The Windham Regional Commission (WRC) seeks a highly skilled, self-motivated, full-time (37.5 hrs./wk.) Senior Planner with a municipal and regional planning background and desire to work in a rural context with a team of dedicated professionals, volunteer WRC Commissioners, and municipal officials. This planner works under the direct supervision of the Executive Director in support of regional plan development and strategic implementation, town plan and bylaw development, and the leadership and administration of special projects in support thereof. This is grassroots planning, requiring the ability and enthusiasm to work directly with the public, volunteer planning commissions and commissioners, and town staff. The majority of towns with which we work have no professional planning staff and very limited administrative capacity (town populations range from 6 to 12,000). Knowledge of planning areas is necessarily broad, and includes land use and working landscapes, community and economic development, natural resources and water quality, transportation, hazard mitigation, climate resilience and adaptation, energy (efficiency, greenhouse gas reduction, and renewable energy siting), and diversity, inclusion, equity, and justice.
Job tasks include supporting a major regional plan update with colleagues and Commissioners, providing planning and bylaw assistance to towns, advising towns on the implementation of their plans and administration of bylaws, and exploring creative solutions to fund and execute plan implementation. Must be able to independently manage multiple projects at any given time.
Candidates should be familiar with regional and municipal planning tools (regulatory and non-regulatory), and must have excellent writing, public speaking, meeting facilitation, team building, inclusive public engagement, community organizing, project development, grant writing, and project management skills. Familiarity with volunteer-based planning in rural communities is a plus. Four to five months of winter driving on rural roads is a fact of life.
The position of Senior Planner requires a degree in planning or a closely related field (including landscape architecture, geography, etc.) and a minimum of 5 years’ experience in rural municipal and/or regional planning, including at least one year’s experience in staff supervision or as a project manager, or the equivalent experience in the administration and implementation of adopted policies and objectives. A master’s degree in planning or a closely related field may be substituted for one year of required experience. Candidates should also demonstrate experience working with complex regulations and issues.
The WRC is the regional planning commission for a 27-town, 920 square mile area of southeastern Vermont in Windham, Bennington, and Windsor counties. Our mission is to assist towns in southeast Vermont with providing effective local governance and to work collaboratively with them to address regional issues. Our office is located in downtown Brattleboro in a great walking environment with a variety of restaurants, services, and businesses. Our workplace is friendly and highly flexible in terms of both workday and location. We offer competitive compensation and excellent benefits. Beginning annual salary range for this position is $55,000-65,000, depending upon experience.
Please email a letter of interest and resume (with references and contact information) in a single pdf to Chris Campany, Executive Director at ccampany@windhamregional.org. This position will remain open until filled. To learn more about the WRC, visit our website at www.windhamregional.org. No phone calls please. WRC is an Equal Opportunity Employer.