Associate Planner - Transportation

Shoreline is an inclusive City that endeavors to build a work culture which embraces diversity, encourages participation, and promotes equity.

Shoreline is a growing and diversifying community of over 60,000 people located directly north of Seattle in King County, Washington. The City is in the midst of an exciting transformation, with two recently opened light rail stations and a recently adopted Comprehensive Plan which sets the policy direction for the City’s growth for the next 20 years.

At the City of Shoreline, you will be part of the team at the forefront of this transformation. The City is committed to an aggressive reduction of greenhouse gas emissions through Resolution 494 and the recently adopted Climate Action Plan.

Shoreline recently declared its commitment to becoming an actively anti-racist city by passing Resolution 467 and working to understand how undoing racism in all forms shows up in city policies and services.

The Transportation team is committed to bringing the vision of a welcoming, equitable, sustainable, and safe community into being through responsible management, improvement, and expansion of transportation infrastructure and supportive programs. Our six-person team is involved in all aspects of planning, engineering, maintenance and operations affecting transportation facilities in Shoreline.

Our team routinely works with a broad variety of stakeholders including all departments in the City, the general public, elected officials, public agencies, businesses, private consultants, and developers, providing technical guidance and support to ensure impacts and changes to our transportation system and the way it’s used are aligned with plans and leading industry standards.

A collaborative, solution-oriented attitude is essential to this work.

The Associate Planner (Transportation) works under the direction of the Transportation Manager in Public Works and plays a critical role supporting the creation and implementation of long-range and short-range transportation planning efforts, such as the Transportation Master Plan and the City’s strategic transportation safety plan.

This position also supports micromobility initiatives, management of the City’s bikeshare program, implementation of micromobility hubs, and developing funding strategies and alternatives for active transportation facility expansion and rehabilitation.

The successful candidate will enjoy a diversity of experiences in the transportation realm, will be adaptable to both autonomous and highly collaborative projects, and will have experience conducting policy research, supporting high-profile planning projects, performing and reviewing data analysis, making public presentations, and providing customer service.

DEFINITION

To participate in the development, implementation, monitoring, enforcement, evaluation, and modification of the City's land use, development, housing, environmental, and transportation activities; to perform a variety of planning or development functions relative to assigned area of responsibility.

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS

This is the full journey level class within the Planner series. Employees within this class are distinguished from the Assistant Planner by the performance of the full range of duties as assigned including complex plan regulation and strategy formulation and participating in the development of policies, programs, and regulations.

Employees at this level receive only occasional instruction or assistance as new or unusual situations arise, and are fully aware of the operating procedures and policies of the work unit.

This class is distinguished from the Senior Planner in that the latter assumes responsibility for larger, more complex planning or development projects and programs, for coordinating special planning or development studies, and serving as the staff liaison to commissions and boards.

SUPERVISION RECEIVED AND EXERCISED

Receives direction from supervisory or management staff.

ESSENTIAL AND MARGINAL FUNCTION STATEMENTS Essential and other important responsibilities and duties may include, but are not limited to, the following:

Essential Functions

• Develop, implement, interpret, evaluate, and modify the City's development code and planning documents.
• Conduct technical research and field studies; analyze and prepare reports and recommendations concerning legislation, regulations, and other planning related issues.
• Prepare proposed planning, development, or transportation policy legislation including supporting data.
• Assist in the development and implementation of planning studies, subarea plans, and functional plans supporting the City's planning or development activities; encourage public involvement in the development and implementation of plans and legislation.
• Provide information to residents, property owners, investors, real estate developers, and other parties regarding the City's planning or development policies, regulations, or activities.
• Attend meetings and make presentations to community advisory groups, the Planning Commission, Hearing Examiner, boards, regional forums, and the City Council regarding specific projects within assigned planning and development area.
• Meet with community representatives, advocates, and community members' committees to discuss problems and develop solutions; work with other public and private agencies to facilitate program implementation.
• Review special reports (e.g. Traffic Studies, Critical Area Studies); prepare staff reports, decision documents, letters, and public notifications regarding permit applications.
• Administer funding allocation and contracting processes including staffing residents' review committees, coordinating with other public and private funders, and communicating with applicants.
• Participate on and with community groups to implement city goals and policies.
• Administer and maintain agreements and contracts with public agencies, funding agencies, and private organizations; oversee and review the work of consultants and contracting agencies.

Marginal Functions

• May participate in intergovernmental committees on behalf of the Department to analyze, evaluate, and resolve public policy issues.
• Collect, interpret, and prepare reports and recommendations on court decisions affecting City planning.
• Provide assistance to other City staff as required.
• Perform related duties and responsibilities as required.

Knowledge of

• Principles, practices, theories, terminology, applications of urban and transportation planning.
• Principles and practices of data collection and analysis.
• Functional areas of planning and their relationships to the planning process.
• Methods and techniques used to create and maintain computer databases.
• Methods and techniques of public speaking.
• Principles of business letter writing and basic report preparation.
• Methods and techniques of public relations.
• Pertinent Federal, State, and local laws, codes, and regulations.
• Principles and practices of public administration and government organization.

Ability to

• Participate and work effectively in an organization committed to advancing principles and practices of equity and anti-racism.
• Participate in the development and modification of the City's Comprehensive Plan, development regulations, or other City planning and development activities.
• Conduct technical planning services research and field studies.
• Recommend revisions to City policies and regulations in area of responsibility.
• Identify and respond to sensitive community and organizational issues, concerns, and needs.
• Interpret and apply applicable Federal, State, and local policies, codes, laws, and regulations.
• Review and approve development permits and applications or other matters within area of responsibility.
• Prepare and present clear and concise reports.
• Administer and maintain agreements and contracts with various public agencies and consultants.
• Communicate clearly and concisely, both verbally and in writing.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work.
• Travel to sites, including critical area sites with wetlands, steep slopes, and streams.

Experience and Training Guidelines

Any combination of experience and training that would likely provide the required knowledge and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the knowledge and abilities would be:

Experience

Three years of increasingly responsible environmental, transportation or urban planning experience.

Training

Equivalent to a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with major course work in urban planning, environmental planning, transportation planning, architecture, business or public administration, or related field.

The City's mission is to fulfill the community’s vision through highly valued public service. Our employees work relentlessly to achieve organizational goals while embracing the City’s values. City Mission, Values, and Goals.

Environmental Conditions

Office environment; occasional travel from site to site.

Application Process

To demonstrate skills and interest, please complete the application and provide answers to the Supplemental Questions which will help us determine your qualifications for the job.(This application does NOT allow for attachments.)

Conditions Of Employment

• All candidates will be required to establish employment authorization and identity at the time of hire. The City is not able to sponsor work visas.
• All positions require the completion of references checks, including at least one prior supervisor.

Remote Work Eligibility

This position is eligible for remote work. The City’s remote work policy, Employees Working Remotely, requires staff in positions eligible for remote work to work onsite a minimum of four days per pay period (every two weeks), the schedule will be mutually agreed upon with the supervisor.

During the 6-month orientation period of employment it is expected that all work will be performed at the assigned City’s location. Full-time remote work is not an option. Once hired, employees must reside in the State of Washington.

Recruitment Timeline

• Review of applications: Week of August 24
• Tentative Panel interviews: Week of August 31
• Reference checks: September 7-9
• Targeted start date: Last week of September