Job Description

Senior Planner

Are you an experienced planning professional ready to lead complex projects, guide talented teams, and help shape the future of growing communities?

QK is seeking a Senior Planner who brings strong technical expertise, sound judgment, and a collaborative leadership style to our multidisciplinary team. In this influential role, you will lead environmental and land-use planning efforts, manage projects from concept through completion, and work closely with clients, agencies, and colleagues across multiple disciplines.

This is an exciting opportunity for an accomplished planner who enjoys solving complex challenges, developing trusted client relationships, and mentoring the next generation of planning professionals.

What You'll Do

As a Senior Planner, you will take ownership of sophisticated planning assignments while helping clients navigate environmental, regulatory, and community considerations. Your responsibilities will include:

• Lead and manage complex environmental, land-use, infrastructure, transportation, and community planning projects
• Oversee project scopes, contracts, budgets, schedules, timelines, and quality-control efforts
• Prepare and oversee technical studies and environmental documents, with an emphasis on CEQA and NEPA compliance
• Read, interpret, prepare, and review Categorical Exemptions and Exclusions, Environmental Assessments, Environmental Impact Reports, and related technical documents
• Conduct and oversee research, fieldwork, regulatory analysis, and supporting documentation
• Maintain clear and consistent client communication from project conception through completion
• Develop practical and creative solutions to complex environmental and planning challenges
• Prepare and facilitate public meetings, community workshops, and other public-involvement activities
• Develop recommendations related to land use, transportation, housing, public utilities, and community facilities
• Prepare winning proposals and lead proposal presentations
• Coordinate with engineering, surveying, GIS, landscape architecture, biology, and environmental permitting professionals
• Lead, mentor, train, and support planning staff
• Visit project sites to gather information and conduct field investigations, as needed
• Represent QK at client, agency, community, and internal meetings

What You'll Bring

The successful candidate will be an experienced and resourceful planning professional who can balance technical excellence, project leadership, client service, and team development.

You should possess:

• Strong technical writing, analytical, and problem-solving skills
• Demonstrated project management experience, including managing budgets, schedules, contracts, and deliverables
• Working knowledge of CEQA, NEPA, and related environmental and planning regulations
• The ability to develop creative solutions to complex environmental, political, socioeconomic, and land-use issues
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• The ability to explain technical concepts clearly to clients, agencies, community members, and other nontechnical audiences
• Proven success working within deadlines and constrained budgets
• Strong leadership skills and the ability to motivate, mentor, and develop others
• The ability to build positive, lasting client relationships
• Sound judgment, initiative, and the ability to work independently with general direction
• The ability to collaborate effectively within a multidisciplinary team environment
• Quantitative analysis and research skills
• The ability to travel to project sites and walk extended distances on occasion

Education and Experience

• Bachelor's degree in land-use planning, environmental planning, urban, regional, city, or community planning, landscape architecture, geography, or a related field
• Master's degree preferred
• AICP certification required
• At least eight years of relevant experience in planning, environmental planning, transportation planning, and/or socioeconomic analysis
• Candidates with a bachelor's degree and general planning experience may be expected to have at least ten years of experience

Why Join QK?

At QK, planning is a collaborative effort. You will work alongside professionals from a variety of disciplines to develop thoughtful, practical solutions for the communities we serve. Our “One Company” philosophy encourages teamwork across offices and technical specialties, giving you access to a broad range of expertise and the opportunity to contribute to meaningful, high-impact projects.

You will also have the opportunity to influence project strategy, strengthen client relationships, mentor developing professionals, and help shape the continued growth of our planning practice.

If you are ready to bring your experience, leadership, and ideas to a team that values quality work and strong professional relationships, we invite you to apply.

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