Associate or Senior Associate

Cascadia Partners seeks an Associate or Senior Associate with a genuine passion for zoning and development code — someone energized by the details of how to translate vision into regulations that influence the built environment. You will diagnose code issues, draft creative solutions, and engage communities in the process.

About the role

This role will focus on where vision and policy become implementable regulation. You will audit development codes to diagnose what is preventing the housing and development a community says it wants, engage the community and stakeholders in finding solutions, and draft the amendments that implement the community’s vision. Projects range from targeted code audits focused on specific issues to complete rewrites of an entire development code. This role will also have the opportunity to work on other types of projects in the firm’s portfolio, including urban analytics, comprehensive planning, urban design, and real estate feasibility.

Responsibilities

• Articulate community context and vision by visiting communities in person, facilitating stakeholder conversations, and reviewing past plans.
• Turn broad policy direction (e.g., housing affordability, sustainable urbanism, or community character) into practical code reforms.
• Diagnose where a code falls short by analyzing a city’s development code to understand barriers to desired development.
• Contribute to or lead code-focused projects, such as code audits, assessing barriers to housing development, statutory compliance updates, or full code rewrites. Responsibilities scale with experience:
  • Associate: Draft code and analysis under direction.
  • Senior Associate: Define project approaches, manage technical production and budgets, coordinate subconsultants, and serve as the client-facing lead.
• Communicate ideas visually by producing compelling diagrams, illustrations, and renderings that show the impact of code changes.
• Engage the public and policymakers through hands-on workshops, public hearings, and other creative methods to shape code.
• Test development feasibility using pro forma modeling, sensitivity analysis, and affordability analysis to evaluate code changes.
• Draft clear, workable code amendments and translate them into precise legislative language for implementation.
• Shape better places through design standards that govern how buildings meet the street and create walkable neighborhoods.

Requirements

• Demonstrated interest in zoning and development code: A clear, evidenced passion for regulatory land use work, whether through coursework, projects, writing, or prior roles.
• Experience:
  • Associate: 2+ years in urban planning, land use, public policy, law, or a related field.
  • Senior Associate: 4+ years plus demonstrated project and people management.

Qualifications

• Familiarity with Oregon’s statewide planning framework and land use law.
• Comfort with GIS or quantitative analysis to support code work.
• Capability to tell a story with data, graphics, and visuals; knowledge of typography and graphic design principles.
• Experience using AI tools to augment analytical and creative work.
• Master’s degree in Urban Planning, Public Policy, Law (JD), Geography, or a related field — or equivalent professional experience.
• Ability to write (or learn to write) clear, precise, legally defensible code regulations and analytical documents.
• Working knowledge of the land use planning process, from setting broad goals to administering development review.
• Comfort reading and interpreting statutes, administrative rules, and dense development codes.
• Strong communication skills: clear, concise writing and presenting in client briefings and public settings.
• Precision and attention to detail required for regulatory writing.

Benefits

• Pay:
  • Associate: $70K–$85K
  • Senior Associate: $85K–$100K (based on experience)
• Every other Friday off (36-hour average workweek).
• Gold health, dental, and life insurance.
• 401(k) with 3% match.
• Professional development stipend.
• PTO: 4 weeks in year one (prorated), +1 week per year up to 8 weeks.
• 11 paid holidays.
• Paid parental leave (varies by state).