Senior Planner at Westwood Professional Services, Inc.

New Orleans, Louisiana, United States -

Full Time

Start Date

Immediate

Expiry Date

28 Apr, 26

Salary

0.0

Posted On

28 Jan, 26

Experience

10 year(s) or above

Remote Job

Yes

Telecommute

Yes

Sponsor Visa

Skills

Urban Planning, Project Management, Resilience Planning, Grant Writing, GIS Analysis, Data Analysis, Community Engagement, Land Use Planning, Zoning Ordinances, Sustainability, Climate Adaptation, Stakeholder Management, Quality Assurance, Technical Writing, Data Integration, Public Policy

Industry

Engineering Services

Description

Description Westwood Professional Services, Inc. is seeking a Senior Planner responsible for performing an active role in managing and delivering multiple planning projects focused on building community development and resilience, developing materials for product deliverables, identifying strategic solutions to community challenges, and mentoring other planning staff and collaborating with multiple other disciplines to bring planning projects to excellent conclusions. This technical role serves CSRS clients by transforming their challenges into opportunities by developing the plans and defined projects and the associated competitive funding proposals to implement them. The Senior Planner partners with clients to help them come to decisions to move their resilience efforts forward. The Senior Planner works closely with team members across CSRS’s disciplines to meet project deadlines and lead planning activities and staff for our clients. Requirements Leads the development and implementation of resilience, sustainability, and climate adaptation plans for communities, infrastructure systems, and organizations. Integrates resilience principles into land use, infrastructure, hazard mitigation, and comprehensive planning efforts. Assesses vulnerabilities of critical assets, infrastructure, and natural systems to climate, hazard, and socio-economic risks. Identifies and prioritizes resilience and mitigation projects based on risk reduction potential, cost-effectiveness, and co-benefits. Establishes and maintains primary contacts and positive relationships with clients and stakeholders. Delivers content and provides guidance and perspective for a variety of planning and resilience initiatives for the firm. Attends, participates, and/or facilitates public meetings and community engagement activities, in support of projects. Assists in the development of and/or revisions to land use and zoning ordinances in support of community goals. Manages production of project deliverables, including data analysis, and data integration to support grants and plans, projects, and reports. Conducts research and analysis on the history, structure, objectives, programs and financial needs of clients. Assists in spatial data acquisition, data conversion, and spatial/data analysis. Assists in data creation, georeferencing, editing, integration, and distribution to support communities’ planning and grants application activities. Assist in a variety of map making/data-related tasks to support community planning and grant application activities. Performs GIS analysis and assists in the review of more advanced geo-spatial analysis. Supports the content development for grant proposal efforts if/when needed. Shares knowledge and information with team members to improve processes and services for the betterment of the team and our clients. Provides strategic advice to clients on successful approaches and problem resolution methodologies. Support team efforts to deliver quick turn arounds on nationally competitive grant submissions which could include: NOFO compliance, preliminary scoping, engineering, mapping and data analysis, benefit cost analysis, narrative development, state and federal agency engagement, desktop environmental reviews and other relevant items. Other duties as assigned. Financial Responsibilities Effectively and efficiently estimates, tracks, and reports program/project costs. Oversees and manages program/project revenue and profitability. Manages the Accounts Receivable ledger with the client, including coordinating with the Client Manager to assist in collections of overdue amounts. Oversees and manages consultant/sub-consultant team member invoices and managing A/P. Tracks and manage time and budget against as-bid baseline for assigned projects. Reviews and approves line-item budget expenditures for assigned projects. Operations Responsibilities Reviews plans and other deliverables and provide quality control / quality assurance. Identifies scope of project and develop documents outlining key program objectives, goals, plans, requirements, estimates, schedules, and budgets. Ensures estimates of time, cost, performance level, and materials are accurate and meet program requirements. Makes modifications to plans and schedules as necessary. Coordinates with other practice areas within the firm to ensure programs/projects satisfy compliance obligations. Prepares and participates in quality review checks. Responsible for coordinating all program/projects communications with internal and external stakeholders. Manages general project administration including contracts, risk management, billing and accounts receivable. Responsible for on-going communications and formal project reviews with the, Practice Lead, Client Manager, and Resilience & Recovery Delivery Group Lead. Manages team members and sub-consultants’ performance. Minimum Qualifications Education: Bachelor’s degree in urban planning, Public Policy, Landscape Architecture, Architecture, or related field. A master’s degree in related fields is desired. Experience: 12+ years of experience in urban planning, master planning, resilience planning, grant writing, project management, or related field. AICP and/or ASLA certification is preferred. Additional Requirements: If the candidate is not already AICP certified, must be committed to become certified as a Planner through the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP). Core Competencies Ability to accurately prepare plan documents and reports within a project deadline. Ability to communicate clearly in writing and verbally. Ability to work effectively with peers and in a team setting as well as independently. Ability to review and understand, draft, and revise land use and zoning ordinances. Ability to define and produce deliverables and execute initiatives on a range of planning projects (i.e., comprehensive, land use, parks and recreation, capital (infrastructure and facilities, downtown, historic preservation, etc.) Ability to define and execute a range of public processes to inform planning goals, objectives and deliverables Thorough understanding of diverse community and regional planning theories and practice Technical Skills Working knowledge to proficient knowledge of current planning and rendering software, such as ArcGIS, Civil 3D in AutoCAD, Photoshop, InDesign, SketchUp, or others Proficient in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook) About Westwood Professional Services, Inc. (Westwood) At Westwood, our purpose is to create a better world for people through our work. We transform the energy grid, design resilient infrastructure, and develop communities that will flourish today and for future generations. With over 50 years of experience and a legacy of innovation, we stand at the forefront of our industry, dedicated to understanding the unique needs of the markets we serve. Our approach revolves around people. We are committed to building a culture that attracts, retains, and develops high performers. Our team values relationships, innovation, dedication, initiative, and growth. We believe fostering a collaborative “One Team” mentality yields superior outcomes in everything we do. We customize our technical capabilities and geographic reach to meet our clients where they are and help them realize their vision. We are partners in our clients’ success, driving to provide solutions that make a lasting difference. Safety, sustainability, and operational excellence are not just facets of our work; they are intrinsic to our identity, guiding every decision we make. We are deeply invested in the communities we serve. Through our projects and giving-back initiatives, we enrich the lives of those we serve, engage others within our industry, and create a lasting impact on communities around the world. To us, success transcends the completion of projects; it is reflected in the lives we have positively impacted by our work. Join us in creating a better world. In 2025, Westwood was recognized as #77 on the ENR Top 500 Design Firms. Additionally, Westwood was ranked #5 for ENR's Top Design Firm for Solar, #6 for Battery Storage, and #3 for Wind (2025). The firm consistently ranks on the industry's top 25 lists and receives recognition for its involvement in award-winning projects nationwide. Westwood provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws. We believe that diverse backgrounds strengthen our business. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.

Responsibilities

The Senior Planner will manage and deliver multiple planning projects focused on community development and resilience, while mentoring staff and collaborating with various disciplines. They will also develop strategic solutions to community challenges and assist clients in decision-making processes.