JOB DESCRIPTION

The Northern Middlesex Council of Governments (NMCOG) is one of thirteen regional planning agencies within Massachusetts. Formed under Chapter 40B of the Massachusetts General Laws, NMCOG works with the communities of the Greater Lowell region to support and enhance a wide range of planning objectives related to land use, environmental protection, energy, economic development, housing, public health, public safety, municipal service delivery and transportation. NMCOG maintains a staff of professional planners to assist member communities in designing, facilitating, and implementing community development programs and planning initiatives which further the interests of the overall region. Special legislation (Chapter 420 of the Acts of 1989) also allows the Council to perform a wide variety of non-planning functions on behalf of its members.

Essential Functions: Employee primarily engages in technical planning support work to advance local and regional housing initiatives and programs with a focus on assisting member municipalities develop, maintain, and administer affordable housing in compliance with M.G.L. Ch. 40B and associated regulations.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Manage a Regional Housing Support Office (RHSO) program, including assisting with ongoing activities, development, and oversight of intermunicipal agreement to maintain the program
• Advise and support municipal Housing Partnership Committees and Municipal Affordable Housing Trust Funds including providing findings, information, and recommendations
• Manage project teams and work independently to create and implement Housing Production Plans; housing elements of master plans; action plans for local housing committees, trusts, and other entities; research studies; and other projects
• Evaluate existing and draft amendments for zoning, permitting procedures, and design guidelines to create and preserve housing, mixed-use development, affordable housing, inclusionary and incentive zoning
• Perform administrative functions to maintain homes listed on the Subsidized Housing Inventory, including processing owner self-certifications, monitoring resales and other transactions, and reviewing and approving rent increase requests, interfacing with subsidizing and monitoring agents, and supporting Local Initiative Program and Comprehensive Permit projects to ensure compliance with M.G.L. Ch. 40B
• Implement local programs such as rental assistance, buy-down, small grants, and creation of Municipal Affordable Housing Trust Fund five-year action plans
• Serve as a resource for current and future residents of affordable housing, assisting with queries and promoting affirmative fair housing marketing plans; developing housing-related public educational programs, events, and resource guides; and developing and implementing local and regional programs to increase awareness and understanding of housing challenges and solutions
• Develop relationships with local developers, realtors, service providers, lenders, and community-, regional-, and state-based housing agencies including but not limited to the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities and MassHousing
• Assist with resource development and grant writing
• Conduct research, data analysis, and data monitoring, such as housing market analyses, assessment of housing needs, audits of local tools, and monitoring of releases of Housing Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) data
• Design, organize, and facilitate public forums, workshops, and other digital and in-person community engagement events; support inclusive and equitable outreach; and synthesize public input on zoning, housing, or other plans and reports
• Participate in regional housing planning discussions and initiatives
• Develop and advance local and regional housing policy proposals
• Attend evening meetings and occasional weekend events, as required
• Perform other duties as assigned

Qualifications:

• Knowledge of local, state, and federal housing and land use policies, laws, regulations, and programs, including M.G.L. Chapter 40A, 40B, and 40R, the Community Preservation Act, the Housing Choice Initiative, HOME, CDBG, and Fair Housing laws; familiarity with federal programs such as LIHTC, Choice Neighborhoods, and Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers
• Knowledge of municipal governance structures
• Skilled at leading and managing projects, including delegation, quality control, budget management, and organizational skills, including managing a significant workload consisting of multiple, varied, and complex projects, sometimes with competing priorities
• Skilled at working on housing plans, policy development or implementation, and/ or housing development, with knowledge of housing or real estate development and finance a plus
• Skilled at gathering and analyzing data and preparing technical documents and reports, ranging from working with large quantitative data sets to qualitative research strategies
• Skilled at leading public participation strategies, working with diverse and hard-to-reach communities, and complying with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, including group facilitation and working with diverse populations of community stakeholders, government officials, and others, in both urban and suburban settings
• Ability to think critically and creatively
• Ability to work on a team, coordinate with others, and collaborate on project work
• Ability to work independently, self-start, and follow through on assigned tasks
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with member municipalities, state and federal agencies, utilities, nonprofit organizations, advocacy groups, consultants, and the public
• Ability to write coherent documents ranging from technical reports to compelling materials for laypeople
• Ability to edit or draft zoning codes, subdivision codes, and other land use regulations including knowledge of form-based codes, overlay districts, site plan review guidelines, historic district guidelines, Transfer of Development rights, Transit Oriented Development, and incentive or inclusionary zoning
• Ability to use Microsoft Office 365 Suite, and experience using mapping software and data visualization tools helpful

Minimum Qualifications

Education and Experience

Candidates for this position must have either a Bachelor's in urban/ regional/ or community planning, public policy/ management, public administration, or related field and three years of relevant experience; or a Master's in one of the above fields and at least two years of relevant experience.

Licenses, Certifications, and Equipment

A valid driver's license is required

AICP certification preferred but not required

How to apply

The position is open until filled and applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Interested candidates should submit a cover letter and resume to nmcogjobs@nmcog.org. Candidates selected for the interview will be asked to submit a sample of relevant writing or work product and participate in a brief technical assessment. Candidates must have legal authorization to work in the US and a valid driver's license and/or the ability to arrange transportation to meetings in different parts of the region. NMCOG participates in E-Verify, which is a federal program that helps us to determine work eligibility in the United States.

NMCOG is an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer.

BENEFITS

NMCOG offers excellent Massachusetts state employee benefits and a flexible, hybrid work environment.