Principal or Director of Planning
We are excited to be growing our planning team in Brooklyn and are seeking a leadership role for an experienced Principal or Director of Planning to join our team of planners, urban designers, landscape architects, and civil engineers.
MIG supports a hybrid office/remote schedule and encourages in-person work for learning and team-building opportunities. Leaders at MIG should work in the office at least twice per week to lead teams, provide mentorship, and contribute to office culture. Proof of up-to-date COVID-19 vaccination is required.
Responsibilities
- Collaborative Teammate: You will work as part of a cross-office, cross-discipline team that creates plans for neighborhoods, districts and communities of all sizes around Colorado and across the U.S. You will also be a member of the Brooklyn office management team and the firmwide Planning and Design leadership team where you will coordinate with other Directors and Principals on the future of planning firmwide.
- Project Oversight: You will be leading teams as well as working directly to create bold, innovative, and equitable planning solutions. This role is expected to provide thought leadership, ensure quality control, and mentor more junior staff in planning methods and best practices.
- Project Work: Principals and Directors at MIG work hands-on on our projects by contributing to high-quality planning documents and other deliverables; maintaining client relationships; identifying the correct course of action to the client; representing clients at public hearings and meetings; and set the standards for excellence, responsiveness, and accountability. In addition, you will manage projects directly by providing overarching project direction and oversight of work products; work with project managers to engage internal and external subconsultant and client teams; and develop, review and oversee scopes of work, budgets, and schedules.
- Project Types: The projects you will typically work on may include citywide comprehensive plans, small area, neighborhood and downtown plans, housing strategies, parks and recreation system plans, and inclusive community engagement. As a leader, there are also ample opportunities to help influence the types of planning work the team pursues and grow into new marketplaces and geographies.
- Client Relationships: You will help build and maintain strong, responsive client interactions by developing and maintaining relationships, developing and implementing marketing strategies, preparing proposals, and helping to define market gaps and new opportunities.
- Leadership Role: Directors and Principals are leaders at MIG, working together with staff to: mentor and train, ensure effective project management, conduct business development, and keep an eye on MIG’s vision, purpose, and reputation in the professional and regulatory community. You will also help facilitate firmwide collaboration for the team, level workloads, lead team meetings, and may supervise staff and complete performance reviews.
MIG works on projects nationwide; some travel, evening, and weekend work will be required for community engagement or to meet deadlines. MIG encourages a work-life balance, and these excess hours can be offset during the week when possible.
Qualifications
To accomplish the responsibilities above, you can manage competing priorities, think critically and creatively, work as part of a collaborative team in an open work environment, and maintain a sense of humor and camaraderie. In addition, you have some combination of the following qualifications:
- A Bachelor’s degree in planning, community development, public policy, geography or a related field. A Master’s degree in a complementary field is a plus.
- This is a senior-level, leadership position which typically requires a minimum of fifteen (15) or more years of professional consulting experience in planning, community development, public policy, and experience producing plan documents.
- Demonstrated experience managing and overseeing private-sector projects, including maintaining compliance with project contracts, drafting and managing scopes budgets, maintaining schedules, as well as working with clients and partners to execute project work.
- The ability to prepare and deliver effective public presentations, lead working meetings, and speak easily and clearly in front of groups and facilitate client and stakeholder meetings.
- You can communicate effectively in written and verbal form amongst team members, clients, and developers to coordinate work assignments, deliverables, and deadlines.
- Software proficiency in Microsoft Office and Adobe InDesign. Experience in the Adobe Creative Suite, ArcGIS/Pro, CAD, or SketchUp is a plus. Experience developing and/or directing the development of graphics is desirable.
- Ability to actively participate in or lead marketing and business development opportunities, develop proposals, participate in interviews, and develop and maintain potential client and partner relationships.
- An ability to develop collaborative, productive, and respectful relationships with community members, organizations, and partners.
- You are local or willing to relocate to the Brooklyn area.
- As a plus, you are bilingual with Spanish or another non-English language.