Entry Level Resilience Planner

Dewberry • Richmond, VA

3d • $77,000 - $79,500 • Onsite

About The Position

Dewberry is seeking an Entry Level Resilience Planner to join its Resilience Solutions Group in the Richmond, Virginia office. The role supports work at the intersection of planning, policy, and technical analysis in hazard mitigation, emergency management, and climate change adaptation. Related areas include community planning, policy analysis, vulnerability assessment, natural resource management, and research and planning for federal, state, and local agencies.

The position contributes to plans, studies, reports, and other technical documents; government program improvements; public outreach; client meetings; and technical studies and analyses that inform resilience strategies and plans. The planner communicates complex technical topics through written, visual, and verbal formats, and applies social equity and environmental justice principles to technical and strategic work. The role also offers opportunities to work across varied Resilience Solutions Group projects and develop additional technical and programmatic skills.

This entry-level position is based in an office, with occasional field or site visits and in-person meetings that may involve multi-day travel. The employee works under higher-level staff, and work is often reviewed by senior staff. The position may occasionally require adjusted schedules, overtime, and evening or weekend hours. The employee must be able to obtain and maintain a Public Trust security clearance and have a valid driver’s license and a good driving record.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s and/or master’s degree in Planning, Policy Analysis, Environmental Science, Sustainability, or a related field.
• Demonstrated professional or related experience, such as an internship or collegiate project/capstone involving resilience-focused planning or analysis; 0–2 years of related professional experience.
• Ability to communicate technical information related to natural hazards and climate resilience effectively in oral, written, and visual formats, including in projects, presentations, and papers.
• Demonstrated knowledge of ESRI products, with examples of practical ArcGIS application.
• Comfort working with geospatial and quantitative data, including managing and cleaning datasets, conducting analyses, and presenting results.
• Demonstrated visual communication skills, such as experience with InDesign, Canva, or PowerPoint.
• Ability to exercise initiative, resourcefulness, and tact when obtaining and analyzing information related to resilience planning.
• Ability to perform a broad range of tasks assigned by senior-level staff to develop familiarity with relevant methods, practices, and programs.
• Well-developed time-management skills, including the ability to produce high-quality, detail-oriented deliverables on tight timelines while balancing competing deadlines.
• Self-motivation and ability to work independently and collaboratively.
• Ability to work well with coworkers and supervisors as part of a team.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a Public Trust security clearance.
• Valid driver’s license, good driving record, and ability to pass a driving-record background check.

Nice To Haves

• Experience researching, planning, and developing operational and tactical plans, policies, procedures, and guidance to promote resilience and mitigation.
• Knowledge of resilience-related government programs, policies, regulations, and data, such as FEMA NFIP, Community Rating System, FEMA RiskMAP, grants, and state and local floodplain management programs.
• Knowledge of Tableau, Power BI, ArcGIS Online, Adobe InDesign, and other data-processing, visualization, and design tools.
• Knowledge of state-level resilience programs, including Virginia’s Community Flood Preparedness Fund (CFPF) and Resilient Florida.
• Relevant certifications, training, or credentials.
• Consulting experience.
• Preferred education and experience combinations: BS/BA with 1–2 years of experience, or a master’s degree with 0–1 years of experience.

Responsibilities

• Support the preparation of plans, studies, reports, guides, and other technical documents related to climate resilience, hazard mitigation, and floodplain management.
• Support the exploration and implementation of programmatic improvements to increase climate resilience and hazard mitigation in federal, state, and local government agencies.
• Support public outreach for community resilience projects and client meetings, both virtual and in person; some in-person meetings may require multi-day travel.
• Support technical studies and analytical processes related to resilience strategy and plan development.
• Use written, visual, and verbal communication to develop compelling narratives and explain complex technical topics to varied audiences.
• Apply social equity and environmental justice principles to technical and strategic work.
• Work on a diverse range of projects within the Resilience Solutions Group to build additional technical and programmatic knowledge and skills.

Benefits

• Entry-level program professional development events and team-building activities.
• Opportunities to connect with peers, learn about career growth and opportunities aligned with professional goals, and expand knowledge of Dewberry and its work.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level