Google Urban Planning Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Location: multiple sites/Charlottesville VA

Reports to: Chief Construction Officer

Travel Requirements: minimal/local

Employment Type: Full-time, salaried

ORGANIZATION OVERVIEW

Habitat for Humanity of Greater Charlottesville (“Habitat”) is a cutting-edge non-profit housing and community development organization creating simple, decent, affordable homes in partnership with low-income families, volunteers, and the communities of the Greater Charlottesville region. We are advocates, promoting innovations and policy solutions designed to increase the affordable housing supply across the communities we serve. Home construction capacity is multiplied by a volunteer labor force including homeowner families, corporate, civics, and faith groups. Habitat is an affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International (“HFHI”), a global ministry working to end housing poverty worldwide.

In 2013, Habitat completed construction at Sunrise, the first trailer park transformation in the nation without resident displacement. Currently, Habitat is redeveloping the Southwood Mobile Home Park with similar objectives. Southwood is the area’s largest single concentration of affordable housing and its greatest remaining redevelopment opportunity. When complete, the redeveloped Southwood will be unprecedented in scale nationally. Habitat has also partnered with the Piedmont Housing Alliance and the City of Charlottesville to purchase the Carlton Mobile Home Park. In the short term, our plan is to manage the park responsibly while helping residents develop the collective capacity to be leaders in the eventual redevelopment of the property into a mixed-income community without resident displacement.

Habitat is a national pioneer in mixed-income community development. To date, Habitat has contributed to 12 mixed-income neighborhoods and built and sold almost 400 homes.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Residential Planning & Design Manager’s primary responsibility is to oversee the architectural portfolio for the affiliate. They will liaise with our architectural partners to ensure designs are responsive to family needs, site constraints, and HFHI/affiliate guidance. They will work with the Construction Leadership Team to create and maintain our Specification Manual and ensure that our designs are context specific. This position will also work with our Land Development Team to engage in Resident-led Redevelopment at Southwood and elsewhere. They will hold a position on the Southwood ARB, communicating recommendations to the Developer and HOA.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Review and approve architectural drawings for code, constructability, and cost implications.
  • Manage ARB approvals within HOAs and clearly communicate specific requirements to the Construction Leadership Team.
• Manage landscape plans and purchasing of plant materials.
• Work with the engineers to better engage residents for feedback on Southwood village designs.
• Participate in the site design and redevelopment process to ensure internal design requirements are prioritized.
• Produce visuals as needed for various stakeholder meetings and construction operations.
• Oversee Lot Selection process with potential Homebuyers in partnership with the Department of
• Family and Community Partnerships.
• Oversee Interior Selection process with Homebuyers in partnership with the Department of
• Family and Community Partnerships and Project Manager.
• Review Cabinet Designs in conjunction with the Project Manager and make recommendations based on internal design criteria.
• Compile and submit all necessary documents for Building Permit applications.
• Provide support to the Advancement Department for donor or grant-specific requests.
• Lead village-by-village park planning process with new residents.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

The Residential Planning & Design Manager is a results-driven individual with at least 3-5 years of experience in architectural design and /or urban planning. The ideal candidate will also have/be:

• Positive, “can do” personality
• Commitment to Habitat for Humanity’s mission of service to others
• Natural preference for working in a team environment
• Familiarity with sustainable and green building practices including EnergyStar certifications
• Creative, problem-solving mindset
• Ability to work well with diverse populations including sponsors, partner families, staff, community leaders, board members, and other volunteers
• Strong organizational skills including ability to multi-task effectively
• Strong communication skills (both verbal and written)
• Experience using scheduling software (Google Calendar, Procore, Builder Trend, etc.)
• Experience with spreadsheets (Excel, Google Sheets, etc.)
• Ability to create and maintain a schedule
• Proficiency in Adobe Creative Cloud Programs including Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop, and Acrobat
• Familiarity with ArcGIS
• College degree in architecture, urban planning, or graphic design.
• Ability to work occasional evenings and Saturdays as needed

In addition to the above, all staff members are expected to exhibit the following on a consistent basis:

• A dedication to an interdisciplinary, collaborative approach to work
• Passion for supporting the organization’s mission and for maintaining programmatic excellence
• Proven success working with individuals of diverse backgrounds
• Ability to manage multiple projects and assignments simultaneously, often with competing deadlines
• Communication skills that allow for productive sharing, debate, and exchange of information and ideas, whether verbally or in writing

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

• Ability and willingness to travel.
• Must be able to lift up to 20-25 pounds at times.

This job description is intended to provide general information about the position. It is not an employment contract and is not intended as a complete list of all job roles and responsibilities. The incumbent may be required to perform other roles and responsibilities. As with all positions, the responsibilities, roles, and requirements of this job may change. The organization, at its discretion, may alter this job description at any time with or without notice.