Senior Planner (COM 3)

State of Washington•Multiple Locations Statewide, WA

1d•Remote

About The Position

At the Department of Commerce, we’re reimagining what’s possible in government. We’re builders, thinkers, and change-makers, working at the intersection of innovation, community, and impact. From unlocking critical funding to fueling inclusive economic growth, we’re turning big ideas into real-world solutions that uplift people and places. Our agency’s strength lies in the diversity of our workforce and the breadth of the lived experiences and perspectives employees bring to the work. We believe equity is not just a value but a practice, which is reflected in how we design programs, engage communities, and deliver outcomes. We foster a workplace culture where curiosity is encouraged, bold thinking is welcomed, and collaboration drives our impact. This job is a commitment to reshape systems so they work better for everyone. If you’re ready to challenge the status quo and build meaningful connections, we want to meet you. Let’s build what’s next, together. The Local Government Division (LGD) partners with local governments, nonprofits, and others to strengthen the ability of all forms of local governments and community-based organizations to fund and develop critical services to their citizens. The division provides leadership in local government finance and statewide infrastructure initiatives that help create and retain jobs. It also provides grants, loans, and planning and technical assistance to local governments for community development needs, infrastructure improvements, and economic development opportunities. This position is in the Climate & Ecosystem Section of the Growth Management Services Unit of Commerce. This position provides local governments technical assistance and other resources to implement the natural environment protection and restoration policy in the Growth Management Act. This includes critical areas protection, implementation of the Governor’s salmon recovery strategy, and Commerce’s role in the Puget Sound National Estuary Program, including implementation of the Puget Sound Action Agenda. This position requires a strong working knowledge of Washington State’s Growth Management Act and natural resource planning and policy.

Requirements

Seven (7) years of combined experience and/or education as described below:
Experience in community, trade, or economic development in two or more of the following areas: Local or regional government land use planning, Implementation of state or federal requirements such as translating statutes and regulations into local policies, programs, and procedures, Ecosystem policy research to inform planning, evaluate impacts, and support climate-resilient development and ecosystem services outcomes at the local level, Contract Management (particularly those funded with state grants or loans)
Education involves urban or regional planning, geography, environmental sciences, engineering, political science, public administration/policy or related field.
Qualifying education post High School or equivalent may be substituted year for year for experience.
Examples of how to qualify: 7 years of experience, 6 years of experience and one year of education, 5 years of experience and two years of education, 4 years of experience and three years of education, 3 years of experience and four years of education, 2 years of experience and five years of education, 1 year of experience and six years of education.
Strong interpersonal skills with demonstrated ability to understand and appropriately respond to community, partner, and stakeholder interests and needs.
Strong problem-solving skills, highly organized and detail-oriented.
Intermediate skill level in Microsoft Office Suite products including Teams, Excel, Word, and Outlook and proficiency with remote work tools (camera, headset) and software (Zoom and Teams).

Nice To Haves

Experience and strong working knowledge of Washington state planning and plan implementation procedures, including Washington State’s Growth Management Act (GMA)and Shoreline Management Act (SMA).
Specialized training or experience related to climate planning, ecosystem services, critical areas, or other GMA technical specialties.
Experience with administration of state or federal grants for planning.
Expertise in principles, practices, and techniques of land use and Washington environmental laws and rules including the GMA and SMA.
Certification by the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP).

Responsibilities

Serve as the GMS unit’s subject matter expert on climate change and ecosystem related issues.
Determine need and provide appropriate technical assistance to Washington counties, cities, and other stakeholders on climate change and ecosystem issues.
Identifies and solves problems with effective solutions.
Identifies information needed to clarify a situation and seeks information from appropriate sources.
Takes the initiative to seek input from peers and supervisors to help with problem solving.
Speaks on behalf of the agency in public meetings on assigned climate and ecosystem services program(s).
Analyze proposed legislative bills as they pertain to the Growth Management Act to assess their potential impact on climate and ecosystem services and draft testimony for presentation to the legislature as assigned.
Contribute to internal rulemaking workgroups with policy recommendations as it pertains to climate and ecosystem services.
Provide technical literature reviews, interview subject matter experts, collect and utilize a variety of data to perform analysis, evaluate options, and produce reports and other research products to advance climate and ecosystem services program goals.
Provide technical recommendations and presentations on climate and ecosystem services projects, programs, policies, and plans to federal, state, public and private stakeholders.
Assist program leadership with development of policy proposals that require legislative action, including drafting recommendations for inclusion in Commerce decision packages to be submitted to Office of Financial Management.
Lead and develop scope, methodology, benchmarks, milestones and timetables to ensure ecosystem planning projects are completed on time.
Analyze proposed legislation, policy or other regulations related to climate and ecosystem services to provide recommendations on program priorities and policies.
Analyze, review, and provide technical assistance on comprehensive plans and development regulations from local governments throughout the state on climate and ecosystem issues to ensure consistency with Growth Management Act.
Conducts grant application and procurement processes for climate and ecosystem services program which includes creating requests for proposals, convening subject matter experts and key stakeholders to assist with proposal review, reading, evaluating, and scoring proposals, organizing and conducting review meetings, and making recommendations to management for grant and contract awards.
Develops, updates, maintains, reviews, and analyzes spreadsheets, databases, and information systems to conduct program evaluation and reporting.
Negotiates, drafts, and executes grants and contracts and subsequent amendments to scopes of work and special terms and conditions.
Ensure deliverables and expenditure of funds for ecosystem and climate grant programs are met in accordance with agency policy.
Provides technical support to grantees, identifies and resolves programmatic, scope of work, or funding condition conflicts.
Conducts outreach and prepares communications to generate interest in grant programs.
Coordinates with internal and external stakeholders to streamline processes, develop best practices, and implement program delivery improvements.
Demonstrates comprehensive knowledge of state and federal requirements for administering grant and loan programs.
Interprets and applies federal and state laws and regulations.
Provide support to the Strategic Initiative Leads (SILs) to implement the work plans approved by the Environmental Protection Agency, including providing direct technical assistance to grantees and other local governments and organizations on NEP actions and subrecipient projects consistent with recovery of the Puget Sound.
Develop and maintain ongoing relationships with SILs and other state agencies to improve coordination, align priorities, and advance shared project outcomes.
Advise Commerce about current Puget Sound recovery needs and priorities related to growth management issues in Puget Sound to support informed-decision making, alignment with regional recovery goals, and consistency with the Growth Management Act.
This could include such activities as collaboration with GMS unit staff on development of GMA guidance materials, supporting workshops or other general land use planning activities.