Assistant Planner

BKF is a multi-service infrastructure consulting firm providing civil engineering, construction management, environmental, planning, and surveying services across California, the Pacific Northwest, and beyond. With offices throughout California and the Portland area, BKF has served transportation, water resources, land development, government, and federal clients for over 110 years.

At BKF, you’ll find a unique opportunity to grow your career with intention. Our culture values professional autonomy, innovation, and meaningful collaboration across offices. We are proud to be recognized with the Great Place to Work certification for the second year in a row.

The Assistant Planner supports public-sector planning departments by providing professional-level assistance on a variety of planning, zoning, and policy-related activities. This role focuses on assisting with day-to-day planning functions, supporting agency staff, and contributing to a range of current and long-range planning projects. The Assistant Planner works collaboratively with planners, agency staff, and community stakeholders to help ensure planning initiatives are implemented in accordance with applicable regulations, policies, and best practices. The position is well-suited for an early-career planning professional seeking hands-on experience in municipal and agency-based planning environments, with exposure to development review, policy implementation, and community planning efforts.

Responsibilities

• Manages and supports front counter planning efforts with various public planning departments
• Writes staff reports, resolutions, ordinances, and presents them to commissions, boards, and councils
• Assists in support of a range of planning projects and/or multi-agency/multi-jurisdictional planning efforts
• Support the development of long-term and short-term plans, programs, goals, and policies involving city/region wide planning initiatives, public transportation systems, economic development, etc.
• Participates in the development and maintenance of the General Plan and other specialized city plans and ensures planning programs/projects are consistent with city planning principles/criteria, applicable regulations, and other relevant factor
• Serves as a consultant to citizen groups, and other stakeholders related to planning policies/standards, issues, processes, procedures, zoning/rezoning issues, ordinance changes, and environmental regulations
• Facilitates meetings and/or presentations to bring together interested stakeholders to discuss proposed planning initiatives, assess obstacles, evaluate opposing views and interests, and determine areas of support
• Designs and conducts research to collect and assemble original data from land use maps, plans, reports, and surveys and uses data to define issues, assess trends, make recommendations, and identify relationships among disparate data, issues, and positions

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with a major in Urban Planning, Environmental Science, Biology, or a related field
• Minimum of 1 year of experience in planning
• A high energy, passionate, results-oriented team player
• Ability to handle critical conversations with internal staff, managers and leaders
• Anticipative and forward thinking
• Valid California Class C driver's license and an acceptable driver’s record are required

Physical Demands: Must be able to regularly talk, hear and operate a computer, keyboard and mouse and occasionally lift, pull/push and carry up to 20 pounds with accommodations.

Work Conditions: Exposure to constant or intermittent sounds at a low or moderate level consistent with an office setting. Exposure to high-stress, fast-paced, deadline-oriented environment. Travel to other BKF locations and client sites may be required.

• The typical base salary range for this position is $29.00 - $42.00 per hour and will vary depending on skills, experience, education, and geographical location. This is an hourly position, paid biweekly.
• Competitive salaries, profit sharing, and 401k.
• Generous paid time off packages.
• 9 Paid Holidays.
• Flexible schedules.
• Education reimbursement, Paid annual dues for professional and societal organizations.
• BKF offers competitive and award-winning benefits and perks. To learn more click here.

BKF provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

BKF does not accept unsolicited resumes from recruiters or employment agencies. In the event a recruiter or agency submits a resume or candidate without a previously signed agreement and a specific solicitation for the position or other approved engagement request for the position with BKF, BKF reserves the right to pursue and hire those candidate(s) without any financial obligation to the recruiter or agency. Any unsolicited submittals are done at the risk of the recruiter.

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