Urban Designer Jobs

ABOUT THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT:

The Community Development Department (CDD) is the planning agency for the City of Cambridge. Encompassing the Community Planning, Economic Opportunity and Development, Environmental & Transportation Planning, Housing, and Zoning & Development divisions, CDD's mission is to foster a livable, sustainable, just, and equitable community. CDD engages and collaborates with community partners, other government agencies, businesses, and residents to make Cambridge a desirable place to live, work, learn, play, and innovate.

ABOUT THE ROLE:

Through innovative approaches to planning, design, and community partnerships, the Community Planning division informs land use policy and urban design to guide development of our buildings, streetscapes, parks, public spaces, and neighborhoods. We believe that the physical environment impacts our quality of life. We think critically about how space and community shape each other.

As one of three urban designers at CDD, you would work to improve the quality of Cambridge's built environment and preserve the human scale of the city's neighborhoods and commercial districts. Key work includes:

• Review new construction and major renovation projects to ensure that they meet high development standards and the City's design objectives.
• Contribute to planning studies by ensuring appropriate form and character of an area.
• Create area- and topic-specific design guidelines.

You should be a self-motivated and detail-oriented professional, and ready to work as part of a team. We seek candidates with a strong commitment to equity and respect, both in the provision of services and in the workplace.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Under the direction of the Community Planning Director, the Urban Designer will support the division in the following ways.

• Advise city staff, developers, and the Planning Board on urban design issues;
• Work with other City agencies and commissions that are responsible for the built environment and the public realm. Work with an interdisciplinary team of City staff throughout the design process;
• Provide design vision for plans developed by the Department's team of professionals, with input from all interests in the Cambridge community;
• Ensure that these projects meet the city's high design goals for livability and contextual appropriateness.
• Work with the Planning Board on review of special permit projects, involving consistent contact with architects and developers on proposed projects and reference to the city's design goals and guidelines;

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:

Education and Experience:

• Experience with master planning and design review. Experience with diverse community groups required.
• Although the applicant's expertise should be primarily in architecture and urban design, a thorough understanding of landscaping and public space design is highly important.
• Undergraduate degree in architecture or urban design, with 7 years of experience in urban design, architecture, and master planning, including a thorough understanding of environmental sustainability goals. A Master's degree in architecture or urban design may be substituted for 2 years of experience.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Attendance at evening meetings as required for planning processes as described above.
• Ability to work independently, proactively, and as a team player
• Ability to multi-task and manage multiple interactions while remaining organized;
• Strong interpersonal, customer service, organizational, and time management skills;
• The City of Cambridge's workforce, like the community it serves, is diverse. Applicants must have the ability to work and interact effectively with individuals and groups with a variety of identities, cultures, backgrounds, and ideologies.
• Excellent visual presentation, written, and oral communication skills.
• Applicant must be comfortable working in a multidisciplinary team environment and in settings with extensive community participation.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Knowledge of the Cambridge community.
• Strong computer skills including demonstrated facility with software (Word, Excel, Access); knowledge of and experience using Adobe Creative Cloud software, including InDesign, as well as other design software.
• Designation as registered architect.
• Expertise in using programs for physical space and 3-D visualization are highly desirable.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS: Ability to access, input, and retrieve information from a computer. Ability to answer phones, maintain multiple files, and lift a minimum of at least 10 pounds. Ability to travel throughout the City of Cambridge to various meetings, etc. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

WORK ENVIRONMENT: Standard office environment. Fluorescent lighting and air conditioning. Moderate noise level. Work involved is both indoors is in a professional office setting and outdoors including construction sites and congested city roadways. This position may be eligible for hybrid work under the City's new Telework Policy, depending on operational needs.

SUMMARY OF BENEFITS:

• Vacation and Sick leave eligible
• City employee transportation benefits (T-Pass reimbursement Bluebikes membership, EZRide Shuttle)
• Competitive health, dental, and vision insurance
• 3 Personal days
• Sick Incentive Pay Eligible
• Management Allowance, $2,700/year
• 14 Paid Holidays