Senior Planner
Highland Planning is western New York’s premier community development firm. Our firm specialties are public outreach, commercial district revitalization, grant writing, and research management. We are seeking a full-time Senior Planner to design and manage creative and innovative public engagement processes for transportation, planning, and community revitalization projects in New York. This is a professional position that requires effective facilitation skills, strong writing skills, and the ability to develop, build and maintain working relationships with firm colleagues, clients, business groups, neighborhood groups, municipal officials and the general public.

We are a creative and collaborative team, and we are seeking someone who matches our firm culture. The firm's key values are:
1. Honor people.
2. Go to them.
3. Follow through (quickly).
4. Make it sparkle.

Duties & Responsibilities


• Manage the public participation component of transportation infrastructure improvements projects, comprehensive plans, corridor studies and commercial district revitalization strategies
• Coordinate, schedule, facilitate and summarize project advisory committee meetings, public meetings, and working groups
• Conduct stakeholder interviews and focus groups
• Manage stakeholder databases
• Develop and implement communications plans for neighborhood commercial corridors, cities and towns, as well as statewide projects
• Prepare public outreach summary presentations and reports
• Write and manage successful grant applications for housing rehabilitation, façade, and infrastructure projects
• Monitor project budgets and consultant contracts, and develop progress reports
• Cultivate relationships with new and existing clients and consultant partners
• Respond to requests for proposals and develop marketing materials
• Represent Highland Planning at project interviews

Skills & Qualifications


• Graduate degree in communications, urban planning, public policy, and/or business management or equivalent amount of education and experience
• Five to seven years of experience in a relevant planning sector, such as public relations, urban planning, or communications
• At least five years of experience with public engagement and meeting facilitation
• Excellent verbal communication skills and the ability to effectively deliver presentations to small and large groups
• Strong writing skills with ability to write at both a technical level and strategic level for program updates, consulting reports, PowerPoint presentations and funding applications

• Excellent project management skills with experience organizing and managing large committees, and developing project consulting scope of services, budget monitoring and progress reporting
• Exceptional client liaison skills, with ability to maintain regular and effective engagement with key stakeholders, city government contacts and prime consultant Project Managers 

• Desire and ability to work independently in a self-directed environment, prioritizing workload to meet deadlines
• GIS, graphic design skills and knowledge of effective public outreach strategies using social media, electronic surveys and other web-based formats or applications are a plus
• Experience with transportation infrastructure, housing, and community development is a plus
• Willingness to travel 1-2 days/week

To Apply


This position is open to all qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, marital status, or status as a veteran. Send cover letter, resume, and a writing sample that describes your public engagement philosophy to Tanya Zwahlen at tanya@highland-planning.com . Please specify “Senior Planner Application” in email title. Applications will be reviewed as they are received.











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​820 South Clinton Avenue #3
​Rochester, NY 14620
​585.315.1834
​www.highland-planning.com