Urban Design Manager

El Paso Texas; El Paso (TX); On-site; USD 70,000 - 115,000; Full time

Job summary

The City of El Paso seeks a senior urban design leader to oversee urban design within the Capital Improvement Department and to manage the Civic Design Lab. You will guide design review for capital projects, create urban design plans, renderings, and strategies to support redevelopment across corridors and neighborhoods.

You will also lead public engagement, coordinate with architects and engineers, and ensure project compliance from planning through construction.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Urban or Regional Planning or Design, Architecture, Landscape Architecture, or related field and four (4) years professional experience in urban or regional planning, including one (1) year project management experience.

Responsibilities

• Oversee the Urban Design function of the Capital Improvement Department and manage the Civic Design Lab.
• Coordinate design review at the urban and architectural scale for capital projects as part of the CIP.
• Develop urban design plans, including renderings, and identify strategies to facilitate development implementation.
• Lead civic engagement and public outreach for capital projects and study area plans.
• Review plans, provide design recommendations, and conduct site inspections for major projects.

Skills

Project management

Urban design

Public outreach

Policy development

Education

Urban planning degree

Job description

MOS Codes: None

Education and Experience: A Bachelor's degree or higher in Urban or Regional Planning or Design, Architecture, Landscape Architecture, or related field and four (4) years professional experience in urban or regional planning, including one (1) year project management experience.

Licenses and Certificates: Texas Class "C" Driver's License or equivalent from another state.

Under general direction, is responsible for overseeing the Urban Design function of the Capital Improvement Department and managing the Civic Design Lab.

Manage, direct and coordinate design review at the urban and architectural scale for capital projects as part of the City's Capital Improvement Program (CIP). Involves: Monitor and manage comprehensive study area plans and neighborhood plans that identify future capital needs and urban design elements to support the redevelopment of corridors, reinvestment areas and mixed-use neighborhoods. Assist in preparation of graphic diagrams, illustrations, and maps, developing urban design plans, including renderings, and identifies strategies to facilitate the successful implementation of development. Monitor and conduct highly technical research and analysis, evaluate findings, identify significant issues, determine options and develop recommendations on difficult and complex projects. Prepare and produce written summaries, documents, scopes of work and statistical and other reports to include findings and recommendations. Coordinate capital and redevelopment projects, corridor and streetscape enhancement, and other capital planning initiatives. Present needs assessments and project priorities. Facilitate development and adoption of policy and establishment of programs for administering planning and urban design studies and policies. Manage and lead the civic engagement and public outreach components of capital projects and study area plans. Review design and construction plans, provides design recommendations and conducts site inspection for approval on major development projects.

Provide design support on a wide range of project types. Involves: Plan, design and implement exciting and unique pedestrian experiences, complete street, streetscape and transportation projects as well as parks and public space projects to create an attractive and well-functioning built environment. Develop and evaluate plans, criteria, and scope for a variety of planning projects and development programs. Advise on strategic planning and design initiatives for addressing growth-related, community enhancement, and redevelopment challenges. Responsible for site-specific, revitalization areas, and comprehensive planning initiatives and oversees development and funding of large capital improvement or other programs. Negotiate scope and fees and participates in the procurement and administration of consultant contracts/services, and manages professional planning services. Serve as a project manager and contract administrator to ensure compliance with contractual obligations, schedules, deliverables, and project implementation. Meet with project architects and engineers to discuss designs and design changes and provide resolutions.

Provide urban design, landscape architectural, and planning project support, design and technical advice. Involves: Produce conceptual site planning and graphics (hand and/or digital), schematic/preliminary design plans and graphics, assist in the drafting both design development and construction documents plans and details. Develop maps, reports, presentations, and graphic renderings and illustrations in support of planning, urban design, and capital projects. Conduct site plan review and site analysis for project site selection and provides design recommendations. Conduct demographic, land use and zoning/subdivisions analysis as part of study area plans and presents research/data to the community and officials. Serve as a project manager of urban design, planning, landscape architectural projects from planning through construction. Perform development oversight and construction management, oversee contracts, design development and quality control, and any construction administration. Participate in the development of standards and designs for inclusion of park, plaza and landscape components of redevelopment and capital projects.

Supervise assigned personnel. Involves: Schedule, assign, instruct, guide and check work. Appraise employee performance. Provide for training and development. Enforce personnel rules and regulations and work behavior standards firmly and impartially. Counsel, motivate and maintain harmony. Interview applicants. Recommend hiring, termination, transfers, discipline, merit pay or other employee status changes.

Please note: This is an unclassified contract position.

Note: Applicants with foreign diplomas, transcripts, and degrees must have all documents translated and evaluated by an agency of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) prior to submitting them to the Human Resources Department. Please visit www.naces.org/members for more information.