JOB DESCRIPTION

Kendig Keast Collaborative is seeking a senior- or principal-level zoning professional to help lead major zoning, subdivision, and unified development ordinance projects for cities and counties across the country.

This is a leadership opportunity for an experienced planner, ordinance writer, facilitator, and project manager who wants to focus on regulatory strategy, ordinance drafting, plan implementation, and client leadership rather than routine application processing or day-to-day development review.

The ideal candidate understands how zoning regulations shape real development outcomes and is fluent in multiple regulatory approaches, including conventional zoning, form-based regulations, hybrid regulations, performance standards, planned development regulations, subdivision standards, design standards, housing regulations, and mixed-use development tools.

Why KKC

KKC offers a flexible remote or hybrid work environment, a national project portfolio, direct interaction with firm leadership and clients, and the opportunity to take significant responsibility in a small-firm setting. Our work helps communities translate adopted plans and policy direction into clear, defensible, and implementable regulations.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead zoning, subdivision, and unified development ordinance projects.
• Manage scopes, schedules, budgets, client communication, and consultant teams.
• Draft zoning districts, use regulations, dimensional standards, development standards, subdivision regulations, procedures, definitions, and approval criteria.
• Facilitate staff meetings, stakeholder discussions, public workshops, Planning Commission sessions, and elected official briefings.
• Connect comprehensive plans, housing policy, market feasibility, infrastructure, design, sustainability, and legal requirements to practical regulatory implementation.
• Support proposals, interviews, client development, and growth of KKC’s national zoning practice.
• Mentor staff and help strengthen KKC’s ordinance-writing methods, templates, graphics, and implementation tools.

Preferred Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience drafting zoning ordinances, unified development ordinances, subdivision regulations, or development standards.
• Demonstrated success managing major zoning or development regulations update projects.
• Strong writing, facilitation, presentation, project management, and client communication skills.
• Experience presenting to Planning Commissions, City Councils, County Commissions, and stakeholder groups.
• Consulting experience preferred.
• AICP preferred.

This is an opportunity for a senior zoning professional who wants to do meaningful ordinance work, lead complex projects, and help communities create regulations that can be understood, administered, defended, and implemented.