Land Use Planner I

The Public Health Institute (PHI) is a large non-profit public health organization conducting a broad range of public health research, training, and technical assistance programs in California, throughout the nation, and around the world. PHI is seeking a full-time Land Use Planner I for Planning for Healthy Places, a project of the Public Health Law & Policy program (PHLP). This position is located in Oakland, CA.

Planning for Healthy Places develops policy and legal resources and provides technical assistance, training and consultation on how traditional land use, economic development and redevelopment tools can be employed at the local level to address the obesity epidemic and other public health issues, especially in low-income communities. This team consults with community advocates, agency staff and policy makers who are developing local policies to improve health. The program also works to improve linkages between local government agencies with the goal of incorporating health considerations into a broad range of local decision-making. For additional information about Planning for Health Places go to www.healthyplanning.org

We have an immediate opening for an individual who has academic training and an experiential grounding in one or more of the following areas: land use planning, economic development, and/or redevelopment. This position will be responsible for managing key client relationships and providing substantive technical assistance.

Duties & Responsibilities:

• Researches policy and best practices for incorporating public heath into land use planning processes
• Develops accessible training and technical materials for practitioners and advocates
• Provides technical assistance to practitioners and advocates, including community-specific strategies around land use and economic development planning
• Develops sustainable and cooperative relationships with city and county officials, planning and public health agencies and community-based organizations
• Keeps abreast of pertinent Federal, State and local laws, codes and regulations
• Drafts model language and disseminates information
• Conducts trainings and workshops for practitioners and advocates
• Performs other duties as assigned by supervisor

Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in urban planning from an accredited college or university, or a Bachelor’s degree and 2 years of increasingly responsible professional experience in urban planning or closely related field.
• 3-5 years of experience working in local government in one of more of the following capacities: providing direct technical assistance and/or consulting, developing and implementing training and education materials, organizing and conducting research and translating findings for a variety of constituents, and/or interpreting and drafting policy.
• Excellent understanding of principles and practices of urban planning and development.
• Strong understanding of laws underlying general plans, zoning and land divisions.
• Understanding of Pertinent Federal, State and local laws, codes and regulations.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Must have the initiative to keep up to date with current literature, information sources and research techniques in the field of urban planning.
• Ability to produce community-specific maps utilizing demographic and health related data.
• Ability to work well independently and as a member of a team.
• Ability to work with diverse client base.
• Ability to present complex information to a broad audience.
• Ability to travel within California.
• Excellent work ethic, including punctual and consistent attendance.
• Experience working with place-based public health initiatives; grant writing experience; familiarity with public health principles, strategies, and initiatives; multi-lingual (Spanish preferred) are experience areas that are not required but highly preferred.

Compensation:

Salary is commensurate with experience. PHI offers a generous benefits package including medical, dental, vision, short/long term disability insurance, life insurance, 403b (tax sheltered annuity) and partial subsidy of public transportation cost. For more information about PHI’s benefits, please visit www.phi.jobs.

Please send cover letter, resume and an analytical writing sample ASAP to:

Public Health Institute
555 – 12th Street, 10th Floor
Department #PZ80, Oakland, CA 94607-4046
Or email resumes to: jobs@phi.org including Dept #PZ80 in the subject line
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