Position Information
The Town of Dedham seeks highly qualified candidates for the position of Senior Planner to perform administrative, analytical, project management, and public engagement work related to land use, zoning, and other community development matters; all other related work, as required.
Minimum Qualifications for Senior Planner:
- Master’s degree in Planning, Urban Studies, or related field is required
- Three years of experience in private or public sector
- Any equivalent combination of education and experience will be considered
- Must receive an acceptable CORI/SORI report
- Experience in a municipal setting within Massachusetts is
- Valid motor vehicle operator’s license
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
- Performs responsible duties requiring a considerable knowledge of departmental operations, State regulations, town policies and the exercise of independent judgement and initiative, particularly in situations not clearly defined by precedent or established
- Manages the land use application process in accordance with statutory and procedural requirements, including filing, notice of public meetings/hearings, open meeting law, actions and decisions, and record retention. Reviews and assesses the completeness of applications, interacts with applicants, tracks document distribution, and manages case schedules in consultation with pertinent Departments and
- Reviews proposed plans and prepares draft legal advertisements, staff reports and recommendations, and motions, actions, and legal decisions for review by the Planning Director for land use planning applications, including subdivision/ANR plans, special permits, variances, site plan review, design review, signage, and zoning
- Provides professional and technical assistance to three regulatory Town Boards (Planning Board, Zoning Board of Appeals, and Design Review Advisory Board), Commissions and Committees on a range of community development issues. Responds to land use and zoning inquiries from the general public as needed.
- Designs, leads, and implements strategic public engagement and event planning activities to promote greater transparency and public interaction, including digital media and traditional communications channels for long range planning and other Planning & Zoning Department projects. Works with other Town staff on the design and facilitation of inclusionary community engagement processes and
- Serves as a custodian of department records and files respecting the application of regulations and policies of confidentiality, privacy, and public
- Performs other similar or related duties as required, or as situation dictates within the
- Prepares requests for proposals/quotes for consulting services and manages consultant contracts for planning projects under the supervision of the Planning Director. Administers bidding process, monitors expenditures and ensuring contractual
- Establishes and maintains effective relationships with attorney’s, engineers, surveyors, contractors, community groups, and other applicable organizations. May include working with newspaper, radio, internet, and television media, the holding of frequent public meetings and hearings, and regular speaking engagements before community groups.
- Serves as a project manager on various planning related projects under the supervision of the Planning Director.
- Consults with and provides information and technical expertise to Town departments, officials, private developers, community groups, and the general public regarding land use regulations and municipal planning issues.
- Represents the Planning & Zoning Department in performing field inspections to gather data relevant to the development review process and/or to verify that development projects comply with approved plans as they relate to land use developments and constructions
- Collects, organizes, analyzes, and maintains data for use in technical studies and reports related to Planning & Zoning Department
- Research Federal and Massachusetts laws and statutes that relate to Planning & Zoning Department activities.
- Presents reports and other findings to staff, planning and zoning boards and commissions, and elected officials and serves as a liaison.
- In consultation with the Planning Director, provides guidance, support, and training for planning
- The employee is required to attend evening meetings, two planned per month and may be requested to work extra hours to meet deadlines and work unplanned meetings
- Performs other similar or related duties as required, or as situation dictates within the
How to Apply
Please email your resume to Gayle McCracken @ gmccracken@dedham-ma.gov. A complete job description is available upon request.