Job Description

About Our Job

Who We Are

With competitive pay, great benefits, and endless opportunities, working for the City and County of Denver means seeing yourself working with purpose — for you, and those who benefit from your passion, skills, and expertise. Join our diverse, inclusive, and talented workforce of more than 1,000 team members who are at the heart of what makes Denver, Denver.

Denver Parks and Recreation (DPR) provides a broad range of programs, services, facilities, and park amenities within the City and County of Denver. The City’s park system encompasses more than 290 urban parks, parkways, and natural areas, totaling over 7,000 acres. The Department boasts more than 14,000 acres of pristine mountain parks, eight golf courses, 24 lakes, more than 87,000 park trees, 187,000 right-of-way trees, over 90 miles of off-street trails, 14 off-leash dog parks, and over 300 athletic fields. The recreation system serves approximately 2.25 million visitors annually. It includes 30 active recreation centers, 16 outdoor pools, and 16 current indoor pools. Recreation activities include arts and cultural classes and events, aquatics, sports and fitness opportunities, and youth programming. In addition, the Department offers programs focused on outdoor education, youth and adult sports leagues, and out of school programs offered in conjunction with Denver Public Schools. DPR comprises four divisions: Administration, Recreation, Parks, and Planning, Design and Construction.

What We Offer

The City and County of Denver offers a competitive salary commensurate with education and experience. The salary range for this position is $95,000.00 - $120,000.00/year, based on experience and education.

We also offer generous benefits for full-time employees which includes but is not limited to:

• A guaranteed life-long monthly pension, once vested after 5 years of service
• 457B Retirement Plan
• 140 hours of PTO earned within first year + 13 paid holidays, 1 personal holiday, 1 Wellness Day and 1 volunteer day per year
• Competitive medical, dental and vision plans effective within 1 month of start date

Location

The City and County of Denver supports a hybrid workplace model. In this position, you will work roughly Monday – Friday, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m., with some evenings and weekends as needed to attend City Council, Parks and Recreation Advisory Board and Public Engagement Events related to DPR planning or capital projects. You will report to the Denver Post Building at 101 West Colfax, 80202.

What You’ll Do

Denver's Planning, Design and Construction Division consists of a team of highly knowledgeable professionals dedicated to the development and improvement of the City & County of Denver's network of parks, parkways, and recreation facilities. The Division's efforts in planning, design and construction management ensure that Denver's valuable system of parks and recreation facilities fosters Denver's development as a world-class city and enriches the lives of Denver's citizens and guests for years to come.

Are you seeking an impactful job opportunity to increase quality of life for Denver residents? Are you interested in helping to grow, plan and improve Denver’s parks and recreation system? Denver Parks and Recreation’s Planning, Design and Construction Division is excited to announce we are accepting applications for Principal Planner.

This position sits on the Citywide Planning Team, which leads complicated park and system-wide planning efforts, engages with the City’s development review program, participates on inter-agency teams to advance parks and open space in development projects, develops DPR’s Capital Improvement Program, and stewards our tremendous system through policy and process improvements. Examples of recent projects that are representative of the duties of a planner at this level include the Outdoor Adventure and Alternative Sports Strategic Plan, Ball Arena Infrastructure Master Plan, Design Standards for Open Space in Large Developments, Pickleball Analysis and Strategy, and the Park Hill Park visioning process. This position will have a focus on continuing the planning for Park Hill Park, planning activities to support bond-funded project delivery, representing DPR on CCD- and CPD-led interagency plans in neighborhoods around Denver, and supporting DPR’s role in CCD’s development review processes.

With dedicated funding resources, sound visionary direction and exciting projects across the city – there is no better time to be a part of Denver’s Planning, Design and Construction team!

Responsibilities

Planning Project Management

• Applies best practice planning methodology to lead and manage highly complex and multi-faceted planning projects (including scope, schedule and budget) which may include citywide strategic plans and individual park vision plans
  • Exercises sound technical expertise and strong interpersonal and communication skills in complex and controversial matters
  • Conducts research and analysis to determine the needs of the community and to inform strategic responses
  • Produces in-house planning products, such as analyses and strategic documents designed to guide capital budget or project development, memoranda on the impacts of and proposed changes to zoning code or proposed City process to the department, or data collection and interpretation
  • Oversees and executes procurement processes to hire consultants when needed, and coordinates and manages the work of consultants involved in the execution of planning projects
  • Provides timely and accurate reporting on project progress and addresses any project issues in coordination with internal staff and/or the public

Builds consensus and support for initiatives among diverse stakeholders and fosters positive public relations

• Identifies, cultivates, and manages key internal and external partnerships such as city agencies, councilmembers, resident organizations, community-based organizations, and interest groups
• Coordinates and facilitates public participation in multiple stages of project vision, concept, and/or strategic planning through community outreach and engagement, public presentations, and meetings (some meetings and events held in the evening hours or on weekends)
• Collaborates with internal parks staff including management, park operations, forestry, communications, design and construction staff

Inter-agency and Development Coordination

• Serves as a collaborative representative, technical expert and department advocate on planning efforts led by other agencies, such as the Neighborhood Planning Initiative
• Supports the Parks Planning development review program, which includes reviewing and commenting on projects to identify park impacts or interests in order to protect and preserve the integrity of the parks and parkways system in order to advance park and recreation goals and Game Plan for a Healthy City

• Works collaboratively with other agencies to advance parks needs as well as achieve outcomes beneficial to other agencies and the city as a whole
• Represents the department in policy development and process improvement, in line with City goals

Team Leadership

• Provide mentorship to other planners and other professionals within the Planning, Design and Construction Team, including providing guidance in navigating complex and controversial projects, situations or communications
• Ensure effective development, implementation and management of parks planning initiatives that meet or exceed city, departmental, and division goals
• Leads grant tracking and strategy for the broader Planning, Design, and Construction team; prepares grant applications and manages grants received in support of planning projects
• Foster relationships within Denver Parks and Recreation, promoting an open and inclusive planning environment for internal stakeholders

What You’ll Bring

We value diversity of ethnicity, race, socioeconomic status, sexual identity, gender, religion, language, ability, and experience and exemplify this through the makeup of our team at all levels. You'll be right at home here if you cultivate strong relationships and push yourself, your work, the people around you, and Denver to the next level.

Our ideal candidate will be a well-rounded and experienced planning professional who can implement a strong visionary approach to Denver’s Parks Planning initiatives. Our ideal candidate will be a resourceful problem solver, a proactive and strategic decision-maker and an adept team-builder. A decisive yet collaborative and inclusive management style along with the ability to tactfully handle complex or sensitive situations will be critical to success. The ideal candidate will also foster productive working relationships with a diverse range of stakeholders. Moreover, we are looking for a Planning professional who is enthusiastic about making a meaningful impact on the City and County of Denver and securing its development as a world-class city.

Additionally, our ideal candidate will have a combination of the following:

• Master's Degree in Regional Planning, Public Policy, Public Administration, Landscape Architecture, or directly related field is preferred, not required
• Experience coordinating and implementing all stages of public participation and collaboration in planning and design; experience conducting research and analysis to determine community needs
• Experience working with diverse communities developing trusting, collaborative relationships with key community stakeholders
• Experience working in the field of parks planning or design is strongly preferred, but not required
• AICP Certification or ASLA licensure is preferred, not required
• Proficiency with Bluebeam software is preferred, not required
• Bilingual skills (Spanish is preferred), not required

Minimum Qualifications

• Education requirement: Bachelor’s Degree in City or Regional Planning, Architecture, Landscape Architecture, Historic Preservation, Engineering, or a related degree
• Experience Requirement: Six (6) years of professional planning experience
• Education/Experience Equivalency: One (1) year of the appropriate type and level of experience may be substituted for each required year of post-high school education. Additional appropriate education may be substituted for the minimum experience requirements
• License/Certifications: Requires a valid Driver's License at the time of application

Required Application Documents

• Resume
• Cover Letter

Application Deadline

This posting is expected to stay open until April 22nd. Please submit your application as soon as possible and no later than April 22nd at 11:59 p.m. MST.

About Everything Else

Job Profile

CE2159 City Planner Principal

To view the full job profile including position specifications, physical demands, and probationary period, click here

Position Type

Unlimited

Position Salary Range

$93,566.00 - $154,384.00

Target Pay

$95,000.00 - $120,000.00/year, based on experience and education

Agency

Parks and Recreation

Redeployment during Citywide Emergencies

City and County of Denver e mployees may be re-deployed to work in other capacities in their own agencies or in other city agencies to support core functions of the city during a citywide emergency declared by the Mayor.

The City and County of Denver provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, genetic information, age, or any other status protected under federal, state, and/or local law.

It is your right to access oral or written language assistance, sign language interpretation, real-time captioning via CART, or disability-related accommodations. To request any of these services at no cost to you, please contact Jobs@Denvergov.org with three business days’ notice.

Applicants for employment with the City and County of Denver must have valid work authorization that does not require sponsorship of a visa for employment authorization in the U.S.

For information about right to work, click here for English or here for Spanish.