Senior Planner

Senior Planner

Salary

$89,796.00 - $129,360.00 Annually

Location

Boulder County, CO

Job Type

Full-time

Job Number

6862(PL5)

Department

Parks and Open Space

Division

Resource Planning

Opening Date

10/16/2026

Closing Date

11/1/2026 11:59 PM Mountain

FLSA

Exempt

• Description
• Benefits
• Questions

Description

Boulder County Parks & Open Space Department is seeking to hire a Senior Planner. The Senior Planner will strengthen the department's ability to deliver major interdisciplinary planning efforts and advance strategic priorities across workgroups that involve the range of open space lands that the department stewards. The Senior Planner will lead complex planning efforts and public engagement processes that result in the creation of management plans and other strategic plans and initiatives in support of the department's mission. The Senior Planner will coordinate interdisciplinary teams, synthesize diverse technical input, and facilitate planning discussions that support department-wide decision making. This position will also expand capacity for long range planning, capital programming, prioritization frameworks, and policy development. The Senior Planner will coordinate closely with external partners and represent the department in regional planning efforts. Experience and skill leading innovative public engagement that supports desired planning outcomes in an open space or natural resource management context is expected.

This is a full-time, benefited position that will work, Monday - Friday 8:00am - 4:30pm. This position will work out of 5201 St. Vrain Road Longmont, Colorado. Under Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) guidelines, this position is exempt.

Boulder County requires its employees to reside in the state of Colorado as of the first day of work.

Hiring Salary Range: $89,796.00 - $109,578.00 Annually

Tentative Hiring Timeline:

• Phone Screening: Week of November 9th
• First Round Interviews: Week of November 9th
• Second Round Interviews: Week of November 16th
• Language Proficiency Test: Week of November 16th
• Reference Check: Week of November 16th

New employees receive an 80-hour bank of vacation at the time of hire, in addition to 8 hours of both vacation and medical leave accruals each month (Must not have been employed at Boulder County during the 12 months prior to re-hire date to qualify). Boulder County offers bountiful benefits, including pension contributions.

Boulder County employees may qualify for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF). Visit studentaid.gov for more information.

Examples of Duties

PLANNING & POLICY

• Lead large interdisciplinary planning projects from scoping through adoption including public engagement, staff reports, and hearings before the Board of County Commissioners
• Support long range planning efforts, such as district level planning
• Support departmental strategic portfolio planning, including capital planning, budgeting, prioritization frameworks, and project sequencing
• Contribute to policy development and the creation or refinement of planning standards and guidelines

INTERDISCIPLINARY COORDINATION AND FACILITATION

• Organize, guide, and facilitate interdisciplinary teams working across multiple workgroups on a range of departmental planning priorities, ensuring alignment and integrated decision making
• Facilitate complex discussions, navigate conflicting priorities, and synthesize input from multiple disciplines into coherent planning recommendations
• Coordinate closely with leadership and cross department teams to ensure planning consistency across districts and programs

PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT

• Develop and execute strategies, methods, and systems for broad public engagement efforts that are integrated into departmental planning processes
• Work collaboratively to proactively integrate equitable community engagement principles and actions into the department's planning work
• Regularly engage with the Parks & Open Space Advisory Committee (POSAC) as a component of departmental planning processes

DATA INTERPRETATION AND ANALYSIS

• Interpret AMS, GIS, ecological, spatial, and demographic data to inform planning decisions, workflows, and prioritization
• Translate complex data into clear planning insights that support land management planning and departmental decision-making

PROJECT AND CONSULTANT MANAGEMENT

• Serve as project manager for consultant contracts, including planning and public engagement teams
• Manage project budgets, timelines, deliverables, and quality to ensure planning objectives are met
• Coordinate with external partners, including county departments, municipalities, regional organizations, federal agencies, and other land managers
• Represent the department in regional planning initiatives and interagency working groups

MENTORSHIP AND TEAM DEVELOPMENT

• Mentor planning staff and other colleagues, supporting their professional growth and strengthening planning skills across project teams
• Provide coaching on planning methods, project scoping, public engagement, and technical planning tools
• Performs related work, as required
• May be reassigned during emergency situations

Required Qualifications

PLEASE NOTE: When completing your application describe all relevant education and experience, as applications are assessed based on the required qualifications listed. Resumes and other attachments are not accepted in lieu of completed applications and will not be reviewed in the initial screening process. Any personally identifiable information (PII) such as name and address will be redacted from applications that meet the minimum screening requirements and are forwarded to the hiring manager. If the hiring manager selects you to advance in the hiring process, your attachments will then be shared with the hiring team.

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE:

Boulder County is looking for well qualified candidates to fill our positions. Any combination of relevant education and experience is encouraged. In this position, we are looking for a minimum of

• Bachelors degree in Planning, Human Dimensions, Recreation Management, Natural Resources, Landscape Architecture, or related field.

AND

• Five (5) years of experience in urban, rural, regional, transportation, parks or community planning, or other related field, including two (2) years in a project management capacity.

Additional related education may count towards required experience.

DRIVERS LICENSE:

• Applicants must have a valid drivers license and a clean driving record
• For more information regarding a clean driving record, please click here.

BACKGROUND CHECK:

• A job offer is contingent on passing a background investigation

Supplemental Information

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bilingual in English and Spanish

• Additional compensation will be provided based on the use of bilingual skills.

• Possession of a Project Management Professional (PMP) certification awarded by the Project Management Institute (PMI).

• Maters degree

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, & ABILITIES:

• Experience developing framework, strategic, and site management plans.
• Experience working in environments that require coordination across multiple disciplines, agencies, or stakeholder groups.
• Background in interpreting and applying spatial, ecological, demographic, or operational data to inform decisions.
• Experience managing consultants, contracts, budgets, schedules, and deliverables on medium- to large-scale initiatives.
• Familiarity with permitting and regulatory processes common in environmental or land use projects.
• Experience working with or within public agencies, municipalities, or regional partners.
• Experience supporting or mentoring colleagues in a professional or technical setting.

Boulder County is a workplace dedicated to supporting individuals and families of all types and to fostering a diverse, inclusive, and respectful environment for all employees. We prohibit unlawful discrimination against applicants and employees on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, socio-economic status, sexual orientation, genetic information, or any other status protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

As well as offering competitive pay and a caring work environment, Boulder County offers employees an array of benefits. For all FTE and Term employees, we provide:

• Outstanding options of comprehensive health plans that include vision and dental coverage. Information can be found HERE.

• Additional Benefits include

• Family-forming benefits- infertility treatment, adoption and surrogacy reimbursements

• 12 weeks Paid Caregiver leave

• Breast feeding friendly-work environment

• Infants-at-work policy

• Access to LifeMart and Benefits Hub discount hub, including discounts on childcare centers, event tickets, travel and more!

• Access to a nationally-recognized wellness program

• Employee Assistance Program

• PERA 401k

• Social Security retirement plans

• Additional Life and Disability Insurance

• Critical Illness and Accidental Insurance

• County-paid tuition assistance

• Eligible for PSLF- Public Service Loan Forgiveness

• Free EcoPass

• Hospital Indemnity

• ID Theft Protection

• Pet Insurance

• 8 Hours of Paid Public Service Leave

• Generous paid time off

• Holidays

• New Years Day

• Martin Luther Kings Birthday January

• Presidents Day

• Memorial Day

• Juneteenth

• Independence Day

• Labor Day

• Indigenous Peoples Day

• General Election Day November (first Tuesday after the first Monday, even years)

• Veterans Day

• Thanksgiving Day November

• Friday after Thanksgiving*

• Christmas Eve- ½ day (full day off depends on day of the week)

• Christmas Day

• New Year's Eve- ½ day (full day off depends on day of the week)

• Vacation

• 80-hour bank of vacation at the time of hire

• Eight hours of vacation per month for the first year of continuous service, then accrue twelve hours of vacation per month after the first year of continuous service.

• Medical

• Eight hours of medical leave for each month employed.

• PERA- The County and all employees pay into both Social Security and PERA

• Employer contribution to Social Security: 7.65% of salary

• Employer contribution to PERA (Local Government Division- most county employees: 15.80%

• The District Attorney's Office observe Francis Xavier Cabrini Day on the first Monday in October and omit the Friday after Thanksgiving

Vacation and Medical leave are based off of full time FTE accruals. Part-time FTE/term employees accrue leave based on the percentage of time they work.

01

Please describe how you meet the required minimum qualifications of a Bachelors degree in planning or related field.

02

Please describe how you meet the required minimum qualifications of five (5) years of experience in urban, rural, regional, transportation, parks or community planning, or other related field, including at least two (2) years in a project management capacity.

03

Do you have a valid drivers license and clean driving record? (Required)

• Yes
• No

04

Briefly describe your experience working in planning for the management of natural, cultural, and/or agricultural resources.

05

Briefly describe your experience leading interdisciplinary teams. What is one team accomplishment you are proud of?

06

Briefly describe your experience leading public engagement processes. What is one of your favorite tools for promoting equitable community engagement and why?

07

Are you bilingual in Spanish and English (preferred, not required)?

• Yes
• No

08

Explain what you believe to be an effective strategy to introduce the concepts of diversity and inclusion to individuals who have only experienced a limited number of cultures, perspectives, and limited training on this subject.

09

Why do you value racial equity and social justice? What work have you done that demonstrates this? Provide an example of how your life and/or professional career has embodied racial equity and social justice.

Required Question

Employer Boulder County

Address 2025 14th Street

Boulder, Colorado, 80302

Phone 303-441-3525

Website http://www.bouldercounty.org