Strategic Planning Manager

The City of Bellevue is rapidly maturing into a tech-centric, diverse, metropolitan city within the Central Puget Sound Region. The Community Development Department is looking to fill the Strategic Planning Manager position in the department’s Planning Division with a creative, forward-thinking individual. The department’s vision is to secure Bellevue’s future as a livable, inspiring, vibrant and equitable community. The ideal candidate will lead a work group of professionals focused on strategic planning and design issues of citywide importance (transit-oriented development, growth corridor planning, placemaking,  etc.), implementation of urban design-related capital investments and special initiatives as requested by the City Council and City Manager’s Office. The Strategic Planning Manager reports directly to the Assistant Director for Planning while personally managing a small group of urban design, and planning professionals. The Strategic Planning Manager also collaborates heavily with the Planning Division’s Comprehensive Planning Manager.

MANAGEMENT AND SUPERVISION

• In collaboration with the Assistant Director, defines the goals of the Strategic Planning Team to carry out the Planning Division work program.
• Manages budget and staff resources effectively to accomplish work program goals for the Strategic Planning Team.
• Hires, trains, mentors, and motivates a team of professional design and planning staff. 
• Provides timely feedback to staff based on project and program performance expectations. 

PROFESSIONAL PLANNING EXPERTISE

• Provides expert knowledge of transit-oriented development, urban design, and placemaking along with associated inclusive engagement processes.
• Applies long-term perspective to planning and design issues. Understands interrelatedness of growth issues that affect cities and implications for Bellevue’s future.
• Applies appropriate analytical methods to urban design, planning and development issues and projects, draws logical conclusions, and makes well-justified recommendations.

LEADERSHIP

• Demonstrates integrity, credibility, trust and respect to city staff, council, boards and commissions and the public.
• Provides strategic thinking in developing ideas and work programs that advance major city initiatives and departmental goals.
• Sets goals and objectives for the Strategic Planning Team and ensures overall results are achieved.
• Works to instill in staff a commitment to the organization and to its principles and goals.

CUSTOMER SERVICE

• Provides clear information regarding substantive issues and the planning process to the community.
• Assures the Strategic Planning Team serves the public interest while providing high quality service and products to city residents, council and other stakeholders.
• Brings forward new ideas to help the community develop answers to problems that can be viewed as “win-win”. 

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

• Personally manages, or oversees the manager, of the largest, most complex city planning projects or initiatives requiring long term focus and attention. 
• Develops systems, policies and procedures to produce quality, cost-effective work.
• Builds effective monitoring and evaluation methods into projects/programs/initiatives and uses results to make future improvements.
• Provides effective oversight of project team members as well as consultants as applicable.

COMMUNICATION, COLLABORATION

• Works with others throughout the city organization and with outside stakeholder groups to accomplish project goals through inclusive engagement. 
• Presents complex technical information in an understandable form to city council, boards and commissions, civic groups, and diverse groups within the community.
• Uses innovative, creative approaches for disseminating information and engaging everyone in the community.

Education, Experience, and Other Requirements

• Graduation from an accredited four-year university with a degree in urban planning, landscape architecture, architecture, environmental studies, or a closely related field. A master’s degree is preferred. 
• A minimum of seven years’ progressively responsible experience, with 10 years preferred, in supervising the activities of professional planners, administering, monitoring, and/or developing plans and regulations (including at least three years of project management experience).
• A thorough knowledge of planning principles, practices, and techniques as they relate to all functional areas of land use, urban design, environmental impacts, or other related areas.
• Certification as a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) is preferred.
• Alternatively, a clear equivalent combination of education, experience, and training that provides the required mix of knowledge, skills and abilities. 

Physical Demands

The physical demands and work environment described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Work involves walking, talking, hearing, using hands to handle, feel or operate objects, tools, or controls and reach with hands and arms. 
• Vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus. 
• The employee may be required to push, pull, lift, and/or carry objects up to 40 pounds. 
• The noise level in the work environment is moderately quiet.

FLEXIBLE/HYBRID WORKING

A hybrid work schedule is available for this position after an orientation period. Remote work for this position is subject to the department's operational needs and will be discussed with candidates during the selection process. Full-time remote work is not an available option. Once hired, employees must reside in the State of Washington and within reasonable commuting distance to Bellevue City Hall.

Salary : $132,998 - $183,506