What are the responsibilities and job description for the Planning and Design Manager (Strategic Advisor 3, Exempt) position at SEATTLE CENTER?
Position Description
About Seattle Center — The Cultural Heart of the Pacific Northwest
Seattle Center is a 74-acre civic, arts, and cultural gathering place in the heart of Seattle and home to more than 30 partner organizations, including Climate Pledge Arena, KEXP, Museum of Pop Culture (MOPOP), Pacific Northwest Ballet, Seattle Opera, Pacific Science Center, SIFF, and many others. Anchored by world-class attractions, historic venues, public art, and a dynamic calendar of free and affordable events centered around the iconic International Fountain, Seattle Center brings together arts, culture, sports, and community year-round.
As a department of the City of Seattle and anchor of the Uptown Arts and Cultural District, Seattle Center serves residents from across the Puget Sound region alongside visitors from around the world.
In partnership with Friends of Waterfront Park, Seattle Center provides operations, maintenance, and public safety services for Waterfront Park, while Friends leads park experience, programming, and stewardship along Seattle’s downtown waterfront.
With the launch of the Seattle Center Strategic Vision and 10-Year Action Plan, Seattle Center is at a pivotal moment. Among the initiatives of the Action Plan is a bold reinvestment in Seattle Center’s public spaces, for which the Planning and Capital Development team will be leading. We are simultaneously hiring both a Planning and Design Manager (PDM) and a Design and Construction Manager (DCM) while preparing to plan and execute a major capital program. The Planning and Design Manager and Design and Construction Manager will work closely with the Director of Planning and Capital Development to lead these efforts. Qualified applicants are encouraged to apply for both positions.
About This Position
We are seeking a Planning and Design Manager (PDM) who can manage Seattle Center’s master planning efforts, oversee the Center’s real estate portfolio, and support the development and execution of a potential major capital program. This position reports to the Director of Planning and Capital Development.
The PDM will be responsible for management of campus planning efforts and stewardship of the existing 2008 Seattle Center Century 21 Master Plan. They will represent and advocate for Seattle Center in a variety of city planning forums, including in City Planning Initiatives. They will manage Seattle Center’s transportation planning efforts and relationships with transportation agencies and partners.
The PDM will work closely with the DCM to support execution of the Capital Improvement Program (CIP) and participate in strategic decisions on capital priorities and funding strategies.
The position oversees planning staff and works closely with a number of key Seattle Center staff, tenants, and stakeholders. The PDM is expected to provide expert consultation and mentorship to project managers and planning staff.
This position will hold and oversee relationships with major stakeholders on and off campus, including campus tenants and community groups. The PDM will represent Seattle Center and its capital projects in various public venues, including before the Seattle Design Commission, Department of Construction and Inspections, and Landmarks Preservation Board among others.
This position involves assignments that are highly complex and sensitive in nature. Substantial judgment and initiative will be essential to the success of the projects managed by this position.
Job Responsibilities
Here Is More Of What You Will Be Doing
Qualifications
Experience:
The full salary range for this position is $61.90– $92.84 per hour.
How To Apply
This posting will be open until filled. The first review will take place on May 29, 2026.
To be considered for this position, in addition to completing your application fully, please attach:
IMPORTANT NOTE: To align with our commitment to equity and the City of Seattle's Race and Social Justice Initiative, Seattle Center is collecting cover letters and resumes without personal identifiers to achieve a blind screening process.
Background Check - Hiring process involves a background check of conviction and arrest records. The hiring process will be conducted in compliance with Seattle’s Fair Chance Employment Ordinance, SMC 14.17. Applicants will be provided an opportunity to explain and correct background information.
Individuals selected to fill this position may be eligible to receive Language Premium Pay (SMC 4.20.360), which provides a $200.00 monthly stipend to qualified bilingual employees who are properly evaluated and assigned to provide direct communication in-language, interpretation, or translation services to the public on behalf of the City of Seattle.
Why work at the City?
The City of Seattle recognizes every City employee must play a role in ending institutional and structural racism. Our culture is the result of our behavior, our personal commitments, and the ways that we courageously share our perspectives and encourage others to do the same. To cultivate an antiracist culture, we seek employees who will engage in dismantling racist policies and procedures, unlearn the way things have always been done, and create and provide equitable processes and services. Seattle Office of Civil Rights)
Benefits – The City of Seattle offers a comprehensive benefits package including vacation, holiday, and sick leave as well as medical, dental, vision, life, and long-term disability insurance for employees and their dependents. More information about employee benefits is available on the City's website at: https://www.seattle.gov/human-resources/benefits/employees-and-covered-family-members/most-employees-plans
Resources For Applicants
For helpful tips on the application process and recruitment process: Working at the City - Human Resources | seattle.gov. Application, Resume, and Interviewing Tips
More About Seattle Center
Seattle Center welcomes nearly 12 million visits annually, generating nearly $3.3 billion in total economic activity, supporting 19,400 jobs, and producing more than $37 million in local tax revenue for the City of Seattle.
With the support of our Official Partners — Alaska Airlines, The Climate Pledge, Coors Light, Pepsi, Symetra, T-Mobile, and WaFd Bank — Seattle Center is the #1 most-visited arts and cultural destination in the Pacific Northwest.
About Seattle Center — The Cultural Heart of the Pacific Northwest
Seattle Center is a 74-acre civic, arts, and cultural gathering place in the heart of Seattle and home to more than 30 partner organizations, including Climate Pledge Arena, KEXP, Museum of Pop Culture (MOPOP), Pacific Northwest Ballet, Seattle Opera, Pacific Science Center, SIFF, and many others. Anchored by world-class attractions, historic venues, public art, and a dynamic calendar of free and affordable events centered around the iconic International Fountain, Seattle Center brings together arts, culture, sports, and community year-round.
As a department of the City of Seattle and anchor of the Uptown Arts and Cultural District, Seattle Center serves residents from across the Puget Sound region alongside visitors from around the world.
In partnership with Friends of Waterfront Park, Seattle Center provides operations, maintenance, and public safety services for Waterfront Park, while Friends leads park experience, programming, and stewardship along Seattle’s downtown waterfront.
With the launch of the Seattle Center Strategic Vision and 10-Year Action Plan, Seattle Center is at a pivotal moment. Among the initiatives of the Action Plan is a bold reinvestment in Seattle Center’s public spaces, for which the Planning and Capital Development team will be leading. We are simultaneously hiring both a Planning and Design Manager (PDM) and a Design and Construction Manager (DCM) while preparing to plan and execute a major capital program. The Planning and Design Manager and Design and Construction Manager will work closely with the Director of Planning and Capital Development to lead these efforts. Qualified applicants are encouraged to apply for both positions.
About This Position
We are seeking a Planning and Design Manager (PDM) who can manage Seattle Center’s master planning efforts, oversee the Center’s real estate portfolio, and support the development and execution of a potential major capital program. This position reports to the Director of Planning and Capital Development.
The PDM will be responsible for management of campus planning efforts and stewardship of the existing 2008 Seattle Center Century 21 Master Plan. They will represent and advocate for Seattle Center in a variety of city planning forums, including in City Planning Initiatives. They will manage Seattle Center’s transportation planning efforts and relationships with transportation agencies and partners.
The PDM will work closely with the DCM to support execution of the Capital Improvement Program (CIP) and participate in strategic decisions on capital priorities and funding strategies.
The position oversees planning staff and works closely with a number of key Seattle Center staff, tenants, and stakeholders. The PDM is expected to provide expert consultation and mentorship to project managers and planning staff.
This position will hold and oversee relationships with major stakeholders on and off campus, including campus tenants and community groups. The PDM will represent Seattle Center and its capital projects in various public venues, including before the Seattle Design Commission, Department of Construction and Inspections, and Landmarks Preservation Board among others.
This position involves assignments that are highly complex and sensitive in nature. Substantial judgment and initiative will be essential to the success of the projects managed by this position.
Job Responsibilities
Here Is More Of What You Will Be Doing
- Serve as a technical resource to the Director of Planning and Capital Development on complex technical issues related to project management, funding, value engineering, contracting, sustainability, planning, land use issues, permitting, design, and construction management
- Oversee planning, design, permitting, procurement, and construction of capital projects and programs
- Oversee staff preparation and maintenance of project schedules, budgets, and quality control performance objectives
- Oversee project management workload and provide leadership with portfolio delivery plans
- Provide guidance to project managers and planning and professional staff. Coach and mentor, manage performance, and ensure training of staff for professional growth and development and succession planning
- Collaborate and cooperate with other divisions to advance strategic capital planning and asset preservation and integrate owner requirements from multiple lines of business into the design and construction of capital programs and project delivery
- Initiate, lead, support and communicate Division improvements including process improvements, contracting approaches, permitting and code updates, etc.
- Communicate project scope, schedule, changes and budget status to partners including Department, City and external stakeholders
- Monitor portfolio delivery with Division Director to aid in programming and budget decisions
- Develop and implement strategies with partners to ensure projects are delivered on time and within budget
- Negotiate consultant and construction contract terms and resolve complex change orders
- Provide recommendations and draft communication to the Division Director on all planning, capital development, project related matters as well as respond to inquiries from other divisions and City departments
- Support and administer various policies such as the City’s green building and sustainability initiatives
- Support and administer a potential major, muti-year capital program impacting the entire Seattle Center campus
- Work effectively in and with a multi-cultural workplace and stakeholder base, with an emphasis on living the Seattle Center’s Employee Rights and Responsibilities and fostering communication for cooperation, collaboration, inclusiveness, and anti-racism and pluralism
- Perform other duties as assigned
Qualifications
Experience:
- Progressive years of increasingly independent and responsible experience in planning or project management
- Professional Degree in Architecture, Urban Design, Planning, Real Estate, Construction Management, Engineering, or related field and/or combination of education, training, and work experience which provides an equivalent background required to perform duties
- A dedication to inclusion and belonging in the workplace and in public service
- Experience overseeing planning staff, stewarding existing master plans, and managing initiatives to update master plans
- Experience representing and advocating for public entities at a variety of city planning forums and other public venues
- Experience with public transportation efforts
- Experience holding and managing major stakeholder relationships
- Experience managing and overseeing diverse real estate portfolios, particularly those with commercial and nonprofit tenants and uses
- Strong history of successful delivery of capital planning and facility projects
- Experience in public sector development
- Strong history of strategic and proactive risk management
- Experience working in a capital delivery environment and being responsible for administering, monitoring, and reporting on projects
- Experience directing project staff in the execution of projects and public works construction in the public sector
- Experience in building relationships in a matrixed environment for effective team performance
- Experience leading diverse teams and balancing competing priorities
- Experience managing and addressing property and real estate issues
- Experience establishing annual, five-year, and long-range Capital Improvement Program (CIP) budgets, particularly those that utilize numerous funding sources such as bonds, grants, and Real Estate Excise Tax (REET)
- Experience working with grants and grant agencies including Federal, State and private
- Excellent written and oral communication skills, experience distilling technical details into accessible information for a wide range of stakeholders and constituencies
- Licenses or certifications related to professional degree or experience are preferred but not required
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications (Microsoft Project, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, SharePoint, Teams), CAD and Bluebeam
- Work is performed in an office environment. Hybrid work arrangements will be considered, but the Planning and Capital Development office is open to the public, other Seattle Center divisions, and campus partners during regular work hours, and in-person work will be required.
The full salary range for this position is $61.90– $92.84 per hour.
How To Apply
This posting will be open until filled. The first review will take place on May 29, 2026.
To be considered for this position, in addition to completing your application fully, please attach:
- A PDF of your current resume
- Cover Letter
- You must submit both a resume and cover letter. If you do not submit these documents, your application will not be considered. Please ensure that BOTH documents have successfully been uploaded before submitting your application. ***
IMPORTANT NOTE: To align with our commitment to equity and the City of Seattle's Race and Social Justice Initiative, Seattle Center is collecting cover letters and resumes without personal identifiers to achieve a blind screening process.
Background Check - Hiring process involves a background check of conviction and arrest records. The hiring process will be conducted in compliance with Seattle’s Fair Chance Employment Ordinance, SMC 14.17. Applicants will be provided an opportunity to explain and correct background information.
Individuals selected to fill this position may be eligible to receive Language Premium Pay (SMC 4.20.360), which provides a $200.00 monthly stipend to qualified bilingual employees who are properly evaluated and assigned to provide direct communication in-language, interpretation, or translation services to the public on behalf of the City of Seattle.
Why work at the City?
The City of Seattle recognizes every City employee must play a role in ending institutional and structural racism. Our culture is the result of our behavior, our personal commitments, and the ways that we courageously share our perspectives and encourage others to do the same. To cultivate an antiracist culture, we seek employees who will engage in dismantling racist policies and procedures, unlearn the way things have always been done, and create and provide equitable processes and services. Seattle Office of Civil Rights)
Benefits – The City of Seattle offers a comprehensive benefits package including vacation, holiday, and sick leave as well as medical, dental, vision, life, and long-term disability insurance for employees and their dependents. More information about employee benefits is available on the City's website at: https://www.seattle.gov/human-resources/benefits/employees-and-covered-family-members/most-employees-plans
Resources For Applicants
For helpful tips on the application process and recruitment process: Working at the City - Human Resources | seattle.gov. Application, Resume, and Interviewing Tips
More About Seattle Center
Seattle Center welcomes nearly 12 million visits annually, generating nearly $3.3 billion in total economic activity, supporting 19,400 jobs, and producing more than $37 million in local tax revenue for the City of Seattle.
With the support of our Official Partners — Alaska Airlines, The Climate Pledge, Coors Light, Pepsi, Symetra, T-Mobile, and WaFd Bank — Seattle Center is the #1 most-visited arts and cultural destination in the Pacific Northwest.
Salary : $62 - $93