Director or Principal of Urban Planning and Design

Responsibilities

• Collaborative Teammate and Supervisor: Work as part of a cross-office, cross-discipline team that creates plans for neighborhoods, districts, campuses and communities of all sizes around California and across the United States.
• Member of the office management team and the firmwide Planning and Design leadership team: Coordinate with other Directors and Principals on the future of planning in Northern California and firmwide.
• Manage projects: Lead teams and work hands-on creating bold, innovative, and equitable planning and design solutions. Provide overarching project direction and oversight of work products; engage internal and external subconsultant and client teams; develop, review, and oversee scopes of work, budgets, and schedules.
• Contribute to high-quality planning documents and other deliverables; maintain client relationships; identify the correct course of action to the client; represent clients at public hearings and meetings; set the standards for excellence, responsiveness, and accountability.
• Provide thought leadership, ensure quality control, and mentor more junior staff in planning methods and best practices.
• Lead and implement marketing and business development strategies to grow our urban design and planning practice, such as identifying leads, preparing proposals, defining market gaps and new opportunities, strategic planning, attending conferences, and developing and maintaining client relationships.
• Lead and supervise staff; conduct business development; keep an eye on MIG’s vision, purpose, and reputation in the professional and regulatory community.

Qualifications

• A Bachelor’s degree in planning, community development, public policy, public administration, geography or a related field. (A Master’s degree in these or a complementary field is a plus.)
• Local or willing to relocate to the Berkeley area to participate in work directly with our teams and clients.
• At least ten (10) years of professional experience, in planning, community development, public policy, or a related field.
• Relevant consulting experience working directly with clients or public agencies in planning or a closely related field, overseeing project teams and producing plan documents; experience supervising staff is a plus.
• Demonstrated experience managing and overseeing private-sector projects, including maintaining compliance with project contracts, drafting and managing scopes budgets, and 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.
• Excellent skills and written and verbal communication. Experience developing and/or directing the development of graphics and documents is desirable.
• Software proficiency in the Microsoft Office Suite, and Adobe InDesign. Experience in the rest of the Adobe Creative Suite, ArcGIS/ArcPro, AutoCAD, and/or SketchUp is a plus.
• Ability to actively participate in or lead marketing and business development opportunities, develop proposals for prospective projects, 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.

How to Apply

If this position sounds like a fit for your skillsets and you are passionate about creating and improving communities to be more equitable and inclusive, we would love to hear from you! Please email your resume, portfolio, and a cover letter to careers@migcom.com, and include “Berkeley PADS Director” in the subject line.