Senior Housing and Land Use Planner

Description

The Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) seeks candidates for the position of Senior Housing and Land Use Planner to join the agency’s Housing and Neighborhood Development Division within the Land Use Department. The ideal candidate has a passion for housing as a tool to advance equity and create great places. This individual will work independently and collaboratively to expand housing choice, opportunity, and stability in the Metro Boston region through citywide housing plans, district zoning initiatives, site-level re/development processes, strategic plans for regional or local entities, and efforts to develop or improve state and federal policies that will advance the housing components of Greater Boston’s regional land use and policy plan, MetroCommon 2050. They will oversee multi-person project teams and will report to the Chief of Housing and Neighborhood Development.

About MAPC:

MAPC is the Regional Planning Agency (RPA) serving the people who live and work in metropolitan Boston. Our strategic priorities are to promote smart growth, collaboration, climate mitigation and resilience, and equity in the region. We are guided by our regional plan, MetroCommon2050: Shaping the Region Together. MAPC’s staff includes approximately 100 full-time employees located in downtown Boston in a transit-accessible and bike-friendly office.

MAPC has a hybrid schedule, combining time in the office with remote work. Employees must reside within a commutable distance from MAPC’s Boston office. 

MAPC strongly supports the professional development of each staff person, believing their growth to be consistent with the best interests of MAPC and the region. We encourage all our staff to develop new ideas to make MAPC’s planning and policy work more relevant and impactful, and to adapt to changing times.

This is an opportunity to work in a dynamic, interdisciplinary, and innovative environment with professionals who are committed to building a more sustainable and equitable future for everyone who lives and works in Greater Boston. For more information about MAPC or MetroCommon2050, please visit www.mapc.org 

Responsibilities (including but not limited to)

• Work independently and manage project teams to develop  city/town-wide Housing Production Plans; housing elements of master plans; strategic plans for local committees, trusts, and other entities; equitable transit-oriented development plans (including housing under the MBTA Communities “Section 3A” housing program); and research studies
• Draft zoning, permitting procedures, and design guidelines to create more and better housing or mixed-use development, with a particular emphasis on Affordable Housing
• Assist communities with strategies to effectively utilize public resources to create and preserve housing for people of various incomes and household types, such as developing inclusionary zoning strategies; conducting data-driven pre-development and housing market analyses; auditing local tools; facilitating housing re/development through the procurement process (RFI, RFQ, RFP); and pursuing initiatives such as Regional Housing Services, Offices of Housing Stability, and Affordable Housing Trusts
• Prepare pro formas and conduct development feasibility analyses to test inclusionary and other zoning and development scenarios
• Research and prepare reports, studies, and presentations on best practices pertaining to housing, housing market trends, public policies and programs, housing impacts, development barriers, and the like
• Design, organize, and facilitate public forums, workshops, and other digital and in- person community engagement events
• Develop housing communications campaigns to raise awareness, educate the public, and build support for housing initiatives
• Other activities consistent with accomplishing MAPC’s mission and the regional plan

Evening and occasional early morning and weekend events and local travel are a responsibility for this position. MAPC does not require that you have a vehicle; however, you must have a valid driver’s license and/or the ability to arrange transportation to meetings in different parts of the region. MAPC provides support for travel, including MBTA passes, Zipcar account and BlueBikes membership. 

Qualifications

Candidates for this position must have either a Master’s degree in urban/regional planning, real estate development, public policy/management, urban design/architecture, or a closely related field and at least 4 years of relevant job experience, or a Bachelor’s degree plus 6 years of relevant job experience.
 Successful candidates for this position will demonstrate all or most of the following:

• Experience leading and managing housing planning and zoning projects
• Experience providing planning and zoning assistance to local government
• Strong commitment to equity and justice
• Knowledge of federal, state, and local housing and land use policies, laws, regulations, and programs, such as M.G.L. Chapter 40B and 40R, the Community Preservation Act, HOME, CDBG, and Fair Housing
• Strong research skills and ability to work with large quantitative data sets to discern trends in demography, real estate, etc.
• Understanding of pro formas and development analysis, affordable and market -rate housing development processes and concepts, and the relationship between local land use policy and development feasibility 
• Knowledge of municipal governance structures
• Understanding of Affordable Housing finance and development and the state’s capital sources for Affordable Housing production
• Ability to use GIS effectively is a plus
• Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication, facilitation, engagement and collaboration skills with a wide range of audiences, including the ability to achieve consensus and resolve disputes in community engagement
• Ability to design visual communications materials, including presentations, boards, and handouts
• Ability to work independently and on a team to manage projects and competing priorities, including collaborating on project work, delegating, managing budgets, ensuring quality control, and following through on assigned tasks

NOTE: Interested applicants who meet most but not all qualifications are encouraged to apply.
 
Per MAPC COVID-19 Vaccine Policy, all employees, including remote employees, must be fully vaccinated. This position will require the selected candidate to show proof of full vaccination against COVID-19, including the Bivalent booster. MAPC is an equal opportunity employer and will consider reasonable accommodation to those individuals who are unable to be vaccinated consistent with federal, state, and local law.

Compensation and Benefits: 
The salary ranges from $75,000 – $85,000, depending on qualifications and experience. This is a full-time exempt position. MAPC offers excellent Massachusetts state employee benefits as well as a flexible, supportive, and family-friendly work environment and a commitment to continued professional development.