HUMAN RESOURCESDEPARTMENT

RaleighPLANNING

DEPARTMENT

Raleigh

HUMAN RESOURCESDEPARTMENT

RaleighPLANNING

DEPARTMENT

Raleigh

Raleigh, North Carolina is seeking two entry-level

city planning professionals to serve in the Urban Design Center as

URBAN DESIGNER I

During the last 30 years, growth in Raleigh, and

the surrounding Research Triangle Region, has

consistently and significantly outpaced the nation.

Fueled by an impressive mix of education, ingenuity

and collaboration, North Carolina’s capital city has

become an internationally recognized leader in life

science and technology innovation. It also happens to

be a really nice place to live.

(source: Raleigh Office of Economic Development)

CITY PROFILE

THE COMMUNITY

Raleigh, Chapel Hill, and Durham surround

the Research Triangle Park, which was founded

in 1959 as a model for research, innovation and

economic development; it is now the largest

research park in the nation. The Raleigh-

Durham-Chapel Hill combined statistical

area (CSA), which encompasses Raleigh

and surrounding counties including Wake,

Durham, and Orange, has a population of

almost 2.4 million.

Numerous institutions of higher education

are located in Raleigh, contributing to a city

abundant in educational opportunities and

talent. The list includes North Carolina State

The top ten employers within the city include:

• State of North Carolina

• Wake County Public School System

• Wake Med Health and Hospitals

• North Carolina State University

• Rex Healthcare

• City of Raleigh

• N.C. Department of Health and Human Services

• Duke Energy Progress

• Wake County Government

• Wake Technical Community College

Raleigh, North Carolina is one of the fastest-growing cities in the nation and the state’s second-largest city behind only Charlotte, located just over a 2.5 hour drive away. Raleigh covers an area of more than 146 square miles and is home to a growing and diverse population of over 450,000 residents. The City of Raleigh is both the county seat of Wake County and the capital of North Carolina. Known as the “City of Oaks” for its tree-lined streets, Raleigh is situated in the heart of North Carolina’s Piedmont region, centering residents between the sandy Atlantic beaches and the Great Smoky Mountains.

University, Wake Technical Community

College, Shaw University, Meredith College,

William Peace University, St. Augustine’s

University, and Campbell Law School. The

Wake County Public School system works to

contribute to this talent pipeline, setting a

goal to achieve at least 95% annual graduation

rate by 2020 and preparing these students

for productive citizenship, as well as higher

education or a career.

Raleigh is consistently rated one of the best

cities in the United States for jobs with a

diverse array of opportunities.

• Raleigh in Top 10 Best Cities in America to Live - 24/7 Wall St., November 2017

• Raleigh is #2 Most Educated City in the Country - Forbes, October 2017

• Raleigh in the Top 5 Cities for Jobs in the U.S. - Glassdoor, September 2017

• Raleigh among Top Destinations of 2017 - Forbes Travel Guide, January 2017

• RDU is Best Connected Medium Size Airport in the Nation - MIT, May 2017

The city’s continually strong list of accolades make it easy to see why residents enjoy living, working, learning, and playing Raleigh. 2017 highlights include:

Raleigh operates under the Council-Manager

form of government. The City Council is

Raleigh’s governing body, consisting of eight

members who are elected for two-year terms.

Three of the members, including the mayor,

are elected at large, while the other members

are elected from five districts. The City Council

sets policies, enacts laws, adopts a budget each

year, and appoints the City Manager. The City

Manager is responsible to the Council for the

administration of daily operations and programs

of the city, as well as the management of all city

employees. The Fiscal Year 2018 adopted budget

totals just over $919 million.

GOVERNMENTThe City of Raleigh provides the full range

of governmental services, including police

and fire protection, street construction and

maintenance, solid waste management, water

and sewer services, parks, recreation and

cultural services, planning and development

services, a variety of transportation and public

infrastructure programs, and other traditional

support activities.

City Council recently adopted a new mission

statement and vision statement for the city.

MISSION STATEMENTTo build a stable platform of evolving services for our community through which we champion positive and sustainable growth and realize visionary ideas for all.

VISION STATEMENTTo pursue world-class quality of life by actively collaborating with our community towards a fulfilling and inspired future for all.

Strategic PlanIn April 2015, Raleigh City Council marked a

milestone with the adoption of the city’s first-

ever strategic plan. The Strategic Plan’s six key

focus areas reflect the chief components that

support the current and future identity and

character of the city. The plan contains citywide

objectives and strategic initiatives needed to

support the key focus areas. Raleigh’s strategic

planning efforts also include performance

management, which will assist the city

with using its resources more effectively by

illuminating successes and challenges.

The six key focus areas are:

• Arts and Cultural Resources

• Economic Development and Innovation

• Growth and Natural Resources.

• Organizational Excellence

• Transportation and Transit

• Safe, Vibrant and Healthy Community

Toward this end, the city values open and

transparent government, offering an online

portal where residents can access a number of

dashboards that demonstrate the city’s progress.

An engaged community is also important to

the city to help them gather input from the

community on a wide range of issues impacting

the overall quality of life. As the city continues

to grow, leaders understand it is important to

strategically plan for the future. The city works

hard to utilize technology to enable government

and citizens to work together on real-world

initiatives that tackle the most pressing issues

facing the community.

Position ProfileThe City of Raleigh, North Carolina is searching for up to two entry-level urban designers to work in

the Design Assistance or Design Policy units of the Raleigh Urban Design Center (UDC), a division of the

Department of City Planning.

Duties and responsibilities include the following:

• Researches, investigates, and prepares recommendations, graphic illustrations, written reports, and public presentations on a wide range of urban design issues with an emphasis on the urban public realm.

• Provides urban design support for preparation of area plans; develops schematic designs for proposed facilities or developments, and prepares working drawings.

• Applies critical thinking in the design of the community at a variety of scales and demonstrate knowledge of principles, practices, and trends in urban design.

• Works individually or in teams to ensure that projects are completed in a timely manner producing high-quality urban design, planning, and regulatory products.

• Assembles field data and develops preliminary sketches and plans for various projects; prepares detailed design plans and specifications.

• Conducts compliance review against city code for form-based elements of development proposals.

• Coordinates production of publications, including newsletters, websites, brochures, etc.

• Explains urban design and planning principles and practices, working with stakeholders individually and/or in group discussions.

• Prepares information, provides assistance, and responds to requests from public officials on urban design and land-use regulations.

• Provides technical support and information to City agencies and members of the public on various City tasks/events.

• Coordinates and supports partnerships with the design and development community.

• Supports civic engagement efforts as part of the planning process.

• Assists with special projects as requested.

Working in the Urban Design CenterThe UDC is a municipally run, outward-facing service for designers, developers, and the community

and an inward-facing design service for internal stakeholders throughout the city organization. The

UDC team of urban designers and planners envision and design solutions that create a better built

environment for the City of Raleigh. By engaging and leading the people of Raleigh in deliberate,

targeted design discussions, the UDC builds consensus around innovative solutions that encourage all

people to be active in shaping the physical form of their community. The UDC consists of four units, or

program areas:

The Design Assistance Program provides design and planning services for staff in several

departments, the design community, and developers. This unit serves as the primary point of

contact for urban design services. Staff is responsible for providing project management and

design services for streetscape, corridor planning, transit planning, and area study projects.

The unit also provides an advisory and problem-solving resource for zoning and site plan review

functions, as well as support to boards, commissions, and City Council.

The Design Policy Program develops, manages, coordinates, and implements the Urban Design

policies and actions of the Comprehensive Plan. The unit delivers design advisory services for

Private Use of Public Spaces (PUPS) permits, processes and administers Administrative Alternates

during site plan review, and develops and reviews code revisions impacting the design of the

public realm. The unit also provides staff support to the Raleigh Appearance Commission.

The Civic Design & Implementation Program serves as the public face of major public sector

projects and provides grant writing, architectural, facilities planning, and cost estimating services

to a variety of intradepartmental staff. The unit is responsible for promoting design excellence in

public sector projects in three primary focus areas: Public Facilities Planning, Capital Planning

(e.g. physical coordination of the program elements of CIP projects) and Implementation

Planning. The unit provides project management and design services for major building and

facility projects and serves as the “Owner’s Rep” on major streetscapes, corridor planning, area

planning, and economic development projects. The Civic Design and Implementation program is

not hiring at this time.

The Historic Preservation Program provides public assistance for protecting Raleigh’s

historic character and resources. The unit implements the Historic Preservation Element of

the Comprehensive Plan and administers the city’s historic preservation regulations. The unit

provides preservation planning services, administers the Certificate of Appropriateness (COA)

process and Raleigh Historic Landmarks program, and provides staff support to the Raleigh

Historic Development Commission. The Historic Preservation program is not hiring at this time.

Raleigh has been among the nation’s fastest growing cities for four decades, and for good reason. The

city is consistently ranked in the top 10 of “Best of” lists with a healthy share of number ones! We want

to design environments that promote design excellence and meet the needs of a growing, diverse

community. Design your own future with us!

HUMAN RESOURCESDEPARTMENT

RaleighPLANNING

DEPARTMENT

Raleigh

HUMAN RESOURCESDEPARTMENT

RaleighPLANNING

DEPARTMENT

Raleigh

222 W. Hargett St. - Raleigh, NC 27601

for more information about Raleigh, please visit:

Raleighnc.gov | Raleigh4u.com | Visitraleigh.com

0820-2018

Education and Experience• Bachelor’s (4-year) college degree or equivalent required. Master’s degree in a field associated with

architecture, landscape architecture, or urban design preferred.

• At least 2 years of relevant design experience is required. Applicants may substitute additional

relevant education for the required experience.

• Working knowledge of the Microsoft Office Suite, Adobe Creative Suite and/or other graphics

software. Familiarity with drafting, 3D-modeling, and rendering software including, but not

limited to, Rhino3D, AutoCAD, SketchUp, VRay and some familiarity with GIS software is also

required. Knowledge of additional design applications is welcome.

• Applicants must include a portfolio or collection of work samples for review.

Compensation and BenefitsThe City of Raleigh offers a salary that is competitive for communities of comparable stature and is

based on the selected candidate’s qualifications and experience. Benefits include participation in

the Local Governmental Employees’ Retirement, vacation and sick leave, paid holidays, group life

insurance, matching 457(b) retirement savings plan, and medical/dental insurance.

Application and Selection ProcessTo be considered, please complete an application before the deadline which can be found at

raleighnc.gov/jobs. Attach a letter of interest, resume, portfolio, and salary requirements along with at

least (3) professional references to your electronic application. Candidates best suited for the position

will be invited to participate in the interview process.

For more information about

Raleigh Department of City Planning

please visit raleighnc.gov/planning

The City of Raleigh is an Equal Opportunity Employer.