Associate Planner

Planning; New Gloucester (ME); Hybrid; USD 55,000 - 65,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Short-term disability

Life insurance

Retirement match

Professional development opportunities

Job summary

North Star Planning, a Maine-based firm in the Portland area, seeks an Associate Planner to join a small, entrepreneurial team. The role is entry level or early career, with responsibilities across development review, research, long-range planning, and public engagement.

A mixed schedule combines in-person office work at Pineland Farms in New Gloucester with some remote days. The ideal candidate has a local or regional planning background, strong writing and communication skills, and a

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in planning or related field is required; a Master’s degree is preferred.
• A driver’s license and ability to attend occasional evening or weekend meetings (1–4 nights per month).
• AICP accreditation is not required, though a path to certification is envisioned.
• Entry level or early career salaried position with flexible schedule and mixed in-person/remote work.

Responsibilities

• Support development review and Planning Board activities.
• Conduct research and analysis to inform planning decisions.
• Assist with long-range planning, plan drafting, and related documentation.
• Facilitate public engagement and small group discussions.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Organization

Writing skills

Research

Deadline management

Learning quickly

Adaptability

MS Office

Google Workspace

ArcGIS

Squarespace

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Master’s degree preferred

Tools

MS Office

Google Workspace

ArcGIS

Squarespace

Job description

North Star Planning ( www.northstar-planning.com ) is a small, Maine-based planning firm located in the Portland area. We work on a variety of municipal and private sector projects involving land use issues, transportation systems, public process and facilitation, and development planning and permitting.

We are looking for an Associate Planner to join our team to better serve existing clients and support continued expansion of our project base.

The Position

The Associate Planner is an entry level or early career salaried position. The ideal candidate will demonstrate a high level of commitment to client success and will thrive working on a wide variety of projects as part of a small team in an entrepreneurial environment.

The Associate Planner will support projects related to:

• Development review and Planning Board support
• Research and analysis
• Long-range planning and plan drafting
• Public engagement and small group facilitation

As such, candidates with a background in local or regional planning, community development, public policy, economic development, urban planning and design, landscape architecture, or communications are encouraged to apply.

This position offers a somewhat flexible schedule, and like the communities we serve, our work involves a mix of in-person and online interactions. There is an expectation that the position will require a physical presence at our office on the Pineland Farms business campus in New Gloucester, though NSP has adopted a 3-day in-office/2-day remote work schedule.

Preferred Skillset:

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills to interact with the team, clients, and other professionals
• Highly organized and detail-oriented
• Effective writing skills in a range of writing formats, including narrative reports, summary memoranda, and technical ordinance drafting
• Strong research and data synthesis skills
• Ability to manage work for multiple deadlines simultaneously and willingness to learn technical subject matter as needed
• Desire to work in a busy, high-performance, professional, service-oriented environment
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office suite and Google Workspace/G Suite
• Familiarity with some of the following preferred:
• ArcGIS
• Squarespace or similar

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in community planning and development, city and regional planning, public policy, public administration, or another related field is a minimum requirement. A Master’s degree is preferred.
• A driver’s license and the ability to attend occasional evening or weekend meetings. Typically, this role will involve 1-4 night meetings per month, which are typically located within an a 1-hour range of our office.
• AICP accreditation is not required, though a path to certification is envisioned.

Salary and benefits

Range $55,000-$65,000, depending on qualifications and experience. Competitive benefits package includes medical, short-term disability and life insurance, retirement match, and professional development opportunities.

North Star Planning is an Equal Opportunity Employer