Planning Associate may be the official job title, but Visionary is more like it. We’re looking for people with the ability to delivery premium quality written work, who are as comfortable designing a site plan as they are crunching numbers for a cash flow analysis, and at the end of the day can confidently present a completed 40 page planning product in front of a school superintendent or a board of elected officials.

It’s your job, as a Planning Associate, to build and manage the various planning components that will engage, impress, and satisfy public school district clients operating in a dynamic funding, demographic, and political environment. If you’re an innovative thinker, a master strategic planner, and an energetic go-getter, then you could be a key player in planning the renaissance of public education in the 21st century.

Key Qualifications
• Adaptable and flexible by nature, you’re composed and collected as you balance the diverse needs of assigned projects in the midst of a constantly active work environment.
• You’re self-motivated and self-directed, and can adhere to a rapid-paced work schedule.
• You’re not uncomfortable working 10 hours on a typical work day and are available when client demands call for working late into the evening or showing up at a weekend meeting.
• You have a proven ability through past work to drive positive client experiences that build loyalty and deliver measurable results.
• You have superior written and graphic communication skills to clearly impart the planning vision, as well as effective time management, quality control, and ease of writing rapidly, yet accurately.
• You’re passionate about delivering excellent final products and willing to learn and embrace the guidelines behind CFW’s unique style of service.
• You’re attentive to details that matter and will notice an errant comma or a logo that isn’t quite centered, but won’t use an hour on an email that could be answered by a 5 minute phone call.

Job Description & Functions
CFW is currently seeking a Planning Associate for its Emeryville, California office. This position is responsible for providing a broad range of analytical support, guidance, and production of original planning work, under the direction of the Assistant Vice President for Planning Services. The Planning Associate performs several complex and professional-level duties, and well prepared candidates typically have at least 3 years of professional work experience as well as a bachelors and masters degree in fields related to planning or public policy. Candidates who possess an AICP certification and experience working in consulting for public sector clients will be considered favorably.

Essential job functions are listed below, though this list is not to be construed as exclusive or all inclusive. Other duties may be required and assigned as business demands change.
Planning
• Directs, coordinates, reviews and participates in collecting data, performing analysis, formulating plan documents, and producing implementation materials.
• Efficiently produces original content for clients through a process-driven planning approach focused on improving academic achievement and the functionality of school sites
• Reviews and coordinates assigned school facility, enrollment, demographic, circulation, environmental, or cost estimation studies.
• Coordinates work products needed to assemble final plans for review and adoption by clients and various public committees.
• Evaluates plans for compliance and compatibility with other local/regional plans for education, technology, mobility, etc.
• Prepares and analyzes reports, studies, findings, letters, memos, public notices, etc., as needed to support CFW internal operations or client needs.
• Represents CFW at public meetings to explain planning status and function, as directed
• Coordinates planning activities with other CFW team members
• Assists in development and implementation of planning goals, policies and priorities and functions
• Consults with developers, architects and state agencies regarding applications, regulations, processes, standards and directives.
• Informs team members about relevant planning policies at the local, county, state, and Federal level

Client Support
• Develops and standardizes templates, style-guides, models, and written policies and procedures for use by CFW team members and clients
• Participates in financial analysis with support from CFW’s Financial Advisory team members, including reviewing financing sources, assessing bonding and taxing capacity, and identifying opportunities for funding and/or financing
• Analyzes district eligibility and assists in completing necessary applications for State and Federal education grant programs, such as State Aid funding, including but not limited to:
- State School Facility Program New Construction/Modernization grants
- City-School Joint-Use Funding
- Federal/State/Local agency grants
• Reviews contracts for services and monitors performance in meeting client needs.
• Maintains knowledge of advanced planning principles and practice, current developments, literature and information sources; research methods, and laws and ordinances regarding plans, development review, education policy, zoning, land division and environmental review.

Client Development
• Analyzes client opportunities and schedules client presentations, as needed
• Communicates opportunities to CFW Marketing/Sales Staff
• Prepares Marketing Materials and presentations
• Prepares responses to Requests for Qualifications/Proposals, as needed

Applicant Information

Job Location: Emeryville, CA (applicants may be interviewed in as well as considered for placement in our Los Angeles, CA office, but ability to relocate to Emeryville upon hire will be considered favorably)

Desired Start Date: Immediately

Compensation: Competitive compensation package and excellent benefits.

Required materials: Interested applicants should submit a cover letter, resume, and at least one sample of work to Jeremy Cogan, via email at: jcogan@cfwinc.com. Emails with attachments totaling more than 6 megabytes will be rejected by the server, so consider sending a sample of work using a separate DropBox, HighTail, or FTP link.

Resume: Please limit to 1 page

Resume: Please limit to 1-2 pages

Sample of Work: Please meet the following criteria:
• A professionally completed plan, study, or analysis completed through private sector work for a paying client or through public sector work for a decision-making body
• Plans with a combination of narrative, graphics, and data are preferred
• School essays or short documents/memoranda produced during an internship are not sufficient, however a completed client project as part of a masters degree program that meets the above criteria is acceptable

Application Deadline: Preliminary application review will begin Monday, January 27, and applicants are highly encouraged to submit their materials before then.

Hiring Process: Applications will be reviewed in the order received. Suitable candidates will be called by phone to arrange an opportunity for an in person or Skype-based preliminary interview. Finalists may then be called to arrange a final interview.

Contact: Jeremy Cogan, via email at: jcogan@cfwinc.com. Direct any phone calls to 323-543-8317.

About CFW

Caldwell Flores Winters, Inc. (CFW) was founded in 1986 to plan and finance better public schools for California students. Our energetic team works to affect lasting improvement in academic achievement through facilities master planning, public finance, program planning and administration, and election services to over 140 K-12 and community college school district clients.

More information about CFW may be found at: http://www.cfwinc.com/