Senior Campus Planner

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Why join Harvard University Central Administration?

Harvard University's Central Administration (CADM) is a 5,000+ employee organization that supports the university's overall excellence by understanding and serving the needs of its schools, students, faculty, staff, alumni, and surrounding communities. Through dynamic and collaborative partnerships, CADM provides high-quality and efficient services to the schools to help them achieve their goals.

Harvard University Planning and Design (HUPAD) seeks a highly skilled and experienced Senior Campus Planner to join HUPAD’s Campus Planning (CP) team focusing on planning for the academic campus in Allston, Cambridge, and the Longwood Medical Area. Under the supervision of the Director of Planning Services, Campus Planning, the successful candidate will oversee planning projects and provide services in support of the University's physical growth and development needs. This role requires a strategic thinker with strong interpersonal and project management skills and a deep understanding of physical planning principles.

Responsibilities 

The Senior Campus Planner engages in all aspects of HUPAD’s planning and project work, including physical planning, regulatory approvals, historic preservation, accessibility, space planning, housing, transportation, sustainability, land use, development controls, and community engagement. Key responsibilities are outlined below. Additional duties may be assigned, as needed.

Campus Planning and Development:

• Oversee planning projects, including managing studies and projects associated with University-wide physical planning.
• Prepare and undertake regulatory analyses, research, collect data, synthesize findings, and prepare reports, maps/graphics, and presentations for internal and external audiences and decision makers.
• Support internal and external planning and project efforts, meetings, and coordination with consultants, including preparing materials, documenting decisions, and monitoring status and next steps

Project Management:

• Project manage planning initiatives including management of schedule, budget, deliverables, internal and external engagement, and consultant contracts. 
• Manage multiple projects simultaneously, ensuring they are delivered on time and within budget.
• Facilitate communication between project teams, consultants, and stakeholders.
• Oversee the preparation and implementation of project scopes, budgets, and schedules.

Development Approval 

• Work with public officials and consultants as well as internal and external committees on complex and sensitive planning issues and projects.
• Coordinate regulatory and permitting efforts to obtain public approvals to support University, faculty, and project specific needs in land use, historic preservation, accessibility, space/planning/programming, housing, transportation, sustainability, and development controls.

Collaboration and Stakeholder Engagement:

• Collaborate with colleagues at the University responsible for permitting, planning, project management, transportation, legal, sustainability, community engagement, and public affairs.
• Collaborate with external partners, including outside legal counsel, planners, designers, engineers, and other consultants.
• Represent the University in public hearings, forums, and committees. 

Analysis and Presentation:

• Provide high quality research and analysis, gather and interpret data, synthesize conclusions into recommendations. 
• Produce high quality work products, including graphic presentations, planning and regulatory documents, public reports, meeting summaries, and memoranda on a range of planning and design topics.

Candidates MUST meet the following basic qualifications to be considered for this role:

• Bachelor’s degree in planning or related field required
• Minimum of 8 years of experience in urban planning, campus planning, or a related field; advanced degree may count toward years of experience.

Additional Qualifications and Skills:

• Advanced degree in urban planning or a related field preferred.
• Knowledge and experience in local, state, and national historic preservation. 
• Experience with the regulatory requirements of the cities of Boston and Cambridge, as well as the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. 
• Organizational and project management skills, with attention to detail, balancing multiple projects and deliverables in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong written and verbal communication.
• Experience conducting public presentations and facilitating involvement in the planning and design process. 
• Strong quantitative and qualitative analysis skills.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, the ability to work effectively with diverse constituencies, ability to work well in teams and independently. 
• Excellent MS Office and experience with Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign) and GIS.
• Knowledge of Harvard a plus.

• Standard Hours/Schedule: 35 hours per week
• Visa Sponsorship Information: Harvard University is unable to provide visa sponsorship for this position
• Pre-Employment Screening: Harvard University requires pre-employment reference and background screenings: Identity, Education
• Other Information:
  • Qualified and interested applicants must provide the following:
    • Cover letter
    • Resume
    • Sample presentation or report representative of the applicant’s work
  • This position has a 3-month orientation and review period.

#LI-CS1 

Work Format Details

This is a position that is based at a Harvard campus location with some remote work options available. Additional details will be discussed during the interview process. All remote work must be performed within one of the Harvard Registered Payroll States, which currently includes Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Virginia, Washington, and California (CA for exempt positions only). Certain visa types and funding sources may limit work location. Individuals must meet work location sponsorship requirements prior to employment. 

Salary Grade and Ranges

This position is salary grade level 058. Please visit  Harvard's Salary Ranges  to view the corresponding salary range and related information. 

Benefits

Harvard offers a comprehensive benefits package that is designed to support a healthy work-life balance and your physical, mental and financial wellbeing. Because here, you are what matters. Our benefits include, but are not limited to: 

• Generous paid time off including parental leave 
• Medical, dental, and vision health insurance coverage starting on day one 
• Retirement plans with university contributions 
• Wellbeing and mental health resources 
• Support for families and caregivers 
• Professional development opportunities including tuition assistance and reimbursement 
• Commuter benefits, discounts and campus perks 

Learn more about these and additional benefits on our Benefits & Wellbeing Page. 

EEO/Non-Discrimination Commitment Statement

Harvard University is committed to equal opportunity and non-discrimination. We seek talent from all parts of society and the world, and we strive to ensure everyone at Harvard thrives. Our differences help our community advance Harvard's academic purposes.

Harvard has an equal employment opportunity policy that outlines our commitment to prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, religion, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law or identified in the university's non-discrimination policy. Harvard's equal employment opportunity policy and non-discrimination policy help all community members participate fully in work and campus life free from harassment and discrimination.