Deputy Director of Planning, Preservation, and Zoning
- Somerville, MA
- $110,000 per year
- Permanent
- Full-time
- 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.
- Maintaining, revising, and updating the Somerville Zoning Ordinance to implement City policies and long-term planning.
- 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
- Provide direction and guidance to PPZ staff, including onboarding, training, and mentoring
- 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
- Demonstrated experience in zoning compliance interpretation and regulatory permitting
- 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.
- Excellent written and oral communication 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: September 2nd, 2025The 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 apomeroy@somervillema.gov.Pre-Employment Requirements for All Employees:
- MA Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) clearance
- Completion of Conflict-of-Interest Law Education training for municipal employees
- 4 weeks annual vacation for non-union positions. Union positions vary by contract. Please note, police officers are members of the SPEA union.
- 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
- Tuition reimbursement
- MBTA pass program
- FREE Blue Bikes membership
- Eligible employer for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF)