At AKS, we are growing and building for the future. We bring together multidisciplined experts across the land development, energy, and infrastructure markets to take on bigger challenges and deliver solutions that make a real difference. Our teams combine creativity, technical excellence, and a collaborative, hands-on approach to solve complex problems and deliver results our clients and communities can count on. We take pride in our work and our ability to provide opportunities for our teams, support each other’s growth, and look ahead to what’s next. When you join AKS, you will find opportunities to take ownership of meaningful projects, learn, lead, and make an impact from day one.
We're hiring! We're looking for a Junior Land Use Planner to join our Planning team in our Tualatin, Oregon office. If you're eager to grow your career in land use planning and want to learn from experienced professionals in a fast-paced consulting environment, this is an outstanding opportunity to develop your skills alongside a well-respected and talented multi-disciplinary team in a dynamic organization.
What You’ll Do
- Research: Assist with property, zoning, and utility research to support compliance with municipal land use regulations.
- Application Preparation: Help prepare, organize, and submit required materials for land use applications, including subdivisions, zone changes, conditional use permits, and site plan reviews under the direction of senior planning staff.
- Analysis: Support senior planners in analyzing complex issues affecting property, transportation networks, and utility infrastructure to respond to client inquiries and assess development feasibility.
- Collaboration: Coordinate effectively with in-house engineering, surveying, and landscape architectural co-workers, permitting agency staff, and other project team members.
- Proposal Development: Assist in developing clearly written scopes of work for proposals.
- Client Interaction: Support client coordination on project data and scheduling under the guidance of senior staff.
- Meeting Support: Help set up, organize, and attend neighborhood meetings and public hearings.
- Project Support: Assist with maintaining project schedules, tracking milestone dates, and organizing project files and documentation.
- Relationship Building: Develop and maintain effective positive working relationships with co-workers, clients, permitting agency staff, and other project team members.
- Travel: Able to travel out of town as necessary, occasionally overnight.
Who You Are
- A bachelor's degree in planning, landscape architecture, geography, or a related field — or equivalent coursework and internship experience.
- Foundational understanding of land use planning principles and the land development process.
- Familiarity with City and County Comprehensive Plans and Development Codes. Exposure to Oregon's Statewide Planning System is a plus.
- Strong organizational skills and attention to detail. Proficient with word processing, presentation, spreadsheet, and scheduling software (Microsoft Office Suite, Adobe, etc.).
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Comfortable working in a collaborative, team-oriented environment where you'll receive mentorship and direction from experienced planners and project managers.
- Ability to manage multiple tasks, meet deadlines, and prioritize workload with guidance from senior staff.
- You have a "Do what needs to be done" mindset — you take initiative, ask good questions, and step in wherever needed to keep projects, teams, and customers supported and running smoothly.
Nice to Have
- Internship or coursework experience in land use planning, urban planning, or a related field.
- Proficiency in the use of AutoCAD/Civil 3D, Photoshop, and geographic information systems (GIS).
- Familiarity with Microsoft Project or other scheduling tools.
Why AKS?
At AKS, we believe your work should support your life, not the other way around. Here's what you can count on when you join our team:
- Meaningful Growth: Whether you're just starting out or looking to advance, we offer hands-on training, mentorship, and clear paths for professional development so you can grow with purpose.
- Real Collaboration: Join a team that brings diverse perspectives together to solve complex challenges with creativity, curiosity, and a shared commitment to quality.
- Respect for Your Time: We value work-life balance and offer generous PTO and a supportive environment that helps you manage both personal and professional responsibilities.
- Benefits That Care: You’ll have access to health coverage that supports your total well-being, plus a 401(k) match, paid holidays, and more resources to help you thrive.
- Weekly Team Lunches: Take a break and recharge with your teammates, we believe food brings people together.
- Culture That Connects: We invest in experiences that build strong teams and strong communities.
- A Place People Love to Work: We’ve been named one of the Top Workplaces year after year.
Join us and be part of a team that values your contributions, celebrates initiative, and is committed to doing things the right way for our employees, clients, and communities.