Senior Regional Housing and Land Use Planner

Job Type
Planning
Organization
Metropolitan Area Planning Council
Contact Name
Holly Louis
Contact Email
hr@mapc.org
Address

60 Temple Place
Boston, MA
United States

Job Description

Description

The Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) seeks candidates for the position of Senior Regional Housing + Land Use Planner to join the agency's Housing Working Group within the Land Use Department. The ideal candidate has a passion for housing as a tool to advance equity and to create great places, and experience managing project, project teams, and project budgets. This individual will collaborate with the Chief of Housing + Neighborhood Development and other staff to expand housing choice and opportunity in the Metro Boston region through housing production, preservation, master planning, equitable transit-oriented development, zoning, urban design, and other initiatives. The Senior Planner will also work from time to time on efforts to improve or develop state or federal policies that will advance MAPC's housing goals.
 
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 Metro Boston.
 
About MAPC
MAPC is the Regional Planning Agency (RPA) serving the people who live and work in metropolitan Boston.  Our mission is to promote smart growth and regional collaboration. We are guided by MetroFuture: Making a Greater Boston Region, our regional policy plan for a more sustainable and equitable future, which was adopted in 2008.  We are currently working on a successor regional plan, MetroCommon2050: Shaping the Region Together, which we expect to complete by 2020. MAPC's staff includes approximately 100 full-time employees located in downtown Boston in a transit-accessible and bike-friendly office.

We encourage all of our staff to develop new ideas to make MAPC's planning and policy work more relevant and impactful, and to adapt to changing times.  We strongly support the professional development of each and every staff person, believing their growth to be consistent with the best interests of MAPC and the region.  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, MetroFuture, and MetroCommon, please visit www.mapc.org
 

Examples of Duties

 

  • Managing projects, including budgets and interdisciplinary project teams comprised of staff with varying degrees of experience
  • Preparation of local Housing Production Plans, housing elements of Master Plans, urban neighborhood plans, town center or village plans, equitable transit-oriented development (ETOD)_plans, and others
  • Drafting zoning, permitting procedures, and design guidelines to create more and better housing or mixed-use development, with a particular emphasis on affordable housing
  • Researching and preparing reports, studies, and presentations on best practices pertaining to housing, housing market trends, public policies and programs, housing impacts, development barriers, and the like
  • Organizing workshops and educational events for the public; designing and giving public presentations; facilitating public discussions
  • Working in partnership with local governments, the development community, community-based organizations, academic institutions, and others active in the housing field
  • Remaining informed about current housing-related planning issues, resources, and programs
  • Working with the Government Affairs department to analyze public policies and to recommend changes in state or federal programs to produce and preserve housing
  • Thinking creatively about how to message the need for additional housing in our region, and how to engage stakeholders and the public in support of housing production and preservation
  • Working with other staff and leaders at MAPC to create housing elements of the new regional plan, MetroCommon2050, which is currently in development

 
Evening meetings, occasional weekend meetings, and local travel are a responsibility for this position.   
 

 

Typical Qualifications

The ideal candidate for Regional Housing + Land Use Planner will have:

  • A Master's degree in urban/regional planning, public policy/management, urban design/architecture, or a closely related field and 6 years of relevant professional experience, or a Bachelor's degree with at least 10 years of relevant professional experience

 
Successful candidates for this position will demonstrate all or most of the following:

  • Experience + Knowledge
    • Experience developing a range of municipal and multi-municipal plans; experience with Housing Production Plans in Massachusetts is a plus
    • Experience drafting zoning, permitting procedures, and policies to create and preserve affordable and mixed-income housing
    • Knowledge of housing production and preservation best practices, affordable housing policies, and relevant state and federal legislation and programs (e.g., M.G.L. Chapter 40B, Smart Growth Zoning/Chapter 40R, and Compact Neighborhoods); familiarity with Fair Housing issues across a range of protected classes is a plus
    • Strong research skills and ability to work with large quantitative data sets to discern trends in demography, real estate, real estate markets, etc.
    • Knowledge of federal, state, and local land use policy issues, laws, regulations, and programs, as well as best planning practices related to master planning and other local planning activities
    • Ability to identify, evaluate, and strategize to overcome political and economic barriers to various forms of sustainable development, e.g., Affordable Housing, mixed-use development, and TOD
  • Communication
    • Ability to write coherent documents ranging from technical reports to public flyers
    • Strong verbal communication and facilitation skills, including experience engaging with a range of stakeholders and audiences; the ability to articulate complex planning and policy issues to the public; the ability to build coalitions, achieve consensus, and resolve disputes in community engagement and public policy situations
    • Strong visual communication skills, including designing presentations, boards, infographics, maps, renderings, and other design elements
  • Interpersonal Skills
    • Ability to work in a team and collaborate on project work
    • Ability to establish, maintain, and expand productive relationships with relevant state housing agencies, not-for-profit and quasi-government housing organizations, the development community, community organizations, and others in the housing field
    • Ability to work effectively with the public, community groups, and government officials, especially local elected and appointed officials
  • Organization + Time Management
    • Project management skills, including time management, organizational skills, and ability to manage project teams through delegation and collaboration
    • Ability to manage a workload consisting of multiple and varied projects
    • Ability to work independently, self-start, and follow through on assigned tasks
  • Equity Commitment
    • Ability and interest in advocating for greater equity throughout Metro Boston, especially in the housing field

 

Supplemental Information

Compensation and Benefits
The starting salary ranges from $65,000 to $75,000, depending on qualifications and experience. This is a full-time exempt position. MAPC offers excellent Massachusetts state employee benefits, as well as a flexible and supportive work environment.

How To Apply
Apply online at www.mapc.org. Please attach a cover letter, resume, writing sample, and an example of your design skills (flyer, rendering, presentation, site plan, model, rendering, or other visual materials). A review of applications will begin immediately. The position is open until filled. Candidates must have legal authorization to work in the USA and a valid driver's license and/or the ability to arrange transportation to meetings in different parts of the region.
 
MAPC is an EOE/AA Employer. 
We take pride in the diversity of our workforce and encourage all qualified persons to apply.