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Job Opening for a Senior Planner (taking recent grads!)

The Chattanooga-Hamilton County Regional Planning Agency (RPA) is seeking to fill a Senior Planner position in the Community Planning & Design Division.

WHY CHATTANOOGA?

Chattanooga continues to receive international attention for its successes in downtown and riverfront revitalization.

Since 2014, Chattanooga and Hamilton County have attracted 11,062 new jobs and more than $3 billion in capital investment, including expansions to Volkswagen’s automotive assembly facility and an Amazon Fulfillment Center.   Several years ago, our Electric Power Board (EPB) began offering the fastest internet service in the country and today Chattanooga still boasts the fastest internet service in the western hemisphere, with 10 gigabit service available for every home and business.

Chattanooga offers a low cost of living in exchange for a high quality of life.  Awarded Outside Magazine’s “Best Town Ever” title for two years, Chattanooga – surrounded by mountains, rivers, and lakes – boasts a range of outdoor offerings.

WHY THE RPA?

Community Planning & Design (CPD) is a division of the RPA that focuses on urban design, placemaking, sustainability, and area planning.  Our division’s work program for the next few years will be focused on developing 12 Area Plans that cover all of Hamilton County.  A new Place Types palette will be applied to, and mapped for, each Area Plan.  We will also be developing more detailed Station Area Plans / TODs in some of those areas.

In 2016, Chattanooga adopted a mandatory Form-Based Code for the entire downtown area.  The CPD managed that initiative.  We also recently completed a Public Spaces plan with schematic designs for 4 projects, including a park, a Riverwalk trail, and streetscape improvements.

GENERAL QUALIFICATIONS

Successful candidates for this position should have strong experience in physical land use planning.  We are looking for someone who also has experience in GIS to complement our team.  A background in urban design, architecture, or landscape architecture, is also preferred, but not required.

The online application is available at http://www.chattanooga.gov/2011-12-14-14-38-52/job-openings and must be submitted to the City of Chattanooga’s Human Resources Department.  However, the following Supplemental Information should be submitted directly to:  khundt@chattanooga.gov.  The RPA staff will match up your supplemental material with your online application.

Supplemental Questions:

  1. Your name, preferred email address and phone number.
  2. Describe your experience in managing a major planning project. This should include, but is not limited to, initial scoping, organizing and conducting public meetings, analysis, and final documentation.
  3. What are the 5 most important elements that should be included in a Plan for a large area of a county?
  4. Describe your level of expertise with GIS. How have you used GIS?

Supplemental Material Required with Application:

  • Attach two examples (in PDF or JPG format) of computer generated maps, that you created, that convey your skills in GIS.
  • Attach one example of a plan or report of which you were the sole author.
  • For candidates with a background in Urban Design, or a related design field, attach one example (in PDF or JPG format) of a drawing (either computer generated or free-hand) that you personally created.