What are the responsibilities and job description for the Planner position at City of Somerville?
Statement of Duties
Duties include permit process administration; advising the permitting Boards and Commissions; serving as a principal planner and coordinator to one of the Boards or Commissions staffed by the Division; providing professional and technical planning services, including research, analysis, and communication concerning land use, historic preservation, and community planning; and participation in long-range planning and zoning ordinance projects. Employee is required to perform all similar or related duties.
Essential Functions:
The essential responsibilities listed below are intended only as illustrations of the various type of work that may be performed. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment to the position. (Note: not all responsibilities are performed by all incumbents in each division).
Education and Experience: Bachelor’s Degree in planning or related field and three (3) years’ experience; or any equivalent combination of education, training and experience which provides the required knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the essential functions of the job. Master’s degree in Planning or AICP accreditation preferred.
Knowledge, Abilities And Skill
Knowledge: Knowledge of planning, zoning, preservation, urban design, economic development, transportation, and infrastructure is required.
Abilities: Ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing with state and federal agencies, architects, contractors, developers, owners, supervisors, employees, and the general public.
Skill: Skill in facilitating and public presentations is required. Skill in writing, including grammatical and technical accuracy, is required.
Work Environment
The work environment involves everyday discomforts typical of offices, with occasional exposure to outside elements. Noise or physical surroundings may be distracting, but conditions are generally not unpleasant. Employee will be routinely required to work beyond normal business hours to attend evening meetings or complete work assignments.
Physical and Mental Requirements
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the position’s essential functions.
Physical Skills
Minimal physical demands are required to perform the work. Work effort principally involves sitting to perform work tasks, with intermittent periods of stooping, walking, and standing. Work requires some agility such as moving in or about construction sites or over rough terrain. There may also be some occasional lifting of objects such as office equipment or photocopy paper (up to 30lbs.). When in the field, more physical skill may be required to accomplish the duties required.
Motor Skills
Duties are largely mental rather than physical, but the job may occasionally require minimal motor skills for activities such as moving objects, operating a telephone, personal computer and/or most other office equipment including word processing, filing and sorting of papers.
Visual Skills
Visual demands require constantly reading documents for general understanding and analytical purposes.
Hours: Full-Time
Salary: $75,000.00 annualized, plus benefits
Union: Non-Union
FLSA: Exempt
Date Posted: December 18, 2025
The City of Somerville is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, age, national origin, disability or any other protected category. Women, minorities, veterans, and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply.
Auxiliary aids and services, written materials in alternative formats, and reasonable modifications in policies and procedures will be provided to qualified individuals with disabilities free of charge, upon request. Persons with disabilities who need auxiliary aids and services for effective communication (i.e., CART, ASL), written materials in alternative formats, or reasonable modifications in policies and procedures in order to access the programs, activities, and meetings of the City of Somerville should please contact Adrienne Pomeroy at 617-625-6600 x 2059 or apomeroy@somervillema.gov.
Pre-Employment Requirements for All Employees:
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Duties include permit process administration; advising the permitting Boards and Commissions; serving as a principal planner and coordinator to one of the Boards or Commissions staffed by the Division; providing professional and technical planning services, including research, analysis, and communication concerning land use, historic preservation, and community planning; and participation in long-range planning and zoning ordinance projects. Employee is required to perform all similar or related duties.
Essential Functions:
The essential responsibilities listed below are intended only as illustrations of the various type of work that may be performed. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment to the position. (Note: not all responsibilities are performed by all incumbents in each division).
- Maintains records of each permit application, including email correspondence and meeting notes.
- Coordinates with applicants through each step of the permitting process.
- Reviews permit application materials to assess development impacts and necessary mitigation.
- Coordinates all interdepartmental feedback concerning permit applications.
- Prepares advisory staff memos to Boards and Commissions for each permit application.
- Prepares written decisions of the Boards and Commissions.
- Manages meeting proceedings for Boards and Commissions.
- Schedules public hearings, design reviews, and other business for Boards and Commissions.
- Prepares meeting notices, agendas, and cancellation notices for Boards and Commissions.
- Serves as the point of contact for all assigned Board and Commission communications.
- Provides training to Board and Commission members concerning meeting and permitting process procedures and responsibilities.
- Negotiates historic agreements with property owners or developers under demolition delay.
- Collaborates with hired consultants, city staff, and community stakeholders.
- Collaborates with the Division’s Community Outreach Coordinator for all project public engagement.
- Conducts research, analysis, and produces written and graphical content for long-range planning, zoning ordinance, and other City projects.
- Assist in the onboarding and training of new staff.
Education and Experience: Bachelor’s Degree in planning or related field and three (3) years’ experience; or any equivalent combination of education, training and experience which provides the required knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the essential functions of the job. Master’s degree in Planning or AICP accreditation preferred.
Knowledge, Abilities And Skill
Knowledge: Knowledge of planning, zoning, preservation, urban design, economic development, transportation, and infrastructure is required.
Abilities: Ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing with state and federal agencies, architects, contractors, developers, owners, supervisors, employees, and the general public.
Skill: Skill in facilitating and public presentations is required. Skill in writing, including grammatical and technical accuracy, is required.
Work Environment
The work environment involves everyday discomforts typical of offices, with occasional exposure to outside elements. Noise or physical surroundings may be distracting, but conditions are generally not unpleasant. Employee will be routinely required to work beyond normal business hours to attend evening meetings or complete work assignments.
Physical and Mental Requirements
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the position’s essential functions.
Physical Skills
Minimal physical demands are required to perform the work. Work effort principally involves sitting to perform work tasks, with intermittent periods of stooping, walking, and standing. Work requires some agility such as moving in or about construction sites or over rough terrain. There may also be some occasional lifting of objects such as office equipment or photocopy paper (up to 30lbs.). When in the field, more physical skill may be required to accomplish the duties required.
Motor Skills
Duties are largely mental rather than physical, but the job may occasionally require minimal motor skills for activities such as moving objects, operating a telephone, personal computer and/or most other office equipment including word processing, filing and sorting of papers.
Visual Skills
Visual demands require constantly reading documents for general understanding and analytical purposes.
Hours: Full-Time
Salary: $75,000.00 annualized, plus benefits
Union: Non-Union
FLSA: Exempt
Date Posted: December 18, 2025
The City of Somerville is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, age, national origin, disability or any other protected category. Women, minorities, veterans, and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply.
Auxiliary aids and services, written materials in alternative formats, and reasonable modifications in policies and procedures will be provided to qualified individuals with disabilities free of charge, upon request. Persons with disabilities who need auxiliary aids and services for effective communication (i.e., CART, ASL), written materials in alternative formats, or reasonable modifications in policies and procedures in order to access the programs, activities, and meetings of the City of Somerville should please contact Adrienne Pomeroy at 617-625-6600 x 2059 or apomeroy@somervillema.gov.
Pre-Employment Requirements for All Employees:
- MA Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) clearance
- Completion of Conflict-of-Interest Law Education training for municipal employees
- 4 weeks annual vacation for non-union positions. Union positions vary by contract. Please note, police officers are members of the SPEA union
- Medical insurance through the Group Insurance Commission (GIC) - 80% of premium costs paid by City
- Dental coverage low and high plans through Cigna
- Vision care through Vision Service Plan (VSP)
- Long term disability through Sun Life
- Group and voluntary life insurance through Boston Mutual
- Health Care and Dependent Care flexible spending through Benefit Strategies
- Deferred compensation plans through a choice of three vendors
- Free, confidential services through the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) provided by E4Health
- Annual cancer screening & wellness release
- Somerville Retirement Pension System
- Tuition reimbursement
- MBTA pass program
- FREE Blue Bikes membership
- Eligible employer for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF)
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Salary : $75,000