Senior Planner

About the role

Represent the City of Redmond and its values of service, integrity, accountability, belonging, and stewardship. Lead multi-disciplinary initiatives supporting stormwater and watershed elements of Redmond 2050 Comprehensive Plan and Redmond’s Environmental Sustainability Action Plan, focusing on protecting, restoring, and enhancing natural water systems while meeting net-zero and climate resilience goals.

Responsibilities

• Define, scope, and manage watershed and stormwater basin planning projects—including watershed prioritization, BMP selection, and rehabilitation strategies from Redmond’s Watershed Plan.
• Draft tailored watershed plans integrating stormwater retrofits, habitat restoration, monitoring, outreach, and programmatic activities to improve stream health.
• Coordinate interdisciplinary teams to implement regional stormwater facilities and champion low-impact development (LID) strategies aligned with the Environmental Sustainability Action Plan (ESAP) and municipal regulations.
• Oversee NPDES Stormwater Management Action Plan (SMAP) and Stormwater Management for Existing Development (SMED) program delivery, ensuring compliance with state permit requirements.
• Lead long-range watershed planning and community engagement, collaborating on Redmond’s Storm and Surface Water Systems Plan (SSWSP) to prioritize flood prevention, habitat restoration, and stormwater infrastructure investments.
• Collaborate on identifying, prioritizing, and managing stormwater capital improvement projects (CIP), including stormwater retrofits.
• Engage community and interest groups through public meetings, outreach campaigns (e.g., Adopt-A-Drain), and educational efforts supporting ESAP goals and fostering stewardship of watersheds and stormwater systems.
• Coordinate with regional partners on restoration, mitigation, and stormwater planning initiatives.
• Provide consultant and grant sourcing, scope development, contract administration, budget coordination, implementation, deliverable oversight, and reporting.
• Analyze hydrologic, water quality, and habitat data using qualitative and quantitative methods to refine project scopes, model watershed conditions, and support capital planning.
• Communicate complex technical issues clearly through reports, visual materials, and presentations for city leadership, elected officials, partner agencies, and the public.
• Serve as a technical lead, applying independent professional judgment to integrate watershed health, stormwater management, and regulatory compliance into recommendations advancing Redmond’s vision for a resilient, sustainable water environment.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in urban planning, urban design and development, architecture, landscape architecture, geography, environmental science, natural resources management, transportation, public policy, engineering, or related discipline. Master's degree preferred.
• Four (4) to six (6) years of professional experience in the above fields. Any equivalent combination of education, experience, and training that provides the required knowledge, skills, and abilities.
• Valid Washington State Driver's License and a driving record that meets city standards.

Skills

• Demonstrated knowledge of stormwater and watershed systems, including regulatory requirements such as the Western Washington NPDES Phase II permit or similar environmental regulatory programs.
• Ability to manage projects and programs throughout their full lifecycle, developing and implementing work that advances strategic goals and improves stormwater and watershed outcomes.
• Experience establishing and maintaining effective working relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including interdisciplinary teams, consultants, regulatory agencies, and community members.
• Understanding of budgetary principles and practices, including coordinating with financial analysis teams and integrating fiscal considerations into planning documents.
• Skilled in communicating complex and sometimes contentious technical topics clearly and effectively in written, oral, and graphic formats to staff, elected officials, and the public.
• Ability to plan, organize, and manage workload to meet deadlines and quality expectations across multiple concurrent projects.
• Ability to define and conduct research, gather, evaluate, and synthesize data to inform recommendations and decision-making.
• Competence in performing and interpreting qualitative and quantitative analyses supporting strategic planning, regulatory compliance, and project development.
• Ability to prepare clear, actionable recommendations consistent with City operational policies and applicable federal, state, and local regulations.
• Skilled in presenting recommendations and resolving issues in public settings with diverse groups, including councils, commissions, and community stakeholders.
• Ability to work independently, conduct research, analyze information, and develop well-supported recommendations for program or process improvements.

Benefits

• Medical Insurance: Choice of two plans (Premera or Kaiser Permanente) for employees and eligible dependents; all employee healthcare premiums paid by the City of Redmond.
• Prescription Drug Insurance: Included with each medical plan.
• Dental Insurance: For employees and eligible dependents.
• Vision Insurance: For employees and eligible dependents.
• Other Insurance: Life, accidental death & dismemberment, short- and long-term disability, and optional employee-paid voluntary life insurance.
• Flexible Spending Accounts: For tax savings on healthcare and dependent care expenses.
• Paid Vacation & Holidays: 13 paid holidays per year.
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
• Retirement Plans: Department of Retirement Systems (DRS) plus additional options including Municipal Employees Benefit Trust (Social Security replacement plan) and MetLife 457 Plan.
• Annual COLA adjustments and merit increases of up to 5%.