Forward Planning Specialist

Thomas James Homes•Bellevue, WA

8d•$73,000 - $91,800•Hybrid

About The Position

The Forward Planning Specialist will assist with permitting, utility coordination, land acquisition feasibility and due diligence during land purchase, and meeting Division Business Plan goals. This role involves coordinating and managing the building permit process, serving as a liaison to various stakeholders, providing due diligence for property acquisition, managing consultant scopes of work, and resolving development issues. A key responsibility is to design and implement a centralized utility permitting process and develop systems to track all utility and related permits. The specialist will also build relationships with internal stakeholders, review invoices, and draft documentation for construction support and permit processes.

Requirements

Minimum of a high school degree is required.
Bachelor’s degree in civil engineering, landscape architecture, urban planning, or a related field
2-4 years of experience.
Experience within the homebuilding industry
Familiarity with reading and understanding civil engineering, landscape architecture, and building plans.

Nice To Haves

Specific knowledge of the submittal and processing of Building, Civil and Grading and Drainage Plans with local communities.
Experience in Seattle & Greater East Side preferred.
Demonstrates a strong sense of urgency and proactive follow-through to consistently meet or exceed project timelines.
Ability to efficiently use computer systems including Adobe Acrobat, Microsoft Office Suite - Excel, Word, Outlook, etc.; knowledge of Bluebeam preferred.

Responsibilities

Coordinate, manage, and track the building permit process and plan status for new home construction projects, maintaining jurisdictional records in the system and providing regular status reporting.
Serve as the principal liaison to consultants, Plan Reviewers, governmental officials, trade partners, and internal/field staff in the execution of forward planning tasks.
Provide due diligence for the acquisition of mapped/entitled properties designated for proposed Division land purchases.
Manage scopes of work and compliance with schedules and budgets for consultants related to the forward planning process.
Assist with resolutions of development issues and conditions during development.
Design a centralized utility permitting process by researching current utility permitting processes across various teams and consolidating them into one streamlined role, ensuring efficiency and clarity.
Develop and implement system to track all utility and related permits, ensuring that utility permits are monitored, payment deadlines are met, and utility connect/disconnects applications are documented consistently.
Build relationships and establish effective communication channels with key internal stakeholders including project managers, and department heads.
Review and track consultant and trade partner invoices.
Coordinate with department director to ensure timely payment processing, monitor for discrepancies, and enhance overall account management.
Draft, implement & manage detailed construction support & related permit process documentation, RFIs, guidelines, and checklists to ensure a unified approach across team.