Statement of Duties
The City of Somerville is one of the leading cities on climate change in Massachusetts and the country, pioneering new approaches to climate action planning, clean energy and resilience programs, and community engagement. The Sustainability Planner reports to the Climate Change Program Manager. The overarching goal of the Sustainability Planner will be to reduce greenhouse gas emissions of new construction buildings and buildings undergoing major renovations; reduce emissions of the commercial building sector 50% by 2030; and reduce vehicle sector emissions 40% by 2030, to ultimately help the City achieve a carbon net-negative future by 2050. The Sustainability Planner 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.
- Reviewing development proposals and issuing comments and approval certificates.
- Managing, maintaining, and expanding publicly accessible electric vehicle charging infrastructure.
- Leading interdepartmental sustainability efforts, including leading Climate Forward implementation task forces.
- Developing and recommending policy and ordinance amendments, as well as new ordinances, policies, and programs.
- Developing and implementing both short- and long-term, city-wide climate change mitigation and adaptation plans, programs, and policies.
- Identifying, creating, implementing, and evaluating the performance of strategies, programs, and policies based on best practices.
- Overseeing work of consultants and implementing recommendations, including managing public processes.
- Researching and executing grants, contracts, and partnerships.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
Education and Experience: Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited university in a related field (planning, energy policy or engineering, etc.) and five to seven years’ experience in municipal government, stage agency positions or relevant private consulting roles; 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.
Special Requirements:
Preferred experience includes master's degree in related field; experience with planning or managing public electric vehicle charging infrastructure; experience with collecting or processing building energy information; and facility with data visualization and communication tools.
As of February 2024, OSE employees are required to be in the office and in the field when their work requires them to be. OSE employees share work and office spaces. This guidance is subject to change.
Knowledge, Abilities and Skill
Knowledge: Knowledge of principles and practices of planning, engineering, and design. Familiarity with building and transportation decarbonization, energy efficiency, and other sustainable and resiliency technologies, programs, and policies. Knowledge of applicable federal and state regulations and guidelines. Knowledge of municipal and state project development processes from visioning and scoping through design, permitting, financing, and construction.
Ability: Ability to carry complex projects from concept to implementation, use creative thinking to solve problems, and work in a fast-paced environment. Ability to work effectively with the City’s interdepartmental staff. Ability to read and understand engineering plans and supervise implementation of projects. Ability to perform field data collection and analysis. Ability to formulate findings and recommendations to interdepartmental staff, elected officials, outside agencies, contractors, engineers, advocates and the general public. Ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing with state and federal agencies, architects, contractors, developers, owners, supervisors, employees, and the general public. Ability to work with client or stakeholders in management of compliance scenarios and with dissatisfied clients or stakeholders. Ability to work and interact effectively with individuals and groups with a variety of identities, cultures, backgrounds, and ideologies.
Skill: Exceptional organizational skills and attention to detail. Skilled public speaker. Excellent customer service, planning and, and project management skills. Design software skill (i.e. ArcGIS, Adobe Suite, etc.) is preferable. Strong data collection, analysis, and management skills with use of tools including Microsoft Excel, Citizenserve, GIS, and/or additional methods. Strong written and oral communication with peers, consultants, contractors, and representatives of other agencies. Managing multiple tasks and deadlines.
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 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
Few 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. May also be some occasional lifting of objects such as office equipment and computer paper (up to 30 lbs.) 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.
Hours:Full-time
Salary:$ 81,182.41 annualized, plus benefits.
Union:Non-Union
FLSA:Exempt
Date Posted:March 7, 2024
