Postion Type: Full-time
Salary: Competitive, commensurate with experience
Location: Calgary, AB

About mddl‍

mddl is a housing innovator and delivery organization working to accelerate middle housing across North American communities. We combine planning, policy, design, education, and technology to expand housing choice. Our work spans community development, policy innovation, program delivery through mddl U and mddl School, and hands-on support for community developers navigating the housing system. We operate at the intersection of tech and consulting and we pride ourselves on being a high-impact team where your work shapes real outcomes.

Your Opportunity‍

We’re hiring a Senior Urban Planner to lead planning initiatives that directly advance middle housing across communities. You’ll own projects from strategy through delivery, working at the intersection of policy, community engagement, and built form. This role carries real autonomy: you’ll shape mddl’s planning direction, influence municipal policy conversations, and mentor junior team members, all within an organization that moves fast and values fresh thinking.This is not a traditional planning job. You’ll be working across jurisdictions, engaging diverse stakeholders, continuously creating new solutions and applying planning expertise to an advocacy and delivery mission that’s actively changing how communities build housing.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategy & Project Delivery‍
  
  • Lead and support end-to-end planning projects (feasibility, policy, land use, design) from scope through implementation, ensuring alignment with mddl’s mission and client needs
  • Design and advance middle housing development strategies, policy approaches, technological tools, and design prototypes
  • Oversee and execute technical analyses for policy and land development projects to inform recommendations
• ‍Stakeholder & Community Engagement‍
  
  • Provide municipalities, community organizations, and developer partners with tools and strategies towards regulatory reform, permitting pathways, and housing delivery
  • Design and facilitate community engagement processes, including workshops and public consultations, to gather input and feedback on planning initiatives
  • Build and maintain relationships with municipal planners, elected officials, community organizations, developers, and institutional partners
• ‍Deliverables & Communications‍
  
  • Prepare clear, persuasive deliverables: policy memos, technical reports, financial analyses, presentations, design visuals, and implementation toolkits and strategies
  • Contribute to grant applications and funding proposals by providing planning expertise, project scoping, and supporting documentationEducation & Technical Tools‍
  • Support the development and facilitation of mddl U and mddl School programming as subject-matter expert, instructor, and/or Teaching Assistant
  • Lead and support the ongoing development of technical enablement tools including, but not limited to, the mddl Pro Forma tool, GIS Lot Identification Tool, and digital Development Manager
• ‍Team & Organizational Growth‍
  
  • Mentor and support planning and development staff, contribute to business development efforts, and represent mddl at conferences, events, and public forums
  • Monitor planning policy trends, regulatory changes, and best practices across jurisdictions
  • Support administrative functions as required

Skills & Qualifications

• Degree in urban planning, community planning, or a related field (Master’s preferred)
• Minimum 5 years of professional experience working directly in urban planning, land development, or municipal policy, with a track record of leading projects to completion
• Strong knowledge of planning frameworks, land use regulation, development approval processes, and community engagement best practices
• Membership or eligibility for membership with the Canadian Institute of Planners (CIP) and/or the Alberta Professional Planners Institute (APPI)
• Excellent written and verbal communication
• Experience working with municipal governments, community stakeholders, and cross-functional teams
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously with competing deadlines
  
  ‍This role requires regular travel across North America, typically 1–4 nights (or 1–2 trips) per month, to support project delivery, stakeholder meetings, and community engagement. Travel frequency may vary depending on project needs.

Assets

• Experience with housing policy, middle housing, missing middle advocacy, and/or residential land development
• Familiarity with GIS, SketchUp, Adobe Creative Suite, Figma, or similar visualization tools• Experience with financial feasibility analysis, pro forma modelling, or development economics
• Experience with grant writing or funding applications
• Comfort with AI tools and technology-forward workflows
• RPP (Registered Professional Planner) designation

What You'll Get

• Competitive salary with performance-based bonus eligibility
• Office closure between Christmas and New Years, and your birthday off
• Extended health and dental benefits
• Professional development budget (conferences, CIP/APPI dues, development-related training)
• Hybrid work environment (our office is in downtown Calgary with three days in the office, and two days remote)
• The chance to work on housing issues that matter, with a team that’s continuously building something new

How to Apply

Send your resume, portfolio and cover letter to admin@mddl.co with the subject line: Senior Urban Planner – [Your Name]

‍In your cover letter, we’d love to hear: What's one tool, product, or solution that doesn't exist yet (or barely exists) that you believe would make infill or middle housing development significantly easier, and what would it take to make it a reality?
‍‍
‍Application Deadline: Open until filled. We review applications on a rolling basis and encourage early submission.

Equity, accessibility, and inclusion

mddl is an equal-opportunity employer. We believe every employee should have the opportunity to participate and succeed. We recognize and celebrate the valuable differences among each of us, including race, religious beliefs, physical or mental disabilities, age, place of origin, marital status, family status, gender or gender identity and sexual orientation. If you require accommodations during the hiring process, please contact us at admin@mddl.co.
‍

We review every application carefully. Due to the volume of interest, we're only able to follow up with candidates selected for an interview. Thank you for considering mddl.