Associate Planner

Urban Planning Partners•Oakland, CA

11h•Hybrid

About The Position

At Urban Planning Partners (UPP), we help create better places as partners with our clients and the communities where we work. Our projects are dynamic, complex, and rooted in real places and real people—spanning housing policy, CEQA review, land-use approvals, municipal planning, and community engagement throughout the Bay Area and Northern California. We’re a small, savvy team known for designing a way forward when the path isn’t obvious. We innovate within existing policy, set new precedents thoughtfully, and bring clarity to the trickiest planning codes. We care about impact and about how we get there: with curiosity, rigor, collaboration, and a healthy dose of fun. Our culture values flexibility, work-life balance, and showing up for one another. This is a mid-level, longer-term role for a planner who’s ready to lead. As an Associate Planner, you’ve already managed smaller projects and supported big, complicated work. At UPP, you’ll grow into fuller project management, mentoring, and proposal leadership—shaping both our projects and the firm alongside us. You’ll help deliver high-quality planning and CEQA work across Northern and Central California, with increasing responsibility for strategy, client relationships, and deliverables that move projects from vision to implementation.

Requirements

3–6 years of professional planning experience with progressive responsibility
Bachelor’s in planning, community development, environmental science, public administration, or related field
Managed 2–3 small projects (<$100K) and/or Served as assistant/deputy PM on 2–3 medium/large projects ($100K–$1M+)
Excellent writing/editing, research, and analytical skills
Strong understanding of planning process, land use policy, and/or CEQA foundation
Organized, detail-oriented, and comfortable in a fast-paced environment
Confident navigating ambiguity and shifting priorities
Proactive, discerning problem-solver who knows when to ask questions and who to pull in
Active membership in a professional organization (APA, SPUR, AEP, ULI, etc.) or clear commitment to professional development
Eligible to work in the U.S.
Valid California driver’s license and ability to drive for company business

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree may substitute for 1 year of experience
Advanced GIS and graphic design (InDesign, Illustrator, SketchUp, etc.)
Strong policy/research orientation; curiosity and love of problem solving
Bilingual (spoken/written) relevant to local communities

Responsibilities

Lead small and medium planning/environmental projects as PM or Deputy PM
Draft and manage project descriptions, entitlement pathways, and CEQA topic sections
Coordinate streamlined reviews and approvals for commercial, mixed-use, and multifamily projects
Prepare CEQA documents (exemptions → EIRs) for infill, TOD, mixed-use, and policy projects
Conduct qualitative and quantitative analysis with clear logic and defensible conclusions
Coordinate subconsultants and maintain strong QA/QC across deliverables
Support jurisdictions adopting pro-housing policies and objective design standards
Review, refine, and propose ordinance updates that are implementable and durable
Turn complex policy into clear tools that communities and staff can use
Pull GIS data, perform spatial analysis, and create maps/visuals that tell the story
Develop graphics for reports and engagement
Research codes, ordinances, and official records to build sound planning pathways
Use Adobe/SketchUp as needed to translate ideas into accessible visuals
Support Bay Area jurisdictions as an extension of staff
Review applications for completeness, coordinate department feedback
Write staff reports and present clearly to Planning Commissions/City Councils
Design and facilitate engagement—from surveys to workshops to focus groups
Use inclusive, innovative approaches to reach representative voices
Translate community insight into planning outcomes people can see themselves in
Lead/co-lead proposals and interview prep
Support social media/marketing as needed
Lead a long-term internal project (website, graphics, BD, etc.)
Play an active role in professional organizations and the planning community