative Action Plans to develop a program for our company that will not only satisfy our federal obligations but will be a living document. This means the plan is integrated into our recruiting and evaluation procedures and is revisited often in order to ensure we’re doing everything we can to embrace and promote diversity within our company.
Alta requires all employees to complete their COVID-19 vaccination series or have an approved exception to the requirement due to a medical condition or sincerely held religious belief. Proof of vaccination or an approved exemption for new employees will be verified prior to the first day of employment. Failure to provide proof of vaccination or receipt of an approved exemption will lead to withdrawal of the job offer.
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