Texas Director, Planning

Westwood Professional Services, Inc. has a highly experienced and dynamic team of individuals dedicated to providing high-level professional services to our clients. The Texas Director is responsible for performing a leadership role in winning, managing, and delivering multiple planning projects focused primarily on local government clients. This seller-doer role serves Westwood clients by transforming their challenges into opportunities and developing their plans into feasible and funded projects. The Texas Director partners with clients to help them reach decisions that move their planning efforts forward. The Director works closely with team members across Westwood’s disciplines to meet project deadlines and lead planning activities and staff for our clients. The Director will also be responsible for building one or more place-based teams of planners supporting public sector clients across Texas.

 Essential Functions

• Leads the development and implementation of comprehensive plans and master plans for communities, districts, and organizations.
• Establishes and maintains primary contacts and positive relationships with clients and stakeholders.
• Generates leads and leads the pursuit of contract opportunities with a variety of client types.
• Supports management of clients.
• Facilitates workshops, stakeholder meetings, and public engagement sessions to gather input and build consensus.
• Translates technical concepts into accessible information for community members and decision-makers.
• Delivers content and provides guidance and perspective for a variety of planning initiatives for the firm.
• Supports current planning reviews on behalf of local jurisdictions needing planning staff augmentation.
• Attends, participates in, and/or facilitates public meetings and community engagement activities in support of projects.
• Assists in the development of and/or revisions to land use and zoning ordinances in support of community goals.
• Manages production of project deliverables to support grants, plans, projects, and reports.
• Conducts research and analysis on the history, structure, objectives, programs, and financial needs of clients.
• Supports content development for grant proposal efforts if/when needed.
• Shares knowledge and information with team members to improve processes and services for the betterment of the team and our clients.
• Provides strategic advice to clients on successful approaches and problem resolution methodologies.
• Supports team efforts to deliver quick turnarounds on nationally competitive grant submissions, which could include NOFO compliance, preliminary scoping, preliminary engineering, mapping and data analysis, benefit-cost analysis, narrative development, state and federal agency engagement, desktop environmental reviews, and other relevant items.
• Contributes to thought leadership through white papers, conference presentations, and publications.
• Other duties as assigned.

Financial Responsibilities

• Effectively and efficiently estimates, tracks, and reports program/project costs.
• Oversees and manages program/project revenue and profitability.
• Manages the Accounts Receivable ledger with the client, including coordinating with the Client Manager to assist in collection of overdue amounts.
• Oversees and manages consultant/sub-consultant invoices and Accounts Payable.
• Tracks and manages time and budget against the as-bid baseline for assigned projects.
• Reviews and approves line-item budget expenditures for assigned projects.

HR Responsibilities

• Manages team(s) by facilitating commitment and productivity, removing obstacles, motivating team members, and supervising direct reports.
• Manages resources and staffing levels within projects to meet project requirements, including updating project plans to forecast staffing needs.
• Effectively communicates relevant project and task information to all levels of project staff.
• Establishes and manages staff performance and expectations, providing performance feedback formally and informally.
• Actively mentors, coaches, and guides junior planners.
• Works with Division and Service Leaders to identify staffing needs, vet candidates, and onboard new team members.

Operations Responsibilities

• Reviews plans and other deliverables and provides quality control/quality assurance.
• Identifies project scope and develops documents outlining key program objectives, goals, plans, requirements, estimates, schedules, and budgets.
• Ensures estimates of time, cost, performance level, and materials are accurate and meet program requirements.
• Makes modifications to plans and schedules as necessary.
• Coordinates with other practice areas within the firm to ensure programs/projects satisfy compliance obligations.
• Prepares and participates in quality review checks.
• Coordinates all program/project communications with internal and external stakeholders.
• Manages general project administration, including contracts, risk management, billing, and accounts receivable.
• Maintains ongoing communications and formal project reviews with the National Service Lead.
• Manages team members’ and sub-consultants’ performance.
• Supports business development by identifying new opportunities and preparing proposals.

Required Competencies

• Ability to accurately prepare plan documents and reports within project deadlines.
• Ability to communicate clearly in writing and verbally.
• Ability to work effectively with peers in a team setting as well as independently.
• Ability to review, understand, draft, and revise land use and zoning ordinances.
• Ability to define and produce deliverables and execute initiatives on a range of planning projects (e.g., comprehensive, land use, parks and recreation, capital infrastructure and facilities, downtown, historic preservation).
• Ability to define and execute a range of public processes to inform planning goals, objectives, and deliverables.
• Thorough understanding of diverse community and regional planning theories and practice.
• Ability and willingness to travel for client management and business development purposes.

Required Education and Experience

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Urban Planning, Public Policy, Landscape Architecture, Geography, Architecture, or a related field. A Master’s degree in a related field is desired.
• Experience: 15+ years of experience in urban planning, master planning, development reviews, grant writing, project management, and building and managing teams. AICP and/or ASLA certification is preferred.
• Additional Requirements: Candidates not already AICP certified must be committed to becoming certified as a Planner through the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP).

Technical Skills

• Working knowledge of current planning and rendering software, such as ArcGIS, Civil 3D/AutoCAD, Photoshop, InDesign, SketchUp, or others.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook).

About Westwood Professional Services, Inc. (Westwood):

At Westwood, our purpose is to create a better world for people through our work. We transform the energy grid, design resilient infrastructure, and develop communities that will flourish today and for future generations. With over 50 years of experience and a legacy of innovation, we stand at the forefront of our industry, dedicated to understanding the unique needs of the markets we serve.Our approach revolves around people. We are committed to building a culture that attracts, retains, and develops high performers. Our team values relationships, innovation, dedication, initiative, and growth. We believe fostering a collaborative “One Team” mentality yields superior outcomes in everything we do. We customize our technical capabilities and geographic reach to meet our clients where they are and help them realize their vision. We are partners in our clients’ success, driving to provide solutions that make a lasting difference. Safety, sustainability, and operational excellence are not just facets of our work; they are intrinsic to our identity, guiding every decision we make.We are deeply invested in the communities we serve. Through our projects and giving-back initiatives, we enrich the lives of those we serve, engage others within our industry, and create a lasting impact on communities around the world. To us, success transcends the completion of projects; it is reflected in the lives we have positively impacted by our work. 

Join us in creating a better world:

In 2025, Westwood was recognized as #77 on the ENR Top 500 Design Firms. Additionally, Westwood was ranked #5 for ENR's Top Design Firm for Solar, #6 for Battery Storage, and #3 for Wind (2025). The firm consistently ranks on the industry's top 25 lists and receives recognition for its involvement in award-winning projects nationwide. Westwood provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws. We believe that diverse backgrounds strengthen our business. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.