Sr Planner

HOK is a collective of future-forward thinkers and designers who are driven to face the critical challenges of our time. We are dedicated to improving people's lives, serving our clients and healing the planet. Together, we cultivate a culture of design excellence at the confluence of art and science, blending the power of creative expression with a clear sense of purpose.

Participate in all phases of large-scale projects for a variety of clients. Capable of selling and delivering a range of services in a variety of client situations.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Lead entitlement strategies for major master-planned, mixed-use, and institutional projects, navigating Bay Area municipal and regional approval processes.
• Coordinate CEQA compliance, including scoping technical studies from consultants.
• Manage and collaborate with diverse stakeholder groups, including city staff, elected officials, community organizations, developers, and institutional partners.
• Provide strategic advice to clients and internal teams on entitlement pathways, regulatory requirements, and risk management.
• Uses advanced knowledge of planning to contribute towards the success of the team, and the project.
• Manages planning projects, guides internal teams and consultants towards firmwide project excellence and problem solving.
• Develops a deep understanding of client's program requirements and regulatory standards and policies. Directs selection of appropriate key performance metrics to guide project and support client project goals and ensures their integration into project decision making and documentation.
• Strategic application of advanced understanding of planning benchmarks and precedents, for a range of project types, based on extensive professional experience, towards project and client needs.
• Leads planning concepts, strategy, creative direction and project organization for project teams.
• Uses advanced knowledge of planning concepts and controls for a range of planning project types to guide team approaches to the creation and modification of planning documents, drawings and performs advanced calculations, ensuring the incorporation of project intent.
• Coordinates all aspects of planning project deliverables, including defining and controlling scope of work, schedules and workplans to guide clients and project teams. Effectively coordinates with outside project and consulting partners towards project goals.
• Displays critical thinking and creativity in initiating planning approaches, manages the creation and modification of planning documents and ensures incorporation of project intent.
• Leads team strategy for planning frameworks, systems diagrams and conceptual plans under guidance of Regional Lead / PIC. Provides creative direction, providing outlines and structure for project teams. Develops content for external presentation. Demonstrates advanced understanding of the relationship between project and feasibility.
• Assesses and directs planning process and team workflow improvements, incorporates integrated sustainable project solutions and promotes best practices in project thinking in project deliverables.
• Directs planning concepts based on advanced knowledge of site planning strategies. Ability to articulate impacts to overall district composition based on changes in plan components.
• Ability to anticipate entitlement requirements and guide teams, consultants and clients towards compliant project solutions.
• Leads articulate and effective project-related client, public and/or professional presentations. Guides collaborative team project meetings and consultant meetings.
• Guides multi-disciplinary teams and consultants towards incorporation of integrated Sustainable project solutions into projects.
• Leads multi-disciplinary teams to complete tasks on projects, within the scope of work, schedule, and budget, in an organized, timely and consistent way, with meeting agendas, minutes, action items and follow-up coordination.
• Ability to support team in prioritizing obligations based on task prioritization and understanding of contractual obligations and client expectations.
• Supports business development strategies led by others.
• Leads intra-company agreements, contracts and deliverables to assure HOK standards for project management are met.
• Leads efforts in developing and validating project approach, schedule, scope of work and staffing plans for team review.
• Assists in teaming strategy, consultant coordination and facilitates multi-discipline collaboration.
• Participates in interviews as subject matter expert.
• Ability to work on multiple projects simultaneously.
• Fosters a commitment to external and internal client service.
• Proactively engages staff and provides opportunities for professional growth.
• Manages project teams, provides innovative project solutions, fosters collaboration and demonstrates effective communication towards successful project delivery.
• Demonstrates effective conflict resolution techniques with clients, consultants and project team members.
• Assures HOK document QA/QC and Best Practice management standards are met.
• Archives documents appropriately showing strong project organizational and team management skills.
• Monitors performance of project team and approach to ensure quality standards and project goals are being met.

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE:

• Professional planner license (AICP or equivalent).
• Minimum 10 years of progressively responsible experience in land use planning, entitlement, and CEQA compliance.
• Demonstrated success advancing large-scale projects in the Bay Area, such as transit-oriented developments, sports driven master plans, corporate campuses, life science campuses, healthcare facilities, universities, or other institutional developments.
• Expertise in CEQA processes, including management of EIRs and technical studies.
• Familiarity with SB 330 and related California housing legislation preferred.
• Strong leadership, organizational, and communication skills with the ability to guide complex teams and facilitate stakeholder consensus.
• Proven ability to translate master planning visions into implementable, entitlement-ready projects
• LEED credential required within 12 months of employment

SKILLS & COMPETENCIES:

• Advanced knowledge of typical planning concepts, real estate development parameters and a range of building typologies towards best practices in placemaking strategies.
• Advanced knowledge of planning controls and benchmarks to inform project data and performance metrics. Intermediate understanding of external government and agency approval processes.
• Advanced knowledge of site planning strategies and ability to research, apply and incorporate those strategies into conceptual site projects, guidelines, standards and other project documents.
• Advanced knowledge of technical planning elements and ability to understand, coordinate and effectively interpret consultant team members input in providing project team direction.
• Advanced knowledge of sustainability, integrated project and LEED guidelines.
• Advanced knowledge of QA/QC process.
• Proficiency in AutoCAD and Rhino required.
• Proficiency in MS Office, including Word, Outlook and Excel required.
• Proficiency in Grasshopper and Enscape preferred.
• Proficiency in Affinity or Adobe Creative Suite and Bluebeam Revu preferred.
• Proficiency in GIS data and mapping software preferred.
• Ability to communicate both verbally and in writing.
• Ability to work in a team environment and effectively meet deadlines.

OTHER:

• Travel may be required
• Overtime may be required
• The job duties and requirements that this document describes may be altered or supplemented at any time at the sole discretion of HOK.

Many of our roles require the use of specific software. Please refer to the Required and Preferred Software & Skills for details.

HOK invests in its people and communities, supporting both personal and professional growth through every stage of life. At HOK you'll have a hybrid work environment, 10 paid holidays (including 2 floating holidays) and a minimum of 4 weeks of paid time off with a cash out option. HOK offers comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage, free mental wellness resources, life and AD&D coverage and short and long-term disability benefits. HOK supports your growing family by offering 4 weeks of paid parental leave and fertility coverage. HOK helps to fund your future financial needs with matching contributions to our 401(K) plan which includes a well-rounded investment menu as well as free guidance on retirement planning.

Wherever you are in your career, HOK provides opportunities to learn, develop and utilize your skills. Continued learning is promoted through financial support and study prep for licensure exams, CEU credit opportunities, mentorship programs, and paid professional memberships. To learn more about designing your career with HOK, explore our current job openings.

HOK is an EOE, including disability/vets.

Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Compensation is based on experience, qualifications, education and location. The reasonably expected salary range for this position is $115,000 to $140,000. Other compensation may include a discretionary bonus.

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