Job Description
Summary: As the Redevelopment Agency for the City of Knoxville, Knoxville's Community Development Corporation ("KCDC") plays a critical role assisting in the planning, design and execution of pivotal redevelopment projects throughout the City's urban core. These transformative projects require a significant amount of upfront coordination and planning. Extensive market studies, design iterations, solicitation of community input, and collaboration with various stakeholders are all critical components needed to ensure a successful outcome. To assist with this effort, KCDC is seeking a strategic, experienced, and creative Senior Associate of Urban Planning and Design to lead complex, high-impact redevelopment and urban design initiatives.
This role is ideal for a planning and design professional with a strong background in urban revitalization, community-driven development, and public-private partnerships. Working closely with KCDC's CEO and Chief Development Officer, the successful candidate will assist in guiding KCDC's urban planning efforts, shape design outcomes, and serve as a key liaison between KCDC and various stakeholders including, City staff, Knox Planning, developers, and the community. This position blends high-level policy planning and creative urban design with project management and construction oversight. The ideal candidate will be comfortable navigating between hands-on design and presentation production as well as on-the-ground execution.
This position offers a unique opportunity to shape the built environment through transformative public-private development within the City of Knoxville. This position will provide numerous opportunities to influence design, programming, connectivity and urban development across some of Knoxville's most vital neighborhoods. Through this position, you will be joining a mission-driven and collaborative team committed to design excellence and inclusive growth.
Position Responsibilities: - Lead district-wide and site-specific redevelopment concept and schematic plans, including urban design frameworks, corridor studies, and master planning efforts.
- Through both public and internal design workshops and charrettes, facilitate transparent and inclusive engagement with residents, community organizations, business owners, and institutional stakeholders.
- Lead the production of conceptual and schematic design, including renderings, for priority redevelopment projects, including parks and open spaces, corridor and connectivity studies, urban streetscapes, mixed-use infill, multifamily affordable housing, civic buildings and transit-oriented developments.
- Initiate and oversee planning studies, corridor plans, and revitalization strategies for key redevelopment areas.
- Serve as project manager for certain developments, including private-public-partnership projects, to ensure projects are successfully executed. This includes both large-scale public-private redevelopment projects as well as KCDC-developed affordable housing and mixed-use developments.
- Coordinate with developers, architects, engineers, and legal/finance teams on project structuring, entitlements, and implementation.
- Assist KCDC and City staff on the development of RFQs/RFPs relating to public-private real estate transactions, development agreements, ground leases, and disposition of KCDC- and City-owned sites; review and comment on development proposals to ensure alignment with agency vision, design quality, and community benefit agreements.
Requirements
- Master's degree in urban planning, urban design, architecture, landscape architecture, or related field, or relevant and proven track record of performance commiserate with education.
- 7+ years of progressively responsible experience in urban planning, urban design, or redevelopment, including at least 2 years in a supervisory or leadership role preferred.
- Exceptional communication, negotiation, and stakeholder engagement skills.
- Deep knowledge of planning law, redevelopment strategies, and public sector development processes.
- Strong design portfolio demonstrating experience with urban-scale projects and community-centered design.
- Strong skills in Adobe Creative Suite, AutoCAD, SketchUp, GIS, and Microsoft Project or similar tools strongly preferred
- AICP, FAICP, or equivalent professional certification preferred.
- Ideally, previous experience working in or with public redevelopment agencies, housing authorities, or economic development agencies.
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