About the Associate/Senior Associate Positions 

We are actively seeking full-time associates in our Chapel Hill office. We strive to cross-train our team members and will work with successful candidates to tailor a position to fit their areas of expertise and interests. However, the successful candidates should have experience and interest in the following core practice areas:

• Development Codes. This practice area involves preparing comprehensive updates to development codes and zoning ordinances that are user-friendly, innovative, and often implement recently adopted local plans. In most instances this work involves: research and analysis of trends and best development practices; preparation of well-written and graphic-rich code documents; preparation of community outreach materials; and conducting outreach on the development code documents. Experience with regulatory drafting and/or a law degree is a plus, as is experience creating graphics to convey complex regulatory concepts.
• Comprehensive Planning. This practice area involves research and analysis of trends and best practices; preparation of community outreach materials and participation in public meetings; advanced GIS analysis and mapping; development of policy frameworks and community action plans; and preparation of complex and graphic-rich plan documents.

All team members assist in preparing proposals to win new work, attend meetings, prepare presentations, collect and analyze data, and—because we are a medium-size firm—generally pitch in wherever needed. A combination of in-person and remote work is offered.

Strong candidates for the positions are:

• Willing to work hard to help foster positive change in America’s cities, counties, and regions
• Team-oriented
• Detail-oriented
• Have excellent writing and oral communication skills
• Appreciate the ability to work on (and balance) a wide range of assignments
• Have a master’s degree in urban planning or a related field with a minimum of two years of professional work experience, or a bachelor’s degree with a minimum of four years of professional work experience; mid-career professionals are highly encouraged to apply
• Proficient in Word and Excel (Sketch-Up, ArcGIS, InDesign, and Illustrator are pluses but not required)
• Willing to travel both regionally and nationally to support our clients
• Enthusiastic about planning and land-use consulting – because the work we do matters, and it changes the future

Additional “great to have,” but non-essential skills and characteristics include:

• Spanish fluency
• Project management experience, including direct client contact and coordination of subconsultants, and other professionals, as needed during all stages of project development
• A law or design degree, in addition to a planning degree
• Graphics and visualization expertise
• Prior experience working in consulting and/or a general interest in learning the business end of consulting

Compensation and Benefits

Compensation is based on your experience, performance, and location. The salary range for Associates is generally $60,000-$80,000 and Senior Associates is generally $80,000 – $100,000.
Clarion Associates offers competitive benefits to all full-time employees, including full health insurance coverage (medical, dental, vision), 401K plan with a 3% annual employer contribution, life insurance, long-term disability insurance, ten days of PTO and eight personal days accrued annually to start (up to 20 days PTO based on tenure), eight paid holidays, coverage of AICP and other professional dues, and a variety of professional development opportunities.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Clarion Associates 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. We encourage applicants with diverse backgrounds to apply.

To Apply

Please send a resume and cover letter, no more than one page each, along with a writing sample of no more than five pages, and two to three samples of your graphic abilities (if applicable) to hiring@clarionassociates.com by February 28, 2022. Submissions will be reviewed as they arrive.