Employer: Puget Sound Regional Council
Job Type: Regular Full-time
Division: Data
Salary: The starting salary range is $52,000-$62,000 annually, DOE, with full benefits
Location: Downtown Seattle
Opening Date: 09/17/2019
Closing Date: 10/17/2019

Job Description:

Assistant Planner Closes: The position is open until filled with applications reviewed beginning Tuesday, October 1, 2019.Status: Regular Full-time, 40 hours per week; Exempt FLSA status.Salary: The starting salary range is $52,000- $62,000 annually, DOE, with full benefits. Location: Puget Sound Regional Council; Downtown Seattle, Washington

ABOUT PSRC: The Puget Sound Regional Council is the regional transportation, growth management and economic development planning agency serving Seattle and the central Puget Sound. The thriving region is home to over 4 million people and is one of the nation’s fastest growing metropolitan areas. PSRC brings together the region’s diverse counties, cities and towns, native tribes, ports, the state of Washington and civic interests to understand the challenges facing our region’s future and make plans for the region to continue to succeed. The agency serves as the region’s Metropolitan Planning Organization and is the regional leader for growth management, transportation, and economic development under state and federal laws. Visit www.psrc.org to find out more. PSRC is an equal opportunity employer.

Job Duties:

THE POSITION:

PSRC is seeking an Assistant Planner to join its Data Department to perform a variety of technical planning activities under general supervision. A qualified applicant for this position will have exceptional technical and communication skills, keen interest in applying data analytics to support complex planning and policy questions, and enthusiasm for learning new techniques and tools to tackle dynamic problems with data.

The position will conduct data analytics and other planning-related tasks using a variety of demographic, economic, housing, land use, and/or transportation datasets. It will involve effective written, oral, and visual communication of data trends, findings, processes, and other technical subject matter to planning lay audiences.

Key responsibilities include conducting database development and maintenance tasks, performing quantitative and qualitative research, and providing general data analysis and technical assistance in support of the agency’s various planning programs.

This work will include, but is not limited to, the following tasks:

  • Collect, process, manage, and analyze a variety of planning-related datasets, with a focus on transportation data.
  • Use statistical, geospatial, and other diagnostic techniques for data development, quality control, and analysis.
  • Visualize data through maps, charts, and other graphical displays to help transform and summarize data into easily digestible formats.
  • Perform research, synthesize and summarize analytic processes and findings, and make recommendations to help develop regional plans (VISION, Regional Transportation Plan, Regional Economic Strategy) and support other major planning programs (Puget Sound Trends).
  • Respond to information requests from member jurisdictions, community organizations, and the general public.
  • Ensure high quality and maintain proper documentation for data products.

THE CANDIDATE:

The ideal candidate will have:

  • Demonstrated experience in data analytics, visualization, and mapping of planning-related data. Ability to apply statistical, geospatial, and other technical skills to analyze data to answer planning and policy questions.
  • Demonstrated proficiency with common software packages used to analyze and transform planning-related data, such as Excel, Access, or other relational database software, ArcGIS, Python, R, and Tableau. Knowledge of techniques, concepts, and current practices in relational database design and operation. Familiarity with Git/GitHub, Python, R, SQL, or other scripting languages and tools is desirable.
  • Experience with common transportation planning datasets, such as household travel surveys, transit boardings, traffic counts, infrastructure inventories, mode shares, travel times and delays, vehicle miles traveled, etc. Knowledge of other commonly used demographic, economic, housing, and land use data would be a plus.
  • Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing.
  • Excellent attention to detail, organization, and problem-solving skills. Able to coordinate between multiple and diverse work tasks with limited supervision.
  • Ability to work independently and as part of a team, and interface effectively with planning professionals and the general public.
  • Knowledge of planning and policy issues related to growth management, transportation, economic development, and local and regional governance is highly desirable.

Experience/Qualifications/Knowledge/Skills:

EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION:

  • Bachelor’s degree in urban planning, geography, or related field.
  • At least one-year experience in urban planning and/or related field.
  • Or, any combination of education experience in a related field that would provide the applicant with the desired skills, knowledge, and ability required to perform the job.

How to Apply:

  • To be considered, applicants must submit a cover letter, resume, and completed, signed PSRC application.
  • The voluntary and confidential Equal Employment Opportunity, Applicant’s Invitation to Self-Identify – Veteran Status, and Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability forms are appreciated for applicant tracking purposes.
  • For application materials, please visit https://www.psrc.org/about/careers.
  • Completed materials can be emailed to [email protected], faxed to 206-587-4825, or mailed to: Puget Sound Regional Council, attn.: HR, 1011 Western Ave., Suite 500, Seattle, WA 98104