Lead Planner

City of Tucson

1d • $29 - $44

About The Position

The Lead Planner in the City of Tucson’s Housing and Community Development (HCD) Department supports the Strategic Planning and Community Engagement (SPACE) team in advancing strategic planning, policy development, and community-informed initiatives that strengthen housing affordability and community outcomes. This role integrates GIS, data analysis, and design with robust community engagement to inform planning efforts, evaluate programs, and communicate complex information clearly to internal and external audiences. The Lead Planner leads or contributes to long-range and strategic planning projects, policy research and implementation, and cross-departmental initiatives, while building strong relationships with residents, stakeholders, and partner organizations. Work is performed with a high degree of independence and collaboration and may include serving as a technical and subject-matter resource for HCD and City partners. Work is performed under the supervision of the Strategic Planning and Community Engagement Manager. This position does not supervise. This position leads and instructs the daily operational work associated with assigned projects and assigned project staff.

Requirements

• Education: Bachelor's Degree
• Work Experience: Three (3) years of relevant experience
• Any combination of relevant education and experience may be substituted on a year-for-year basis.

Nice To Haves

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Urban Planning, Public Policy, Geography, Community Development, Architecture, or a closely related field.
• Demonstrated success in community engagement, including designing and facilitating inclusive engagement processes and working directly with residents, stakeholders, and partner organizations on planning, policy, or development-related initiatives, while clearly communicating complex information and building trust with diverse communities.
• Experience leading or contributing to long-range and strategic planning initiatives, including researching, drafting, and implementing housing, community development, or equity-focused policies and plans.
• Experience with: Esri ArcGIS products (ArcGIS Pro/Online, StoryMaps, ArcHub, Dashboards, Experience Builder, etc.) Adobe Creative Cloud (InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, Acrobat Pro, etc.) Web design and digital content platforms Microsoft 365 (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.)
• Fluency in both written and spoken English and Spanish.

Responsibilities

• Leads long-range and strategic planning projects, including housing affordability initiatives, policy frameworks, and cross-departmental planning efforts; research, draft, and implement policies and plans.
• Leads the design, facilitation, and evaluation of inclusive engagement processes; build and maintain positive relationships with residents, stakeholders, and partner organizations; incorporate community input into planning and policy decisions.
• Collect, analyze, and visualize data to support and lead planning, policy, and community engagement initiatives; create maps, dashboards, and other data products using GIS tools to inform decision-making and communicate insights.
• Develops and leads graphics, reports, presentations, and other materials to clearly convey complex data, analysis, and planning initiatives to both internal and external audiences.
• Support housing, community development, and planning projects by leading and tracking progress, managing data and materials, coordinating with internal teams and external partners, and preparing reports and materials for leadership and stakeholders.
• Leads and serves as a resource for GIS, data, and planning tools and best practices; provides guidance to staff and partners on data analysis, mapping, and policy implementation.
• Performs all other duties and tasks as assigned.

Benefits

• The City of Tucson offers a generous benefits package for benefit-eligible positions. The comprehensive, flexible, and affordable coverage is designed to optimize health and well-being, security and future, and peace of mind.
• Benefits begin with medical, dental, vision, life, disability, and FSA coverage, surpassing your standard 401(k) program by offering a rich pension plan plus optional Roth and pretax deferred compensation savings.
• With your well-being in mind, our paid time off program provides new hires with 38 paid days off in the first year of employment, with time off increasing steadily in subsequent years.
• We offer twelve weeks of paid parental leave, paid tuition reimbursement, student loan repayment, off- and on-the-job training, and opportunities to forge connections with peers and the community through employee resource groups and paid volunteer hours.
• You can learn more about our benefits at https://www.tucsonaz.gov/Departments/Human-Resources/Employee-Benefit-Snapshot.

What This Job Offers

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