Sustainable Environmental Reviewer

Overview

The Urban Design Division is responsible for crafting and executing a beautiful, human-scale, and inclusive vision for the design of the built environment across Boston. We champion the transformative power of beautiful, sustainable, walkable communities for everyone that support social, mental, and physical health while improving resiliency and promoting equity.

Under the direction of the Deputy Director of Design Review, the Sustainable Environmental Reviewer will contribute to new and ongoing sustainable and environmental design review, planning, and interdepartmental efforts focused on sustainability, resiliency, affordability, equity, and the built environment. The Sustainable Environmental Reviewer will also contribute to a wide range of sustainable design initiatives and projects, including producing analysis and conducting reviews of projects of varying scales and working in collaboration with other urban design, planning, and city staff.

Responsibilities

Sustainable, Resilience and Environmental Design Review:

• Conduct and assist with the sustainable, resilience, and environmental design review of projects undergoing development review. This includes a wide range of building uses and scales. Project design review includes meeting with project proponents, reviewing project designs, and filing for compliance with green building, zero carbon, and environmental policies, including LEED standards, building carbon emissions, embodied carbon, related design and engineering requirements, as well as wind, shadow and other environmental impacts.
• Coordinate closely with internal and interdepartmental staff on how environmental, sustainability, green building, and zero carbon measures impact the design and function of buildings, the built environment and the public realm. Coordinate project review with city departments and agencies with corresponding environment, historic resources, public realm, and accessibility oversight and jurisdiction. Serve as a liaison between the Planning Department and other public review bodies.
• Provide timely and concise review comments and advise project proponents on development review procedures including Zoning Articles 80, 37, and 25A, as it pertains to sustainable development, green building, zero carbon, climate change preparedness, resiliency, and/or environmental impacts. Communicate feedback in a professional and collaborative manner to external and internal stakeholders.
• Analyze and evaluate through verbal, written and graphic media, project planning and design proposal and built environment impacts.

Planning, Policy and Urban Design:

• Engage in aspects of planning, policy, urban and development design processes, including environmental, site, building, and existing conditions analysis, as well as conceptual and scenario development guided by the city’s planning and environmental goals and design vision.
• Work across multiple scales and contexts, including city-wide, neighborhood, urban districts, campuses, and individual buildings.
• Conduct written and graphic analyses of environmental, sustainable, and resilient design and development practices, plans, zoning, and policy initiatives.
• Assist in crafting and updating planning, environmental, sustainable development, green building, zero carbon, and urban design guidelines and development review policies and procedures.

General:

• Assist with review of development proposals in regards to sustainability, green building, zero carbon, resiliency, and environmental impacts in conformance with city goals and objectives.
• Advise senior staff and leadership of critical projects, planning and policy-related issues requiring their input and/or approval.
• Participate in the creation and definition of goals and objectives. Present materials, dispense information, conduct tours, and /or prepare exhibits about specific projects, programs, policies, designs, and planning work to private citizens, civic and community groups, private and professional organizations, and other interested parties.
• Participate in the management, drafting, and implementation of related local, state, and federal policies, funding opportunities, projects, and requests for proposals (RFPs).
• Create, maintain, and update records and reports to meet City of Boston documentation requirements.
• Perform other related duties as required.

Minimum Entrance Qualifications

The position requires a bachelor’s, master's or professional degree in architecture, urban design, engineering, sustainable design, environmental science, or a closely related field, plus at least one (1) year of related professional experience.

Other requirements include:

• Working or academic experience with the USGBC’s LEED rating systems and sustainable development and green building principles and practice. LEED Associate or Accredited Professional certification preferred.
• Experience with and strong interest in high-performance building planning, design, engineering, and construction.
• Ability to assess and solve complex building design and engineering problems; analyze and interpret technical planning and design issues; communicate clearly in written, verbal, and graphic form; and operate effectively as part of an interdisciplinary team.
• Work proficiency in Microsoft Office programs and Adobe Creative Suite.
• Working proficiency of building performance modeling and life-cycle assessing, AutoCAD, Rhino and Sketch up is desirable, but not required.
• Clear ability to exercise good judgment and focus on technical details.
• Demonstrated self-initiative and independent decision-making skills.

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS:

Applicants are required to submit a cover letter, resume, and work samples that illustrate strong written and graphic communication skills. All materials need to be combined as a single PDF.

BOSTON RESIDENCY REQUIRED 

Terms:

Union/Salary Plan/Grade: Non-Union/$68,000-$95,000

Hours per week: 35