Senior Community Planner

Bolton & Menk, Inc; Milwaukee (WI); On-site; USD 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Bolton & Menk, Inc. seeks a Senior Planner to lead urban planning projects from concept to implementation, mentoring staff and guiding client engagements. You will advise communities, developers, and officials, contributing to policy development and project strategy in a collaborative, multidisciplinary environment.

The role emphasizes leadership, stakeholder engagement, and ongoing business development within Bolton & Menk’s Urban & Community Planning team, based out of Milwaukee.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Urban Planning, Public Policy, or a closely related field from an accredited college or university.
• Approximately 8–10+ years of progressive planning experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• AICP certification strongly preferred, but not required.
• Experience leading planning projects, client relationships, and stakeholder engagement efforts.
• Strong knowledge of land use planning, community development, zoning, entitlement processes, and planning best practices.
• Experience preparing planning studies, technical reports, development reviews, and public-facing documents
• Strong communication, facilitation, presentation, and relationship-building skills.
• Valid driver's license and willingness to travel to project sites and client meetings as needed.

Responsibilities

• Lead planning projects from concept through implementation and serve as a key resource for clients and project teams.
• Manage a variety of planning initiatives including land use planning, comprehensive planning, development reviews, entitlement support, and policy development.
• Lead public engagement efforts, present to boards, and guide stakeholder meetings to build consensus.
• Mentor staff, review technical work, contribute to proposals, and assist with client pursuits.

Skills

Leadership

Client relations

Stakeholder engagement

Communication

Public policy

Education

Urban Planning degree

Public Policy degree

AICP certification (preferred)

Tools

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft Word

Job description

Ready to take the next step as a planning leader or bring your public-sector experience into a collaborative consulting environment?

Bolton & Menk is seeking a Senior Planner to join our growing Urban & Community Planning team. In this role, you'll help shape the future of communities by leading complex planning projects, serving as a trusted advisor to clients, and mentoring the next generation of planning professionals.

Whether you're looking for greater responsibility and leadership opportunities or seeking more variety and multidisciplinary collaboration, this role offers the chance to expand your impact while helping advance our mission that all people should live in safe, sustainable, and beautiful communities.

As a Top Workplace, this is a unique opportunity to collaborate with a talented, supportive team and make a lasting difference in the communities we serve. With over 75 years of experience, Bolton & Menk specializes in providing community infrastructure solutions across the Midwest, Southeast, and beyond.

What You Will Be Doing:

As a Senior Planner, you'll take a leadership role in managing planning projects from concept through implementation while serving as a key resource for clients and project teams.

You'll lead and manage a variety of planning initiatives, including land use planning, comprehensive planning, development review, entitlement support, policy development, community engagement, and other community planning efforts. You'll analyze complex planning issues, evaluate trends and regulations, and provide strategic recommendations that help clients make informed decisions.

You'll serve as a trusted advisor to communities, developers, public officials, and stakeholders by leading presentations, facilitating meetings, and guiding public engagement efforts. From community workshops and planning commission meetings to client strategy sessions, you'll help build consensus and move projects forward.

In addition to project leadership, you'll play an important role in strengthening our practice by mentoring staff, reviewing technical work, contributing to business development efforts, and assisting with proposals and client pursuits. You'll have the opportunity to influence both project outcomes and the continued growth of our planning team.

Most importantly, you'll enjoy the variety that comes with consulting. One day you may be leading a comprehensive planning effort, while the next you're helping a growing community evaluate development opportunities, facilitating public engagement, or collaborating with engineers and landscape architects on transformative community projects.

At Bolton & Menk, planners are empowered to do more than write reports. You'll have a seat at the table with clients, opportunities to shape project strategy, and the ability to collaborate across disciplines to solve complex community challenges.

Our employee-owned culture means your voice matters, your contributions are recognized, and your success contributes to the long-term success of the firm. We invest in our people, provide opportunities for continued professional growth, and foster an environment where collaboration, innovation, and community impact go hand in hand.

This position is based out of our Milwaukee office.

What We Are Looking For:

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Urban Planning, Public Policy, or a closely related field from an accredited college or university.
• Approximately 8-10+ years of progressive planning experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• AICP certification strongly preferred, but not required.
• Experience leading planning projects, client relationships, and stakeholder engagement efforts.
• Strong knowledge of land use planning, community development, zoning, entitlement processes, and planning best practices.
• Experience preparing planning studies, technical reports, development reviews, and public-facing documents
• Strong communication, facilitation, presentation, and relationship-building skills.
• Valid driver's license and willingness to travel to project sites and client meetings as needed.

Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis, part-time basis or internship for any employer without restriction. Bolton & Menk does not provide visa sponsorship or immigration support for this position.

WHY BOLTON & MENK?
Bolton & Menk, Inc. specializes in providing community infrastructure solutions. Since 1949, we have been committed to improving quality of life through engineering excellence and client satisfaction. From advocating for our communities to designing their dreams to finding funding; we take pride in our work because we live in these same communities. Today, Bolton & Menk has more than 1,000employees throughout more than 35 locations in Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Colorado providing services to more than 400 communities and agencies. Learn more about our history here:https://www.bolton-menk.com/about-us/

OUR BENEFITS
At Bolton & Menk, we value our people and provide an exceptional Total Compensation and Benefits Package to protect our most valuable asset. We are committed to the well-being of our employees and their families. Perks of being a Bolton & Menk employee include peace of mind with our benefits package and competitive compensation plan, flexible schedules, and career development opportunities. Learn more here:https://www.bolton-menk.com/careers

We thank all applicants in advance for their interest in this position, however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

Bolton & Menk does not accept unsolicited resumes from individual recruiters or third-party agencies in response to Bolton & Menk job postings. No fee will be paid to third parties who submit unsolicited candidates directly to our hiring managers. Pre-approval from the Bolton & Menk Talent Acquisition team is required before any external candidate can be submitted and such candidate must be submitted to the Bolton & Menk Talent Acquisition team.

It is our responsibility and privilege to embrace the diversity of people, thoughts, and experiences necessary to develop infrastructure systems that serve all people. Bolton & Menk, Inc., is an Equal Employment Opportunity / Affi…

Preferred

Microsoft Excel

Expert

Microsoft Word

Expert

Education

Preferred

Masters or better in Urban Planning.

Licenses & Certifications

Required

AICP - Certified Planner

Equal Opportunity Employer
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws.For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.