Senior Planner

Downtown Revitalization + Land Use + Tourism + Recreation Focus

Experience Required: 8+ Years

Destination by Design (DbD)

Boone, North Carolina | In-Office Position (preferred)

DbD is a multidisciplinary planning, design, and economic development firm serving cities, counties, tourism agencies, and nonprofit partners nationwide. We work at the intersection of downtown revitalization, tourism development, recreation planning, and placemaking across the country. Our work informs public investment, strengthens local economies, and helps communities communicate vision with clarity and confidence.

Our team blends strategy, planning, engineering, and design to produce implementable plans and transformative place-based initiatives.

Our work results in adopted master plans, funded infrastructure, downtown transformations, and destination-driven economic development.

Position Overview

DbD is seeking a Senior Planner with at least eight years of professional experience to lead complex planning initiatives focused on downtown revitalization, tourism development, outdoor recreation, greenway systems, and community transformation.

This individual will serve as both a project manager and lead facilitator — guiding clients through discovery, consensus-building, and implementable plan development.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead comprehensive plans, downtown master plans, recreation and greenway plans, and tourism development strategies
• Facilitate stakeholder workshops, public meetings, and advisory committees
• Manage multi-disciplinary consultant teams
• Conduct economic, market, and policy research to inform recommendations
• Develop implementation frameworks tied to funding and phasing strategies
• Mentor junior staff and contribute to firm leadership
• Support proposal development and client relationship management

Desired Qualifications

• Education in planning or public administration
• 8+ years of planning experience
• Strong background in downtown revitalization, tourism planning, and/or land use planning
• Experience with trail systems, outdoor recreation planning, or placemaking initiatives
• Demonstrated success facilitating groups and building consensus
• Excellent writing and presentation skills
• AICP preferred but not required

What Sets This Role Apart

This is not a narrow planning position. This is a leadership role for someone who understands how design, economics, and community identity intersect — and who can guide communities toward actionable outcomes.