Entry Level Resilience Planner

Dewberry • Richmond, VA

1d • 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. Areas of focus may include community planning, policy analysis, vulnerability assessment, hazard mitigation, natural resource management, and research and planning for federal, state, and local agencies.

The Resilience Solutions team works with federal, state, and local clients to help them understand natural hazard risks and make informed decisions to reduce risk and increase resilience. The position contributes to resilience plans and technical studies, programmatic improvements, public outreach, and related projects. The work draws on disciplines including engineering, planning, GIS, earth sciences, and data analytics.

This entry-level role is part of a peer cohort with 0–1 year of professional experience. The program includes regular professional development and team-building events intended to build peer connections, support career growth, and expand participants’ knowledge of Dewberry and its work.

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 about natural hazards and climate resilience effectively in oral, written, and visual formats, including projects, presentations, and papers.
• Demonstrated knowledge of ESRI products and practical application of ArcGIS.
• Comfort working with geospatial and quantitative data, including managing and cleaning datasets, conducting analyses, and presenting results.
• Demonstrated visual communication skills, such as using InDesign, Canva, or PowerPoint.
• Ability to exercise initiative, resourcefulness, and tact when obtaining and analyzing information related to resilience planning.
• Ability to perform an expanded range of tasks assigned by senior-level staff to broaden experience and 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 amid 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.
• Dewberry will not sponsor a new applicant for work authorization.

Nice To Haves

• Bachelor’s degree with 1–2 years of experience, or a master’s degree with 0–1 years of experience.
• Experience researching, planning, and developing operational and tactical plans, policies, procedures, and guidance to promote resilience and mitigation.
• Knowledge of resilience-related governmental 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 and Resilient Florida.
• Relevant certifications, training, or credentials.
• Consulting experience.

Responsibilities

• Support preparation of plans, studies, reports, guides, and other technical documents related to climate resilience, hazard mitigation, and floodplain management.
• Support exploration and execution of programmatic improvements to increase climate resilience and hazard mitigation within 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 involve multi-day trips.
• Support technical studies and analytical processes related to resilience strategy and plan development.
• Use written, visual, and verbal communication to explain complex technical topics and develop compelling narratives for varied audiences.
• Apply principles of social equity and environmental justice to technical and strategic work.
• Work on a diverse range of related projects to build supplementary technical and programmatic knowledge and skills.

Benefits

• Entry-level professional development events and team-building activities.
• Opportunities to connect with peers, learn about career growth, and explore opportunities aligned with professional goals.

What This Job Offers

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