Deputy Director of Planning, Preservation, and Zoning
4 months ago
Somerville
Job DescriptionAbout the Department The Mayor’s Office of Strategic Planning & Community Development (OSPCD) is the planning and development agency for the City of Somerville. OSPCD’s mission is to improve the lives of everyone in Somerville by making it easier for people to get and keep stable housing, find quality jobs, and start and run a business; building safe and healthy streets and public spaces; and guiding how neighborhoods can change for the better while keeping what makes Somerville unique. OSPCD consists of seven divisions, including Economic Development, Finance & Administration, Housing, Housing Stability, Mobility, Planning, Preservation & Zoning, and Public Space & Urban Forestry. The Planning, Preservation, & Zoning (PPZ) division is staffed by a Director, Deputy Director, three Senior Planners, five Planners, a Community Outreach Coordinator, and an Administrative Assistant. PPZ’s core functions include the following: • Engaging with the community of Somerville residents, businesses, and organizations to develop long-term plans that guide future urban development, government policy, and capital improvement decision-making as the city evolves., • Staffing & administering the Historic Preservation Commission, Planning Board, Urban Design Commission, and Zoning Board of Appeals., • Coordinating review of permit applications by OSPCD staff to ensure urban development is compliant to standards and consistent with city policy., • Oversee the review of permit applications by OSPCD staff and other City departments., • Support City coordination efforts related to major redevelopment projects, • Document and maintain the division’s standard operating procedures, • Create, maintain, and administer the division’s training program, • Create and maintain division document templates & graphic standards, • Research and develop improvements to division processes and procedures, • Oversee the preparation, filing, and maintenance of required documentation, • Track and report the division's annual business, • Track and report board & commission annual business, • Meet regularly with staff, OSPCD Directors, elected officials, and other City departments., • Provide strategic policy advice and recommendations to the Division Director, Executive Director of OSPCD, and elected and appointed officials., • Assist in the development of the division’s annual budget, goals, projects, and work plan., • Assist in the management of staff, • Assist with conducting regular division meetings, • Bachelor’s degree in architecture, city or urban planning, civil engineering, landscape architecture, urban design, or related field; Master’s degree preferred, • Seven (7) years of professional experience, • AICP certification is preferred, • Experience in personnel management preferred, • Demonstrated experience in team-based project management and the ability to prioritize workloads, multitask, and meet deadlines, • Understanding of current urban planning and community engagement practices., • Understanding of urban development projects at the planning, design, construction, and occupancy phases., • Understanding of Massachusetts planning & zoning laws, including MGL Ch 40A, 40B, 40C., • Familiarity of planning and development issues relevant to Somerville., • Ability to read, interpret, and analyze development plans, drawings, studies, and similar technical documents. 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 Little or no 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. There may also be some occasional lifting of objects such as books, office equipment and computer paper (up to 30 lbs.) 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 system, computer and/or most other office equipment, typing and/or word processing, filing, and sorting. Visual Skills Visual demands include constantly reading documents for general understanding and for analytical purposes and routinely reviewing maps and blueprints with a need for color vision. Hours: Full-time FLSA: Exempt Union: Non-Union Salary: $110,000.00 annually plus benefits Date Posted: December 29th, 2025 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. Persons with disabilities who need auxiliary aids and services for effective communication (i.e., CART, ASL), written materials in alternative formats, or reasonable modifications in policies and procedures in order to access the programs, activities, and meetings of the City of Somerville should please contact Adrienne Pomeroy at 617-625-6600 x 2059 or . Pre-Employment Requirements for All Employees: • MA Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) clearance, • 4 weeks annual vacation for non-union positions. Union positions vary by contract. Please note, police officers are members of the SPEA union. Public Health Nurses are part of Union A (SMEA)., • Medical insurance through the Group Insurance Commission (GIC) - 80% of premium costs paid by City, • Dental coverage low and high plans through Cigna, • Vision care through Vision Service Plan (VSP), • Long term disability through Sun Life, • Group and voluntary life insurance through Boston Mutual, • Health Care and Dependent Care flexible spending through Benefit Strategies, • Deferred compensation plans through a choice of three vendors, • Free, confidential services through the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) provided by E4Health, • Annual cancer screening & wellness release, • Somerville Retirement Pension System, • Tuition reimbursement, • MBTA pass program, • FREE Blue Bikes membership Powered by JazzHR wM32bbP2Rc