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The St. Louis County Department of Planning is looking for a dedicated professional to join our passionate, talented, and creative planning team as the Planning Manager for Environmental and Resilience Planning. The Department of Planning provides high level planning services to all portions of the County and also serves as the local planning office for the more than 315,000 residents of unincorporated St. Louis County. With the Department office located at the County Administration Building in downtown Clayton, Missouri, you are steps away from the Metrolink Blue Line and various Metrobus options, coffee shops, restaurants, Shaw Park, and the Centennial Greenway. The Department benefits from having multiple Planners on staff, all at various points in their careers, who are ready to support the work of the Environmental and Resilience Planning Manager. 

As the Environmental and Resilience Planning Manager, you will be responsible for crafting, coordinating and implementing sustainability related programs and policies, leading efforts to design benchmarks and systems pursuant to County sustainability and climate goals, and securing federal, state, and other grants to further the County’s environmental and resilience goals. The Department is undertaking a new comprehensive planning process, with sustainability and equity woven into each plan element, information about which can be found at www.stlouiscounty2050.com. Additionally, in 2024, the County Council appropriated the funding needed for the Department to complete the County’s first Climate Action Plan, and as the Environmental & Resilience Planning Manager, you’ll direct and manage that project – from writing the request for proposals, through consultant selection, drafting, and plan implementation.

The successful candidate will demonstrate excellent writing and analysis skills, will be comfortable talking to a wide variety of stakeholders, and will be capable of explaining complex ideas to community members. The Environmental and Resilience Planning Manager will be expected to prepare reports and documents for a wide swath of stakeholders as well as the ability to create and implement environmental related programs. The Environmental and Resilience Planning Manager will manage all work output of their Division, under the supervision of the Deputy Director or Director. No workday will ever be the exact same and the chosen candidate will have an opportunity to lead the County’s sustainability efforts and influence the region’s response to a host of environmental challenges.

The typical work hours will be from 8:00 am – 5:00 pm, Monday – Friday. The position regularly requires evening and weekend hours to facilitate and attend engagement, outreach, and public meetings. The starting salary for this position will be between $74,401.60 - $89,273.60 annually and will be based on individual education, experience, and qualifications.

As an employer, St. Louis County cares about the health and well-being of our employees. In an effort to provide for the best possible work-life balance, the County offers a generous benefit package which includes affordable health insurance, dental and vision coverage, 4 weeks of Paid Time Off the first year, 11 paid holidays, deferred benefit retirement plan, paid life insurance as well as short- and long-term disability. To learn more County benefits, visit: Competitive Benefits - St. Louis County Website

St. Louis County Government is a qualified agency for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program managed by the Federal Government. For more information regarding this program, visit: Public Service Loan Forgiveness | Federal Student Aid

Examples of Duties

• Advise the Director, Deputy Director, Planning Commission, County Council, and County Executive on all environmental and resilience planning related matters
• Develop, lead, and mentor planning staff to a full understanding of the environmental planning field, growing their ability to support environmental and resilience goals
• Define objectives, manage projects, and provide technical assistance to advance local and regional initiatives relating to stormwater management, hazard mitigation, green communities, climate adaptation and resiliency, decarbonization, tree canopy expansion, and other environmental planning efforts
• Promote the development of local and regional clean energy and environmental initiatives by leveraging state, federal, and private funding, seeking funding and preparing grant applications in coordination with the County’s grants management team
• Assist with preparing and reviewing environmental elements of the comprehensive plan, community plans, small area studies, open space and recreation plans, disaster/hazard mitigation plans, and emergency preparedness plans
• Prepare plans, studies, presentations, functional tools, and semi-annual reports on the benefits and outcomes of sustainability programs
• Partner with County Departments, municipalities, and other key stakeholders to reduce the amount of illegal dumping
• Coordinate and implement public outreach and volunteer efforts related to environmental matters
• Review and comment on policy documents, environmental reviews, and proposed legislation and regulatory and policy changes at the local, state, and federal levels
• Attend evening meetings for various Boards and Commissions and weekend meetings for community engagement related to long-range and environmental planning initiatives.
• Perform other duties as required or assigned

Education & Professional Experiences 

• Equivalent to a bachelor’s degree in urban planning, sustainability, environmental science, or related field (Landscape Architecture, Geography, etc.) and five years experience in resilience, hazard mitigation, climate adaptation, or equivalent in a professional planning capacity
• A master’s degree in urban planning, sustainability, environmental science, or related field may be substituted for two years of experience
• Preference will be given to candidates who have two or more years of team supervisory experience

Skills & Certifications

• Proficiency in the use of the Microsoft Office suite of tools and database management is required
• Ability to use ESRI ArcGIS is preferred
• AICP certification is preferred
• Sustainability related certification (LEED, SEA, SEP, CEM, CSDP, etc.) is preferred