Senior Planner (PPZ)

About the Department

The Mayor’s Office of Strategic Planning & Community Development (OSPCD) is the planning and development agency for the City of Somervile. 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.
• Maintaining, revising, and updating the Somerville Zoning Ordinance to implement City policies and long-term planning.

Statement of Duties:

Under the Director and Deputy Director, the Senior Planner conducts professional and technical work in long-range planning, historic preservation, legislative drafting, permit administration, zoning policy, site planning, and urban design. The Senior Planner manages division projects, supports OSPCD’s review of permit applications, OSPCDs coordination of major development projects, collaborates with other OSPCD divisions and City departments, and provides training and mentorship to PPZ staff.

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).

• Manage long-term planning, zoning, and historic preservation projects
• Support the review of permit applications by OSPCD staff and other City departments
• Manages City coordination efforts related to major redevelopment projects
• Facilitates interdepartmental strategic planning coordination between OSPCDs divisions
• 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
• Participates in the division’s public education campaigns
• Collaborates with hired consultants, city staff, and community stakeholders
• Collaborates with the division’s Community Outreach Coordinator for public engagement
• Conducts research, analysis, and produces written and graphical content for long-range plans, zoning ordinances, and other City projects
• Provide training to board & commission members on standard operating procedures and responsibilities
• Provide direction and guidance to division staff, including onboarding, training, and mentoring

Recommended Minimum Qualifications:

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in architecture, city or urban planning, civil engineering, landscape architecture, urban design or related field; Master’s degree preferred
• Four (4) to six (6) years of professional experience is expected
• AICP certification is 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

Knowledge, Abilities, and Skill

• 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

Work Environment

Work is primarily conducted in a professional office within a historic building with occasional events in other venues or outdoors.

The office maintains a hybrid at-home and in-office schedule over a 36.5 hour work week (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Thursdays: 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.; Fridays 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.).

Activities include frequent use of a computer, evening meeting coverage outside standard work hours, traveling for work purposes, site visits, and the occasional lifting of office equipment or meeting supplies.

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

Hours: Full-time
Salary: $90,000 annualized, plus benefits
Union: Non-Union
FLSA: Exempt
Date Posted: October 8th, 2025

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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 [email protected].

Pre-Employment Requirements for All Employees:

• MA Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) clearance
• Completion of Conflict-of-Interest Law Education training for municipal employees

Overview of Total Rewards:

• 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
• Tuition reimbursement
• MBTA pass program
• FREE Blue Bikes membership
• Eligible employer for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF)

Benefits listed are for benefits-eligible positions and the above information is meant to be a general overview of the benefit programs offered by the City of Somerville and not a binding contract.