Senior Project Manager - Municipal Planning & Permitting Modernization (Onsite)
Description
Senior Project Manager – Municipal Planning & Permitting Modernization (Onsite)
KAI Partners, Inc. (KAIP) is currently seeking a Senior Project Manager – Municipal Planning & Permitting Modernization who will serve as a senior delivery and transformation leader embedded with municipal partners to modernize planning, housing, community development, and permitting operations. This role leads high‑visibility initiatives that directly improve development review timelines, transparency, and service delivery for residents, developers, and city leadership.
The Senior Project Manager will independently develop and govern project plans, oversee timelines and budgets, coordinate cross‑functional stakeholders, and serve as a trusted advisor to municipal leadership to ensure successful delivery of complex initiatives supporting municipal growth and housing development. The role requires strong collaboration with government executives, technical teams, and community stakeholders while maintaining compliance with local, state, and federal regulations.
While initially aligned to a specific client engagement, KAI Partners hires for long‑term consulting careers. This role is intended to provide opportunities for high‑performing consultants to expand on this work or transition into other similar, high‑impact municipal modernization initiatives supported by KAIP, based on performance and organizational needs.
Responsibilities
- Lead City and County projects focused on municipal planning, housing initiatives, permitting modernization, and community development programs.
- Manage projects supporting planning departments, building departments, and housing authorities to improve development review and permitting operations.
- Lead and govern the implementation, modernization, or optimization of municipal permitting and development management systems such as Accela, Bluebeam, Autodesk, or similar platforms.
- Support the implementation, configuration, modernization, or optimization of municipal permitting and development management systems such as Accela, Bluebeam, Autodesk, or similar platforms.
- Collaborate with technical teams, system administrators, and vendors to define, prioritize, and deliver system enhancements, integrations, and process improvements related to permitting and development management systems.
- Assess, document, and redesign municipal workflows related to permitting, plan review, inspections, and development lifecycle management to measurably improve throughput, coordination, and customer experience.
- Document and improve municipal workflows related to permitting, plan review, inspections, and development lifecycle management.
- Develop and manage project plans, timelines, budgets, and reporting structures in alignment with public‑sector governance requirements.
- Coordinate with city departments, external agencies, community partners, and elected officials to achieve project milestones.
- Facilitate stakeholder meetings and workshops to align departments, resolve dependencies, and improve development review and permitting workflows.
- Monitor program performance, conduct evaluations, and implement process improvements to increase efficiency and transparency.
- Provide written and verbal updates to city or county leadership through executive‑level reports, briefings, and presentations.
- Serve as the primary escalation point for schedule, scope, risk, and dependency decisions, advising city leadership and KAIP executives on trade‑offs and recommended paths forward.
- Anticipate operational, organizational, and policy challenges related to municipal development initiatives and recommend strategic solutions.
- Ensure projects are delivered on time, within budget, and in compliance with local government regulations and standards.
- Build and maintain strong partnerships with municipal staff, technical teams, vendors, and community stakeholders.
- Perform other related duties as assigned.
Skills and Qualifications
- Demonstrated success managing complex projects within State, County, or City government environments.
- Experience supporting municipal planning, housing programs, land‑use initiatives, or community development projects.
- Familiarity with development review processes, plan review cycles, and municipal permitting workflows.
- Experience working with permitting and planning tools such as Accela, Bluebeam, Autodesk, or similar platforms preferred.
- Strong stakeholder engagement skills with government officials and multi‑agency teams.
- Demonstrated ability to lead politically sensitive initiatives, balancing operational realities, regulatory constraints, and executive priorities.
- Excellent communication, analytical, and problem‑solving skills.
- Ability to navigate public‑sector regulatory frameworks and ensure compliance with State and Federal requirements.
- Experience leading organizational change and adoption efforts in conjunction with technology or process modernization initiatives.
Work/Education Experience
- Bachelor’s degree (Required).
- PMP Certification (Required or ability to obtain within a defined onboarding period).
- Current PMP Certification (Required).
- 7+ years of experience applying project management principles, methods, techniques, and tools.
- 3+ years of Senior Project Management experience leading large, complex projects.
- 3+ years of experience providing PMO or project leadership support within a Government Agency (City or County).
- Experience supporting municipal planning, permitting, housing programs, or community development initiatives strongly preferred.
- Experience with permitting or development management platforms (Accela, Bluebeam, Autodesk, or similar) preferred.
- Successful candidates will demonstrate the ability to independently lead complex municipal initiatives from initiation through delivery while serving as a trusted advisor to public‑sector stakeholders.
Compensation Range: $130,000 - $154,000
The salary range reflects the expected compensation for fully qualified, senior‑level candidates performing this role in the Bay Area public‑sector consulting market.
Salary offers are typically made toward the midpoint or higher end of the range for candidates who demonstrate extensive municipal experience, direct leadership of permitting or development modernization initiatives, and the ability to operate independently with executive‑level stakeholders.
For reference, this annual range is approximately equivalent to $63–$74 per hour based on full‑time annualization.
This role is funded for the full term of the engagement and is expected to run through the stated end date, subject to client needs and performance. KAI Partners hires with the intent to retain high-performing consultants, and this engagement is anticipated to provide opportunities for the selected candidate to expand upon this work or transition into other similar, challenging roles within KAIP following completion of the initial engagement.
In addition, eligible roles qualify for a comprehensive benefits package.
Must be able to provide proof of education for all mandatory qualifications; all references will be verified.
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin.
Must be able to provide proof of education for all mandatory qualifications; all references will be verified.
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin.
KAI Partners
KAI Partners, Inc. is a Northern California‑based small business that offers world‑class management consulting and technology services to public‑ and private‑sector clients on a variety of large‑scale initiatives. The KAIP team brings deep executive‑level experience in program management, project delivery, Agile services, organizational change management, training, enterprise architecture, managed IT services, and IT security.
KAIP consultants gain exposure to multiple environments and modernization initiatives, offering accelerated professional growth, broader impact, and sustained leadership opportunities beyond a single jurisdiction.
http://www.kaipartners.com/