Manager, Land Use Programs and Initiatives

Job Description

Job Description

ABOUT ULI

The Urban Land Institute (ULI) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit research and education organization supported by its members. Founded in 1936, the Institute has more than 48,000 members worldwide representing the full spectrum of land use and real estate development disciplines, working across private enterprise and public service. As the preeminent, multidisciplinary real estate organization, ULI facilitates the open exchange of ideas, information, and experience among local, regional, national, and international industry leaders and policymakers dedicated to creating better places. ULI's mission is to shape the future of the built environment for transformative impact in communities worldwide.

ABOUT THE TEAM

ULI District Councils are the Institute's local chapters, delivering ULI's mission at the regional level by connecting members to education, networking, and opportunities to give back to their communities. With more than 800 members across Washington State, ULI Northwest is the region's preeminent organization focused on creating and sustaining communities through wise land use, development, and redevelopment decisions.

ULI Northwest runs lean: a close-knit team of four working directly with high-level business professionals, public officials, corporate executives, and senior real estate and land use leaders across the state. The team is in a season of real momentum, with an active slate of member-led councils and committees, expert advisory panels, and grant-funded initiatives. It's ambitious, sometimes uncharted work, and the team is looking for someone ready to help carry it.

THE ROLE

This is a pivotal hire for ULI Northwest. The Program Manager is a professional, integral member of the ULI Northwest team and a key liaison between ULI Northwest and the region's real estate and land use community. You will independently manage programs, member groups, and grant-funded initiatives, creating a high-quality member experience and moving projects from concept through execution.

We are looking for someone who owns their work: you'll run point on your programs and committees and bring the Executive Director in as an advisor and strategic thought partner rather than a day-to-day project manager. Some of the work is genuinely new ground for ULI and for the industry and calls for a program manager who is energized by ambiguity rather than unsettled by it. Other pieces, like our transit-oriented development advisory panels (helping cities plan homes, jobs, and community around new transit stations), are more established but still require judgment, relationship management, and follow-through. You'll also step into an active body of member group and committee work, including two housing councils, with the latitude to run meetings and shape agendas independently.

WHAT YOU WILL DO

ULI Northwest's work falls into three buckets: convening panels of industry experts to advise cities on development challenges, supporting member-led groups where professionals share knowledge and build programs, and delivering grant-funded initiatives, including a new effort using AI tools to support the development community. You'll own pieces of all three.

Expert advisory panels for cities and public agencies

• You'll own ULI Northwest's Technical Assistance Panels (TAPs), where we convene small teams of real estate and land use experts to advise cities and public agencies on development challenges tied to the region's transit build-out. You'll manage each panel end to end, from procurement and scoping through execution, reporting, and follow-up.

• You'll work closely with the Executive Director, committee members, public and private sector partners, and participating ULI members to shape the questions each panel tackles, recruit the right panelists, and keep projects moving.

Emerging technology and applied AI

• You'll partner with the Executive Director on a grant-funded initiative exploring how AI tools, including AI agents, can support the region's development community. There is no established playbook for this work, at ULI or in the industry, and you'll help think through approach, sequencing, and open questions as it takes shape.

• You'll bring genuine curiosity and comfort with AI tools to this and other work; ULI Northwest is building toward becoming an AI-native team.