Planning Associate

University of Maryland•College Park, MD

22h•$65,000 - $80,000•Onsite

About The Position

The National Center for Smart Growth (NCSG) seeks a Planning Associate with experience in housing, community development, land use, transportation, economic development, sustainability or related areas to assist the Purple Line Corridor Coalition (PLCC) with community engagement and outreach, coalition building, and applied planning work. PLCC, administered at NCSG, is an innovative public-private-community collaboration working to leverage Maryland’s largest transit investment in the 21st century to ensure equitable growth for all who live, work and invest in the corridor. Our work is guided by the goals and vision laid out in the Community Development Agreement for the Purple Line Corridor, which was developed through an extensive stakeholder engagement process. The position is in the School of Architecture, Planning & Preservation at the University of Maryland (UMD), College Park. The ideal candidate will have experience and passion for community engagement and collaborative work. The candidate will be a key contributor to development and execution of on-the-ground community initiatives and applied plans pertaining to equitable transit-oriented development for the PLCC. The Planning Associate will contribute to NCSG and PLCC’s community-engaged coalition building, development and execution of on-the-ground community initiatives and applied plans pertaining to research that impacts decision-making and advocacy for community, local, and state partners. This position is funded via a grant for approximately 2 years.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in policy, planning, or related field
Excellent written and verbal communication skills
Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively and independently in community outreach, meeting and event planning, and/or research projects

Nice To Haves

Spanish language strongly preferred
Master’s degree in policy, planning, or related fields.
Outreach and community engagement experience, with an appreciation for the work involved in building trust in historically marginalized communities
Knowledge and work experience in the District-Maryland-Virginia metropolitan region and familiarity with the Purple Line corridor is preferred but not required.
Candidates should be able to work in a diverse, high-paced environment and have strong writing and editing skills, proficient oral and interpersonal communications skills, organizational skills, and attention to detail.
Experience with Canva and Adobe creative suite
Experience with web platforms including Wix, WordPress
Experience with social media engagement
1-3 years of work experience in a nonprofit or policy setting
Willingness to support administrative, logistical, outreach, communications, and research tasks on a small team

Responsibilities

Support implementation of PLCC’s equitable development and anti-displacement initiatives, focused on housing, small business, transportation, placemaking, cultural preservation and equitable transit-oriented development.
Coordinate logistics for meetings, workshops, and coalition events (virtual and in-person).
Support and in some cases lead with supervision PLCC’s engagement with community leaders, community partners, local governments, nonprofits, and small business networks.
Help facilitate working groups, including notetaking and tracking follow-up actions.
Support research on corridor trends, partner activities, and policy initiatives.
Contribute to PLCC’s storytelling efforts, such as drafting partner spotlights, community profiles, and success stories.
Maintain PLCC’s website, social media, and newsletter content in collaboration with staff and partners.
Support grant writing, reporting, documentation, and budget tracking.
Maintain organized records and shared drives.
Other duties as assigned.