Senior Planner, Housing Policy

Metropolitan Council; Saint Paul (MN); On-site; USD 88,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Excellent benefits

Good work-life balance

Job summary

Metropolitan Council seeks a Senior Planner to lead housing policy work within the Housing and Livable Communities team. You will review local plans, apply regional housing policy, and manage regional housing policy projects, collaborating with internal divisions and external partners to advance Imagine 2050 goals.

The role emphasizes equity, community engagement, and data-driven analysis to inform policy decisions and program implementation across the Twin Cities region.

Qualifications

• Minimum qualifications include a degree in Planning or related field and required experience in public sector planning.
• Experience in program administration, grant coordination, land use planning, housing policy, and community development.
• Ability to collaborate across Met Council divisions and with local governments to advance Imagine 2050.

Responsibilities

• Help implement the 2050 Housing Policy Plan by providing technical assistance to local governments.
• Conduct technical reviews and analyses for local plans, environmental reviews, and other reviews.
• Manage housing policy projects and specific components of regional community development planning projects.
• Create technical assistance resources and interactive tools and facilitate community engagement.
• Represent the Council's regional housing policy in internal and external discussions.

Skills

Housing policy

Land use planning

Community development

Public engagement

Policy analysis

GIS

Project management

Equity

Interpersonal communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in City/Urban/Environmental Planning or related field

Master's degree in City/Urban/Environmental Planning or related field

High school diploma/GED

Tools

GIS software

Microsoft Office

Project management tools

Job description

We are the Metropolitan Council, the regional government for the seven-county Twin Cities metropolitan area. We plan 30 years ahead for the future of the metropolitan area and provide regional transportation, wastewater, and housing services. More information about us on our website.

The Community Development Division is seeking a senior individual contributor to apply their housing policy, land use, planning, engagement, and analysis expertise to the implementation of the Imagine 2050 Housing Policy Plan.

We are committed to supporting a diverse workforce that reflects the communities we serve.

About the division:

The Community Development division is responsible for the Met Council's regional long-range planning efforts; planning and technical assistance to local governments; planning for and funding the regional parks and open space system; delivering rent assistance through the Metropolitan Housing and Redevelopment Authority; and delivering the Livable Communities Act grant programs.

In Community Development, we have set the following goals to guide our work:

• Our division builds competency, takes meaningful actions, and creates the necessary infrastructure to advance racial equity.
• Our division’s workplace culture is diverse, equitable, and inclusive.

About the Team:

The Housing and Livable Communities team is responsible for developing and implementing regional housing policies, working with local governments to identify and plan for their current and future housing needs, and delivering funding to help communities achieve development goals that create more housing choices, support living wage job creation, and connect jobs, housing, transportation, and regional amenities to create a more equitable region.

How your work would contribute to our organization and the Twin Cities region:

The Senior Planner is a senior-level individual contributor, project manager, and technical reviewer who serves as a key member of a small, collaborative Housing Policy team within the 12-person Housing and Livable Communities work unit. The Senior Planner performs technical reviews and analyses of local plans, applying regional housing policy, and manages and contributes to regional planning project(s) related to housing policy – supporting technical assistance and the development and implementation of the regional development guide, Imagine 2050. This role works across Met Council divisions and with external partners to advance the cross-cutting goals of the Imagine 2050 plan, support the Livable Communities program, and support ongoing evaluation and continuous learning in housing policy.

After an initial period of on-site work, this position is eligible for a hybrid (both remote and on-site) telework arrangement. The candidate's telework location must be in Minnesota or Wisconsin.

Note:

Although the full salary range is displayed, the hiring salary will be determined based on the final candidate's qualifications, the Council's internal pay structures, and our total compensation package for the position. See anticipated starting range below.

Note:

This recruitment may establish a six (6) month eligibility list for current and future vacancies if we have multiple qualified candidates. Placement on the eligible list does not guarantee you a job with the Council.

• Help local units of government implement the 2050 Housing Policy Plan by providing technical assistance to create a full range of housing options.
• Conduct technical reviews and analyses, applying regional housing policy, for local comprehensive plans and amendments, environmental reviews, and other reviews.
• Manage defined housing policy projects and specific components of major regional community development planning projects: developing and implementing programs, technical assistance offerings, and community engagement projects.
• Projects may include, for example, creating technical assistance resources and interactive tools, facilitating community engagement to inform policy development, analyzing and reporting on housing data trends, and contributing to Council-wide implementation plans for regional development goals.
• Articulate and represent the Council's regional housing policy in internal and external discussions, including committees and work groups.
• Support implementation of grant programs by providing expert review and scoring on housing-related criteria.
• Proficiently use program information, databases, and other technologies to produce reports and respond to internal and external inquiries and requests for information as well as to evaluate housing programs.
• Provide a high level of customer service to all relevant parties requiring timely and accurate information, comprehensive plan amendment reviews, and technical assistance.

• Collaborate and engage across Met Council divisions and with external partners.
• Participate as a key team member in evaluation, continuous learning, and community engagement efforts to prepare for the development of future regional development guides, which are developed on a ten-year cycle.
• Advance racial equity through knowledge of how the history of housing policy has contributed to the region's racial disparities, the implementation and updating of the Regional Development Guide, and the delivery of Livable Communities programs and other Met Council programs.
• Promote an equitable, positive, and respectful professional environment that values culture and diversity among all partners and colleagues.

Any of the following combinations of education (degree field of study in City, Urban, or Environmental Planning, or a related field) and experience in program administration, implementation, public sector planning, grant coordination, land use planning, housing policy, community development, economic development, or a related field.

• A high school diploma/GED AND at least eight (8) years of experience.
• An Associate degree AND six (6) years of experience.
• A Bachelor's degree AND four (4) years of related experience.
• Master's degree AND two (2) years of related experience.

What additional skills and experience would be helpful in this job (desired qualifications):

• Demonstrated skills in implementing or developing ordinances, planning documents, zoning applications, or similar work in local government.
• Demonstrated knowledge of the development/redevelopment process, development finance, and policies that support affordable housing development.
• Demonstrated skills in delivering technical assistance to local governments.
• Ability to communicate tactfully and clearly to a diverse audience of partners, both verbally and in writing.
• Demonstrated project management skills.
• Demonstrated experience in advocating for or incorporating equity into projects, processes, or decision-making.
• Experience working with diverse populations of internal and external customers, and experience in outreach with cross-cultural communities.
• Advanced skills in GIS, Microsoft Office suite, and knowledge of project management tools.

Please note that all minimum qualifications must be met. However, it is not required to meet every desired qualification.

What knowledge, skills, and abilities you should have within the first six months on the job:

• Extensive knowledge of land use and community planning, housing development, urban design and implementation principles, theory, methods, and practice.
• Extensive knowledge of the governmental environment in which the Metropolitan Council works as it applies to local and regional housing policy and the Livable Communities program.
• Knowledge of affordable housing real estate development processes and the funding resources that support affordable housing development in the region.
• Ability to interpret a comprehensive plan, including maps and tables of land use.
• Knowledge of the purposes, objectives, and housing policy implementation functions of the Livable CommunitiesAct program.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with local governments and their development partners even when delivering unwelcome news.
• Ability to understand and interpret housing policies that may or may not be familiar to the region generally and analyze their applicability to the local planning environment.
• Ability to exercise sound professional judgment and consistently and effectively demonstrate the Metropolitan Council's culture values of Working Together, Adapting to Change, and Putting People First.
• Ability to analyze and interpret Imagine 2050 regional goals and apply them effectively in the project analysis or development process:
  • Our region is equitable and inclusive.
  • Our communities are healthy and safe.
  • Our region is dynamic and resilient.
  • We lead on addressing climate change.
  • We protect and restore natural systems.
• Knowledge of the connections between housing policy and opportunities to reduce climate impact, plan effectively in transit and commercial corridors, support wealth-building, and sustain cultural and community connections within existing neighborhoods.
• Knowledge of institutional racism and the historically different impact of public investments on communities of color.
• Skill in persuasive communication, including the ability to influence, instruct, and negotiate with others to gain their understanding, cooperation, and action.
• Skill in interpersonal communications; effectively working with a wide variety of internal and external partners to address regional goals, navigating ambiguity and identifying creative approaches.
• Ability to communicate tactfully and clearly to a diverse audience of partners, both verbally and in writing.
• Ability to handle and prioritize multiple projects simultaneously and complete deliverables within allotted timeframes.

• Ability to read, analyze, and interpret funding applications, funder requirements, pro formas, site plans, and legal documents.
• Highly developed conceptual and analytical skills.
• Ability to apply equity principles in project management, processes, and decision-making.

What you can expect from us:

• We offer the opportunity to make a difference and positively influence the Twin Cities metropolitan area.
• We encourage employees to develop skills through on-site training and tuition reimbursement.
• We provide a competitive salary, excellent benefits, and a good work-life balance.
• More about why you should join us!

Classification Level:

Senior Planner

Union/Grade:

AFSCME/ Grade H

FLSA Status:

Exempt

Full Salary Range:

$42.58- $ 69.09 hourly / $88,566- $143,707 annually

Anticipated Starting Salary Range:

$44.79 -56.00/ hourly /$ 93,163.20- $116,480.00 annually

What your work environment would be:

You would perform your work in a standard office setting. Work may sometimes require travel between your primary work site and other sites.

What steps the recruitment process involves:

• We review your minimum qualifications.
• We rate your education and experience.
• We conduct a structured panel interview.
• We conduct a selection interview.

Once you have successfully completed the steps above, then:

If you are new to the Metropolitan Council

you must pass a drug test (safety-sensitive positions only) and a background check which verifies education, employment, and criminal history. A driving record check and/or physical may be conducted if applicable to the job. If you have a criminal conviction, you do not automatically fail. The Metropolitan Council considers felony, gross misdemeanor, and misdemeanor convictions on a case-by-case basis, based on whether they are related to the job and whether the candidate has demonstrated adequate rehabilitation.

If you are already an employee of the Metropolitan Council

you must pass a drug test (if moving from a non-safety sensitive position to a safety-sensitive position) and criminal background check if the job you're applying for is safety-sensitive, is a supervisory or management job, is in the Finance, Information Services, Audit, or Human Resources departments, or has access to financial records, files/databases, cash, vouchers or transit fare cards. A driving record check and/or physical may be conducted if applicable to the position.

IMPORTANT:

If you make a false statement or withhold information, you may be barred from job consideration.

The Metropolitan Council is an Equal Opportunity, affirmative action, and veteran-friendly employer. The Council is committed to a workforce that reflects the diversity of the region and strongly encourages persons of color, members of the LGBTQ community, individuals with disabilities, women, and veterans to apply.

If you have a disability that requires accommodation during the selection process, please email [e-mail].

Employer

Metropolitan Council

Address

390 Robert St. N.
St. Paul, Minnesota, 55101

Website

https://metrocouncil.org