Planner

Somerville is a city that upholds progressive principles for both employees and residents. The City of Somerville embraces and encourages an innovative, empowering, and collaborative workplace culture in a fast-paced, challenging environment. The City also offers a generous benefits package that embodies a strong work-life balance. Not only is Somerville a “Model City,” as termed by The Boston Globe, it is also a model employer.

Statement of Duties

Responsibilities include professional and technical work in planning, including community planning, economic development, land use planning, subdivision plan review, site plan review, zoning by-law compliance, housing, historic preservation, transportation and infrastructure and long-range planning for the community. Employee is required to perform all similar or related duties.

Essential Functions

The essential functions or duties listed below are intended only as illustrations of the various type of work that may be performed. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment to the position. (Note: not all duties are performed by all incumbents in each division).

• Serves as staff to the Planning Board and Zoning Board of Appeals, also assists with the Urban Design Commission and the Historic Preservation Commission. 
• Serves as lead coordinator on various development projects before the Boards. 
• Researches and analyzes data.
• Participates in neighborhood plans and assists with urban design alternatives.
• Collaborates on presentations for various city, regional, state and federal agencies.
• Performs analyses to support various city policies.
• Reviews plans going before the Planning Board, Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA), and/or Design Review Committee.
• Prepares staff reports for cases before various boards and commissions.
• Presents case information before various boards and commissions.
• Assists in developing and recommending by-law and ordinance amendments.
• Provides information to public regarding City ordinances, state laws, and regulations.
• Provides professional and technical administrative approval on City processes, in accordance with local and state regulations.
• Manages the public process dealing with planning initiatives.

Recommended Minimum Qualifications

Education and Experience: Bachelor’s Degree in planning or related field and three (3) years’ experience; or any equivalent combination of education, training and experience which provides the required knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the essential functions of the job. Master’s degree in Planning preferred.

Knowledge, Abilities and Skill

Knowledge: Knowledge of planning, conservation, preservation, economic development, transportation and infrastructure is required.

Abilities: Ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing with state and federal agencies, architects, contractors, developers, owners, supervisors, employees, and the general public.

Skill: Skill in facilitating and public presentations is required.

Work Environment

The work environment involves everyday discomforts typical of offices, with occasional exposure to outside elements. Noise or physical surroundings may be distracting, but conditions are generally not unpleasant. Employee may be required to work beyond normal business hours in response to attend evening meetings or complete work assignments. When in the field or attending meetings, the environment can be at construction sites and outdoors.

Physical and Mental Requirements

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the position’s essential functions.

Physical Skills

Minimal physical demands are required to perform the work. Work effort principally involves sitting to perform work tasks, with intermittent periods of stooping, walking, and standing. Work requires some agility such as moving in or about construction sites or over rough terrain. There may also be some occasional lifting of objects such as office equipment or photocopy paper (up to 30lbs.). When in the field, more physical skill may be required to accomplish the duties required.

Motor Skills

Duties are largely mental rather than physical, but the job may occasionally require minimal motor skills for activities such as moving objects, operating a telephone, personal computer and/or most other office equipment including word processing, filing and sorting of papers.

Visual Skills

Visual demands require constantly reading documents for general understanding and analytical purposes.

Send your resume and cover letter by Wednesday,December 23, 2020 to:

City Hall Personnel Office
93 Highland Avenue
Somerville MA 02143
Fax: 617-666-4426
TTY: 1-866-808-4851
Email: employment_opportunities@somervillema.gov

City of Somerville residents are especially encouraged to apply.

The City of Somerville is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, age, national origin, disability or any other protected category. Women, minorities, veterans, and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply. Auxiliary aids and services, written materials in alternative formats, and reasonable modifications in policies and procedures will be provided to qualified individuals with disabilities free of charge, upon request.

Individuals with disabilities who need auxiliary aids and services for effective communication, written materials in alternative formats, or reasonable modifications in policies and procedures, in order to access the programs and activities of the City of Somerville or to attend meetings, should contact the City’s ADA Coordinator, Nency Salamoun, at 617-625-6600 x2323 or NSalamoun@somervillema.gov.