Program Manager - Growth Management

Puget Sound Regional Council; Seattle (WA); Hybrid; USD 140,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work option

PERS retirement benefits

Job summary

Puget Sound Regional Council seeks a Program Manager to lead plan development for VISION 2050, coordinating with elected officials, jurisdictions, state agencies, consultants, and Tribes to implement growth strategy. You will oversee policy integration, housing, open space, and transit-oriented development within the region.

The ideal candidate will have extensive planning experience, strong leadership, and excellent communication skills to support a diverse set of partners and ensure alignment

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in planning or related field; Master’s degree preferred.
• Eight years of increasingly responsible experience in land use or regional planning.
• Three years of project lead or supervisory experience.

Responsibilities

• Lead plan development for the region’s growth management plan, VISION 2050.
• Coordinate with officials, jurisdictions, state agencies, consultants, and Tribes.
• Support growth management policy and implement agency work programs.

Skills

Leadership

Planning & analysis

Communication

Team coordination

Policy analysis

Education

Bachelor's degree in planning

Master's degree preferred

Eight years planning experience

Three years project lead experience

Job description

Program Manager – Growth Management

Closes: The position is open until 9:00am PDT October 5, 2026.

Status: Regular Full-time Position, 40 hours per week; Exempt FLSA status.

Salary: The starting salary range is $140,000 - $150,000 annually, DOE, with full benefits including participation in Washington state Public Employees’ Retirement System (PERS). The full salary range is $136,990 - $196,730annually.

Location: Puget Sound Regional Council; Downtown Seattle, Washington; The position may be eligible for hybrid work(within the region).

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 future challenges and make plans for the region’s continued success. The agency serves as the region’s Metropolitan Planning Organization and also plays the leading regional role in 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.

The strength of our region is rooted in our diversity. Barriers to opportunity and achievement for people of color and other marginalized groups only undermines the talent and resources available to our region, limiting our ceiling for excellence. Regions that remove barriers and reduce disparities maximize the ability of every resident and jurisdiction, create stronger economies, more engaged communities, and improved outcomes for all residents. At PSRC, we’re striving to create a region where all people have the means to attain the resources and opportunities that improve their quality of life and enable them to reach their full potential; where differences in life outcomes cannot be predicted by race, class, or any other identity. In order for us to accomplish this, our workforce has to reflect the communities we serve. We’re committed to creating an agency where all of our employees can thrive. We encourage people of all backgrounds and identities to apply.

THE POSITION:

PSRC is seeking a Program Manager to lead plan development of the region’s growth management plan, VISION 2050, which is scheduled for completion in 2030. VISION 2050 is one of the most forward-thinking regional plans in the country. The update will require creative development of new growth strategies that advance regional goals and address critical issues related to housing affordability, transit-oriented development, environmental restoration, equity, and healthy communities. The position will need to work collaboratively with elected officials, local jurisdictions, state agencies, consultants, and Tribes, and across agency teams to develop, adopt and implement the region’s growth strategy and state law. The position will work with the Director of Growth Management to implement the agency’s growth management planning work program, such as the growth strategy, plan review and certification, housing, open space, and transit-oriented development. The position supports the agency’s Growth Management Policy Board as the focus of growth management policy within the region.

THE CANDIDATE:

The ideal Program Manager candidate will have the following knowledge and abilities:

Comprehensive Planning

• Extensive experience in leading comprehensive planning processes, including equitable engagement practices, policy analysis, and development of implementation strategies.
• Detailed knowledge of Washington’s Growth Management Act, including an understanding of the role of local governments, regional agencies, and the state.
• Familiarity with growth management case law.
• Broad understanding of current issues in regional planning, including growth patterns, environmental issues, economic development, equity, and others.
• An understanding of the linkages between land use, transportation, economic development and environmental planning.
  

Leadership

• Demonstrated leadership and supervisory skills with the ability to support, mentor, and oversee the work of a team of professionals.
• Demonstrated ability to coordinate and direct work and evaluate the performance of assigned project team members while providing opportunities for and encouraging professional growth.
• Demonstrated ability to develop program and project budgets, and ability to procure and manage consultants.
• Ability to work collaboratively across organizational teams and across disciplines in support of overall agency goals, objectives, policies, and priorities.
• Ability to assess and monitor workloads, and identify and implement opportunities for improvement.
• Ability to develop positive and successful working relationships with the general public, elected officials, planning professionals, and staff.
• Ability to support the decision making of a board of policymakers through technical and policy analysis.

Planning and Applied Analysis and Communication

• Present analysis and recommendations to committees, boards, and the public. Provide organizational assistance, research, and materials for committees and boards. Develop special reports as needed.
• Represent the agency at meetings and provide technical expertise on land use issues to the public and member agencies. Communicate the impact of specific plans to local agencies, community groups, businesses, and others. Coordinate special projects with local jurisdictions and other external partners.
• Remain current on public policy, planning strategies, legislation, and hearings board cases related to growth management, transportation, and economic planning and review literature concerning assigned planning areas.
• A clear understanding of federal and state metropolitan planning requirements is also desired.

Technical Skills

• Supervise and conduct complex technical research and analyses.
• Strong knowledge of and/or direct experience in interpreting and applying the results of land use analysis methods, including economic forecasting, land use allocation, and forecasting models.
• Strong knowledge of best practices in housing, growth management, and transit-oriented development.
• Detailed knowledge of the Washington State Environmental Policy Act and its procedures, especially applying SEPA to planning processes.

Personnel / Team

• Ability to work effectively as part of a team and with technical committees to coordinate and accomplish regional planning studies.
• Highly developed verbal, listening, communication, and interpersonal skills. Ability to solicit and incorporate feedback.
• Excellent writing and communication skills.
  

EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION:

• Bachelor’s degree in planning or related field; Master’s degree preferred.
• Eight years of increasingly responsible experience in land use planning or regional planning.
• Three years of project lead experience or supervisory direction to other staff.
• Or any combination of lived and educational experience in a related field that would provide the applicant with the desired skills, knowledge, and ability required to perform the job.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional, philanthropic, religious, spiritual, community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment.

PSRC is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran, or protected veteran status, genetic information and other legally protected characteristics. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or the recruiting process, please contact Human Resources at [e-mail].

This recruitment is for a newly created role and may be used to fill future openings for up to six (6) months.

PSRC office hours are Monday – Friday from 8:00am – 5:00pm with work hours determined upon hired.