Job Description

Alta Planning + Design is seeking a Planning Associate II to join our team in Oakland, CA. If you are looking for an innovative organization that is an industry leader in active transportation, want to work with talented and passionate professionals, apply with us today!

About Alta

Alta Planning + Design is an active transportation company dedicated to creating active, healthy communities through planning, landscape architecture, engineering, and education/encouragement programs. Alta was founded in 1996 when cities and communities were calling for safer streets for people walking and bicycling as the non-motorized transportation movement developed into a profession in the United States. We pioneered the field of active transportation, evolving our planning and design work into a visionary global practice that empowers people to live active, healthy lives and getting them to where they need to go. Our core values and work bring about positive change by creating places that are geared toward moving people rather than cars, connecting community members to daily needs and human experience, and empowering every person to live an active healthy life. As a global leader in mobility innovation for over 24 years with 175 people on staff, we are dedicated to connecting people to places by working across disciplines and scale to address social justice, safety, and environmental resilience.

Position Priorities

A general knowledge of internal and external communication strategies and media relations, and the ability to meet competing priorities in a timely, accurate and complete manner is required in order to successfully meet the requirements of this position. The essential priorities of this exempt, salaried position are to:

• Directs others in performing a variety of writing, research, mapping, graphics, and similar tasks.
• Participates in and plans site visits and/or outreach activities.
• Integrates input from a broad range of stakeholders to create plans and programs that are representative of the communities we serve.
• Leads interdisciplinary team meetings and trainings, takes notes, and pursues follow-up activities.
• Leads internal systems such as service area and Planning discipline work.
• Conducts business development activities and proposal work.
• Serves as Project Manager on mid-sized projects, Assistant Project Manager on large ones, or Task Lead for specialized roles.
• May manage and mentor other staff, supporting their professional development.
• Conducts QA/QC on deliverables.
• Support Alta\xe2\x80\x99s work with multi-school programs, lead walk audits, facilitate community outreach, engage with school stakeholders, and work alongside community-based teaming partners to deliver SRTS programming in urban, suburban and rural communities
• Solidify Alta\xe2\x80\x99s reputation as a national leader in SRTS and active transportation planning, and contribute to the continued growth and success of our outstanding SRTS practice.

Responsibilities + Tasks

Additional responsibilities of this position include, but are not limited to:

• Independently applies a thorough knowledge of current planning practices and project management techniques.
• Develops standards and guidelines for routine tasks.
• Leads task delivery processes for general planning and/or service area work.
• May lead internal trainings on general planning topics and/or service area topics.
• Mentors more junior staff in planning processes.
• Works on projects of larger complexity and scope.
• Delegates work clearly and exercises oversight over delegated tasks.
• Mentors less senior staff in the development of their own technical proficiencies.
• Deploys innovative approaches to projects that advance the state of practice.
• Acts as Project Manager on small/medium sized projects, including project planning, staffing decisions, budget tracking, and invoicing.
• Serves as Assistant Project Manager on large, complex projects with large budgets and/or several subconsultants.
• Serves as the primary point of contact for client.
• Implements and adheres to the QA/QC processes, as defined by the technical service areas applicable to the project.
• Leads proposal, interview, and negotiation efforts, with support from Principal in Charges.

Requirements

This position requires a combination of skills, experience, and education, including, but not limited to:

• Bachelor\xe2\x80\x99s or master\xe2\x80\x99s degree in planning, environmental science, architecture, or related field
• Nine (9) or more years of experience in consulting
• General understanding of the proposal development process for private and public agencies
• Exhibits strong initiative, ability to manage competing priorities, multiple simultaneous projects involving cross-functional teams, and the ability to work independently with little supervision
• Exhibits accuracy, attention to detail and strong organizational skills
• Good interpersonal, written and verbal communication skills
• Proficient with Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint; Google Workspace apps; Adobe Acrobat; has least basic understanding of MS Project and Deltek.
• Proficient with ArcGIS Pro software, workflows for cartography, and basic data management

Preferred Skills + Certifications

There are a number of additional skills, experience, and education that would be beneficial to this position including, but not limited to:

• Master\xe2\x80\x99s degree preferred
• AICP Certification preferred but not required
• Member of professional practice organization; national board member or officer; national technical or policy committee member.
• Actively participates in professional associations and conferences, and builds client/contact network.
• Experience working with pedestrian education and other on-site school engagement activities

What We Offer

Compensation The pay range for this job in Oakland, CA is $100,000 \xe2\x80\x93 $140,000 annually. Placement within the range is based upon experience, skill-sets, and qualifications. 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.
• 401k: Alta provides a safe harbor match up to 4%.
• PTO: 21 days accrued annually to start.
• Holidays: 11 total company paid holidays
• Additional benefits: Wellness reimbursement up to $800 annually, Alta Gets Around reimbursement of $900 annually, 5-year travel award, and professional development opportunities.

To apply: please upload a resume and cover letter to be considered for this position. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Due to the high volume of applicants we will not be able to respond to email or phone inquiries. 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\xe2\x80\x99s 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\xe2\x80\x99s) 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\xe2\x80\x99re 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.

The \xe2\x80\x9cApply For This Position\xe2\x80\x9d button will direct you to Pinpoint, our external applicant tracking system hosted with our Trilon partners. To learn more about Alta\xe2\x80\x99s partnership with Trilon click here.