Senior Climate Resilience Project Manager

Overview

Brief Job Description:

In December 2016, the City of Boston released its first comprehensive vulnerability assessment and resilience plan called Climate Ready Boston. The plan’s primary goal is to prepare Boston for rising sea levels, increased precipitation, and more frequent and intense heat-waves associated with climate change. Since then, the City has advanced on several goals, such as neighborhood resilience planning in East Boston, Charlestown, South Boston, Downtown, and Dorchester, and the initial implementation of those plans.

Under the supervision of the Director of Climate Resilience and Adaptation, carry out and implement projects, including public infrastructure for neighborhoods throughout the City of Boston, with an emphasis on initiatives related to climate change, the natural and built environment, waterfront, and the watersheet. Advance designs for climate-resilient infrastructure, including flood barriers, stormwater management systems, and measures to mitigate the urban heat island effect. Promote and prioritize equity and inclusion in all climate resilience planning objectives and implementation decisions. Engage with stakeholders to develop resilient infrastructure designs and programs that advance the City of Boston initiatives, including Climate Ready Boston, Coastal Resilience Solutions neighborhood reports, Boston’s Heat Plan, and stormwater management initiatives under development in partnership with the Boston Water and Sewer Commission and the Office of Green Infrastructure. Develop resilient infrastructure designs that include engineering analysis, updated flood, heat, and stormwater risk modeling, calculate benefit costs analysis for public investments, and prepare projects for consideration for state and federal funding. Engage with property owners, both public and private, to secure rights-of-way for climate-resilient infrastructure. Develop and submit grant applications for climate-resilient infrastructure and develop policies and programs to advance resilience. Develop annual budgets that consider grant writing technical needs and local grant match obligations.

Participate in climate risk modeling, planning updates, community design engagements, and implementation prioritization. Engage community and other constituencies to solicit input and feedback; work with other city, state, and federal agencies on climate change and environmental regulatory matters. Coordinates Boston’s preparedness activities with related work by other municipalities, regional authorities, and offices of the Commonwealth and works with business, institutional, non-profit, and neighborhood groups to ensure that all parts of the Boston community have the knowledge, support, and resources necessary to reduce their vulnerability to the increasing risks associated with climate change.

Responsibilities

• Implement projects, including public infrastructure for neighborhoods throughout the City of Boston with an emphasis on initiatives related to climate change, the natural and built environment, waterfront and the watersheet.
• Implement and expand plans related to climate change and resilience, including Climate Ready Boston, Resilient Boston Harbor, Imagine Boston 2030 Coastal Resilience Solutions reports for waterfront neighborhoods, and Heat Resilience Solutions for Boston.
• Prototype new ideas on addressing the challenges of climate change and prioritize equity and inclusion in all planning and implementation objectives.
• Engage with stakeholders to develop resilient infrastructure designs and programs that build upon City initiatives, including Climate Ready Boston, Resilient Boston Harbor, Coastal Resilience Solutions neighborhood reports, Boston’s Heat Plan, and stormwater management initiatives under development in partnership with the Boston Water and Sewer Commission and the Office of Green Infrastructure.
• Collaborate with neighboring coastal communities on joint resilient infrastructure efforts.
• Represent the City regionally and nationally on resilient infrastructure design and implementation.
• Develop approaches to implement relevant climate change resilience plans including district scale flood protection, extreme precipitation, and extreme temperatures. Implementation includes funding strategies, regulatory challenges, and governance.
• Develop resilient infrastructure designs that include engineering analysis, updated flood, heat, and stormwater risk modeling, calculate benefit costs analysis for public investments, and prepare projects for consideration for state and federal funding.
• Compile, draft, and submit various funding proposals. Research and identify funding opportunities for resilient infrastructure initiatives.
• Manage resilient infrastructure rights-of-way including locating and negotiating access on private properties. Secure access agreements, and any required maintenance obligations. Ensure quality of final designs, ensure adherence to all regulatory requirements.
• Engage with property owners, both public and private, to secure rights-of-way for climate-resilient infrastructure.
• Review and engage with project proponents seeking local, state, and federal authorizations to ensure alignment with resilient infrastructure needs, such as design and implementation, including Chapter 91 license applications and Development Review under Article 80.
• Serve as project liaison with city, state, and federal agencies, utility companies, and inspection bodies involved in major coastal and heat-related infrastructure projects.
• Manage a team of planning, design, and engineering professionals to facilitate the implementation of climate-resilient infrastructure.
• Lead the development of Requests for Proposals and Requests for Qualifications for design of selected resilient infrastructure designs. Develop and recommend specifications and scope of work. Develop and submit a budget. Coordinate and/or participate in the selection committee: interview, evaluate, and rate candidate firms. Verify designer qualifications. Draw up and execute final contracts.
• Project Management:
• Develop a standard approach for Right-of-Way and easement agreements with federal and state agencies. Support acquisition of private ROW and adjacent parcels.
• Drive completion of existing concept designs in the neighborhood coastal resilience plans to a level that supports grant applications.
• Facilitate project handoffs with the Capital Construction teams from concept-level design to full design and construction.
• Plan, manage and coordinate Resilience projects.
• Directly and through staff, monitor and direct design project activities for quality control, adherence to contract and design specifications, budget considerations, and timeliness.
• Review and approve all development plans, budgets, change orders, and other major decisions for each project.
• Solicit, identify, and obtain other sources of project funding through State, Federal, and private grant applications, working closely with the Inter-governmental Infrastructure Workgroup.
• Support the Capital Construction team on the public bid process for selected construction projects.
• Assist in the development of the annual Capital Improvement Budget, including establishing budget estimates, priorities, schedules, and service life expectancies.
• Review, approve, or amend all plans, construction drawings, schematics documents, estimates, etc., submitted by design consultants. Coordinate process through Preliminary Design, Design Development, and Final Working Drawings and Specifications. Conduct consulting meetings and conferences to identify and resolve issues.
• Develop and submit grant applications for climate-resilient infrastructure.
• Develop annual budgets that consider grant writing technical needs and local grant match obligations.
• Engage community and other constituencies to solicit input and feedback and work with other city, state, and federal agencies on climate change and environmental regulatory matters.
• Manage administrative aspects of grants and consultant contracts.
• Manage the updating of database information; prepare maps and other presentation materials; conduct studies needed for the design and planning of City-initiated resilient infrastructure projects.
• Stay current with scientific developments and convey them in practical terms to stakeholders.
• Support neighborhood climate resilience planning and develop proposals for extending planning into additional neighborhoods.
• Support the management of projects to develop specific plans and projects that address risks from longer and more frequent heat waves, more intense precipitation, and higher sea levels and coastal flooding.
• Support the development and convening of local and regional infrastructure agencies and operators.
• Assist in coordinating and mainstreaming internal and external activities related to climate preparedness within City Hall and work with City agencies to expand the awareness of climate preparedness in their activities.
• Support the development of resources for residents, small businesses, and other stakeholders to take action.
• Lead innovative community outreach around climate preparedness.
• Perform related work as required.
  

Minimum Entrance Qualifications

• Master’s Degree in Urban Planning, Environmental Sciences, or related field or equivalent experience, plus five (5) to eight (8) years of progressively responsible related professional climate resilient infrastructure design and implementation experience in the public sector.
• Knowledge of local and state environmental regulations, land use, climate change science, and urban design, familiarity with neighborhoods and commercial districts, are required.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills required.
• Ability to manage complex, resilient infrastructure planning and design.
• Strong grant writing and management skills.
• Also required is the ability to coordinate and work well within a team approach to conducting analyses.
• Attention to detail and ability to handle multiple tasks.
• Strong organizational and project management skills.
• Outstanding interpersonal skills with the ability to work with diverse interests and backgrounds.
• Ability to work effectively as part of a team.
• Energy, creativity, and entrepreneurship.
• Ability to exercise good judgment and focus on detail as required by the job.
• Experience with GIS and Adobe Suite preferred.
  
  

Boston Residency Required

Terms:

Union/SalaryPlan/Grade: Non-union/MO-10/ Fulltime

Hours per week: 35