Master Planning Land Entitlement - Group Manager

Established 35 years ago in Charlotte, NC, ESP Associates, Inc., has a commanding presence in and around the Carolinas. We are seeking a creative and established Land Planner/Landscape Architecture Group Manager for the Raleigh (Morrisville) studio with a heavy emphasis on Master Planning, Land Entitlement, and Rezoning. This individual will be at the helm of overall staffing, supervision, management, and growth of the department.

• Are you an established Land Planner / Landscape Architect professional with a background in Master Planning, Land Entitlement and Rezoning?
• Do you enjoy public engagement and public speaking?
• Do you have an entrepreneurial spirit and enjoy empowering early-career professionals? 
• Do you want to build a team that specializes in creative design and planning?

As a leader contributing to employee development and management of departmental activity, this individual will ultimately be responsible for:

• Managing clients and undertaking business development activities,
• Preparation of proposals/ contracts, and
• Representing ESP and client(s) in public settings.

Responsibilities: 

• Leadership and direction of Landscape Architecture and Planning team in our Raleigh (Morrisville) studio.
• Partnering with Clients to advance master plans, develop site plans, managing the rezoning & entitlement processes, and implement improvements.
• Management of master planning, rezoning and entitlement process, preparation and/or administration of the contract documents, agency correspondence, client relations, staff supervision and mentoring. Exciting projects include large-scale master planned developments, urban infill sites, residential, commercial sites, greenways/park and recreation, and various mixed-use projects, along with various amenities and other recreational project components.
• Building the team and overall growth of department.
• Presentations to Public officials and Planning boards, along with public engagement.
• Business development and marketing of clients including networking, active participation in professional development forums, presenting work to professional organizations, writing proposals, and maintaining budgets and backlog reporting for projected work.
• Project contract preparation, invoicing, and financial reporting.

Qualifications: 

• A degree in Landscape Architecture, Planning, or Civil Engineering from an accredited program preferred.
• Professional registration as a Landscape Architect, Certified Planner, or Professional Engineer.
• 8 or more years of professional experience with a diverse and dynamic portfolio.
• A strong background in the land development design industry, Site and Master Planning, Rezoning & Entitlement.
• Ability to effectively communicate with strong freehand illustrations, renderings and graphics skills that are expressive in both sketch and finished formats.
• Knowledge of AutoCAD/Civil 3D, Adobe Creative Suites (Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, Sketchup), Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Power Point).
• Excellent financial management skills.
• Demonstrated experience working in a fast-paced, multidisciplinary environment with the ability to adjust to project priorities and requests of multiple clients.
• Experience working with local codes, ordinances and public agency standards related to land development design and related entitlement processes.
• Strong business development skills along with knowledge of the local land development market.
• Strong collaborator and presenter in front of boards and Councils for multiple project types.
• Ability to liaise with public and private sector clients, maintain client relationships, manage projects and mentor staff.
• Excellent interpersonal, leadership and communication skills that will allow you to effectively and professionally interact with clients, government officials and the public.
• Experience with developing and following a formalized QA/QC program.
• Candidate must be able to pass a drug screen, background check, and have a satisfactory driving record in accordance with the company’s driving (MVR) policy.

Corporate Information:

ESP is a multi-discipline design and consulting firm providing our clients with civil engineering, surveying, planning/landscape architecture, geosciences, environmental, subsurface utility engineering, and construction engineering inspection.

Through years of dedicated service to our clients, ESP has received a designation of 195 on the 2025 ENR Top 500 Design Firm rankings. For the firm's primary territory, the ENR Texas & Southeast Top Design Firms, ESP received a 2025 ranking of 52.

ESP offers an excellent employee benefits package including:

• Competitive compensation with yearly performance reviews and discretionary annual bonuses
• 401(k) (Traditional & Roth plans) with a guaranteed employer match of 100% up to the first 3% and 50% on the next 2% (eligibility after 60 days) 
• PTO (Paid Time Off) & 10 Paid Holidays
• VTO (Volunteer Time Off) of 4 hours each year (prorated during first year based on hire date)
• Tiered Health, Vision & Dental Insurance Options (eligibility after 30 days) 
• Behavioral Medicine through Teladoc
• Short-Term Disability Insurance
• Long-Term Disability Insurance
• Life Insurance
• Pet Insurance
• Education Reimbursement Opportunities
• Flexible and Dependent Benefits Plan
• Referral Bonuses