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Space Planner (Project Manager)

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Space Planner (Project Manager)

Salary

$68,674.95 - $78,976.00 Annually

Location

Norfolk, VA

Job Type

Permanent Full-time

Job Number

13553

Department

General Services

Division

Facility Maintenance

Opening Date

10/08/2025

Closing Date

10/19/2025 11:59 PM Eastern

+ Description

+ Benefits

+ Questions

Description

The City of Norfolk’s Department of General Services, Facility Maintenance Division, is responsible for maintaining and supporting more than 250 City-owned buildings. These range from office spaces and public safety facilities to recreation centers and entertainment venues. Facility Maintenance oversees carpentry, plumbing, electrical, painting, HVAC, elevators, roofing, and moves/relocations while also managing finance, projects, and administrative support. It is a versatile, fast-paced department where creative space utilization directly impacts City operations and community services.

The Facility Maintenance Division seeks a Space Planner to lead planning and design efforts for office and public facility space across the City of Norfolk. This position emphasizes creativity, customer service, and efficiency in space planning. The Space Planner will evaluate existing and proposed spaces, conduct test fits to determine whether departmental needs can be met, and create plans that maximize both functionality and taxpayer value.

The successful candidate will be able to survey departments, interview stakeholders, and anticipate both current and future needs, guiding customers—many of whom may not initially know what they want—toward effective space solutions. The role involves developing layouts, coordinating moves and renovations, planning furniture and systems design, and collaborating with architects, engineers, and contractors. AutoCAD proficiency is preferred, though equivalent interior design software may be acceptable.

Essential Functions

+ Conducts space utilization studies, test fits, and planning analyses for City facilities.

+ Interviews stakeholders to understand needs, anticipate future requirements, and translate feedback into design solutions.

+ Prepares conceptual layouts, AutoCAD drawings, and furniture/system designs to support space planning and relocations.

+ Coordinates departmental moves, renovations, and reconfigurations across diverse facility types.

+ Develops creative solutions for efficient use of space while maintaining a strong customer service approach.

+ Evaluates building conditions and works with Facility Maintenance staff, architects, and contractors on implementation.

+ Ensures compliance with applicable codes, ADA requirements, and City standards.

+ Balances design creativity with fiscal responsibility, recognizing stewardship of taxpayer funds.

+ Provides project management support, including planning scope, schedules, and budgets, in partnership with the Project Team.

Education/Experience

Work requires specialized knowledge in a professional or technical field. Knowledge is normally acquired through four years of college resulting in a Bachelor's degree or equivalent.

Required:

+ Five years' experience in a related field; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Preferred:

+ Two years of working field experience in interior design, space planning, or a closely related area is strongly preferred. This experience may be gained through direct professional work, technical studies, or two years of advanced education in interior design, architecture, or a comparable discipline. Equivalent combinations of education and experience that demonstrate the ability to perform space planning and test fits will also be considered.

Additional Information & Requirements

+ Valid Driver’s License is required.

+ Auto CAD LT experience preferred.

Work Schedule:

+ Monday-Friday, 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM; Occasional overtime and weekend work may be required. Position is designated essential and will be required to report to work during City closures due to inclement weather and other emergencies

+ Regular full-time and permanent part-time employees may receive paid holidays, vacation and sick leave, employer paid pension plan, basic life insurance, voluntary participation in medical and dental, Section 457 deferred compensation, long-term disability, optional life insurance for self, spouse and children, medical and dependent care reimbursement plans, access to membership in credit union and employer provided parking.

+ Special project/grant employees are generally eligible for the same benefits of regular full-time employees; however, retirement, life insurance and participation in health plans vary depending upon funding and authorization.

+ Temporary/seasonal and part-time employees are generally only eligible for employer provided parking and access to membership in credit union.

+ Retirement

If you are hired October 5, 2010, or after to a position with City of Norfolk Retirement System benefits, you will be required to contribute five percent (5%) of your salary toward your retirement benefit. This will be a pre-tax payroll deduction.

If you are hired January 1, 2022, or after to a position with Virginia Retirement System (VRS) benefits, you will be required to contribute five percent (5%) of your salary toward your retirement benefit. This will be a pre-tax payroll deduction.

+ The Tuition Assistance Program is established to encourage employees toward continued self-development and education. Permanent full-time and permanent part-time classified, unclassified permanent, full-time special projects, and constitutional employees who have completed six months continuous service will be eligible to apply. The applicant’s school of enrollment must be an accredited institution.

NOTE:

The benefits described above are broad generalizations. The specific benefits that an employee may be eligible for are governed by City regulations, as applicable to job type.

Non-City

Positions listed with a job type designation of "Non-City" are not subject to the benefits descriptions above. Refer to the content of the job posting for information regarding these positions.

01

The following Supplemental Questions are specific to the position for which you have applied to assist the hiring manager in screening applications for specific experience being sought. Please be specific in answering these questions as they will be used to evaluate which applications will be given further consideration in the process. Do not answer "see resume" or "see application" as these are not valid answers. Please note that if you are invited to be interviewed by the department, your responses to the following questions may be subject to verification.

+ I understand and will answer the following supplemental questions completely and thoroughly.

02

If you were referred for this position by a current City of Norfolk employee, please provide the employee's full name, department, and job title, and your relationship to the employee. If not, please indicate by typing "N/A."

03

Please select the highest level of education you have completed.

+ High School Diploma/GED

+ Some College (6 months or more)

+ Vocational/Technical Degree

+ Associate's Degree

+ Bachelor's Degree

+ Master's Degree or higher

04

How many years of project management experience do you have?

+ Less than 5 years

+ 5-6 years

+ 6-7 years

+ 7 years or more

05

Do you have experience using AutoCAD?

+ Yes, extensive professional use

+ Yes, some experience but not advanced

+ No, but I use another interior design software

+ No experience

06

When planning a new office layout, what is your first step?

+ Meet with the department to understand their needs

+ Measure the space and prepare test fits

+ Review City standards and building codes

+ Consider future growth and efficiency

07

How do you handle a stakeholder who isn’t sure what they want for their space?

+ Provide multiple options and guide discussion toward best fit –

+ Ask probing questions to uncover needs

+ Rely on my professional judgment to suggest solutions

+ Focus only on cost-saving options

08

Which best describes your experience with space planning or interior design?

+ Professional experience at a design firm or furniture company

+ In-house space planning for an organization

+ Coursework or academic training only

+ No formal experience

09

How comfortable are you balancing creative design with budget limitations?

+ Very comfortable – I do this regularly

+ Somewhat comfortable – I have done it occasionally

+ Not very comfortable – budget restrictions are challenging

+ No experience in this area

10

When working with demanding or high-expectation clients, how do you respond?

+ Stay calm, listen carefully, and provide professional recommendations

+ Provide multiple options within constraints and explain trade-offs

+ Escalate concerns quickly to supervisors

+ Focus only on what the client asks without offering alternatives

11

Have you ever prepared or managed move coordination (relocations of staff/departments)?

+ Yes, multiple times across large departments

+ Yes, a few times

+ No, but I am familiar with the process

+ No experience

12

Which factor do you consider most important when designing space?

+ User comfort and satisfaction

+ Efficient use of space and resources

+ Compliance with codes and safety requirements

+ A balance of all of the above

13

If you were designing space for a department expected to grow by 20% in two years, how would you plan?

+ Build in flexible, scalable options now

+ Plan only for current needs and reassess later

+ Reduce allocated space to encourage remote work

+ Design primarily for aesthetics and comfort

14

Which best describes your approach to teamwork?

+ Collaborative: I prefer working closely with others

+ Independent: I prefer to manage projects alone

+ Adaptive: I adjust my approach depending on the project

+ Directive: I prefer leading and setting direction for others

15

Do you have a valid driver's license?

+ Yes

+ No

16

Do you have the legal right to work in the United States and, upon employment, can you provide documentation to verify this?

+ Yes

+ No

17

Please provide an explanation of any periods of unemployment that are 30 days or longer. Indicate N/A if you have not experienced any periods of unemployment.

18

Are you a current or previous City of Norfolk employee?

+ Yes - I am a current City of Norfolk Employee

+ Yes - I am a previous City of Norfolk Employee

+ No - I am not a previous or current City of Norfolk employee

19

Please indicate your veteran status. (A copy of your long form DD-214 may be required)

+ I am not a Veteran

+ I am a Veteran

+ I am a Disabled Veteran

Required Question

Employer

City of Norfolk

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