News

With the launch of the Center for Zoning Solutions, Smart Growth America is seeking a Program Manager with 3-5 years of experience and interest in zoning to primarily manage technical assistance projects for a new technical assistance and convening program of work focused on land use and health equity. The program manager will report to the Director of Land Use and Development while also closely working with the full Land Use & Development team across a number of projects. The position offers an exciting opportunity to join the growing Center for Zoning Solutions team in the first year of the program.

This role involves program planning and management, and ensuring that all technical assistance initiatives meet project goals and partner expectations. Key projects will include but are not limited to:

• Management of technical assistance projects focusing on supporting community-based organizations in becoming empowered in advocating for land use and health equity zoning reforms.
• Management of convenings focusing on supporting community-based organizations in becoming empowered in advocating for land use and health equity zoning reform.
• Contributing to the thought leadership, research, and overall work of the Center for Zoning Solutions through blog posts, educational programming, and marketing.

About Smart Growth America

Smart Growth America is a leading national non-profit organization advocating for equitable, sustainable land use, development, housing, and transportation, in short, smart growth. We empower communities through technical assistance, advocacy, and thought leadership to realize this vision of livable places, healthy people, and shared prosperity. Programmatic priorities for SGA include advancing racial equity, addressing the climate crisis, and improving the health of communities.

About the Land Use and Development team

The Land Use and Development team at Smart Growth America is focused on how land use, development, and real estate can advance SGA’s mission and vision for equitable, sustainable development. The Land Use and Development team’s topic areas include real estate development, affordable housing, planning, zoning, development finance, climate adaptation, and brownfield redevelopment.

About the Center for Zoning Solutions

The Center for Zoning Solutions is the Land Use and Development team’s newest program, building from SGA’s long-time engagement and expertise. Some examples of the type of work prepared by the Center for Zoning Solutions include Eliminating Zoning Barriers to Affordable Housing, the Form-Based Codes Award, and the Massachusetts Equitable Development Technical Assistance Program.

Position Overview

This role will utilize expertise on zoning, housing, and land use topics, as well as project and program management experience. This position will manage projects with long timelines and complex sets of tasks, including engagement by the SGA team and partner organizations, including local governments and community-based organizations.

Focus areas include why and how to promote land use and health equity, how to deliver affordable housing near transit, how to advance land use reform, and more. Land use, zoning, housing, and the interconnectivity between the three topics will be a key topic of focus throughout the work.

This role is directly supporting the newly launched Center for Zoning Solutions, SGA’s home for the zoning reform movement. CZS shares research and reports, contributes to federal advocacy efforts, hosts educational programming, and supports communities across the country to tackle barriers to smart growth and advance policies to encourage mixed-use development, location efficiency, and diverse housing options.

Responsibilities

The position will focus on the new Land Use and Health Equity technical assistance and convening project. Responsibilities will include but not be limited to the following:

Technical Assistance Development and Management

• Manage technical assistance projects related to land use and health equity with partner organizations including community-based organizations and local governments.
• Create high-quality deliverables that capture the key takeaways of the technical assistance engagements.
• Execute project teamwork plans and manage the team collaboration, meetings, and the production of on-time deliverables.
• Manage partnerships with community organizations and external project contributors.

Convenings Development and Management

• Manage convenings to build the zoning reform movement around land use and health equity and share key findings from the technical assistance.
  • Successfully manage public events and outreach, manage stakeholder invitation lists and agendas, source speakers, develop language for outreach, manage event logistics and budget, etc.
  • Launch and manage zoning educational portfolio of work including but not limited to developing class materials, coordination with attendees, assisting in curriculum development, and managing the educational portfolio.

Thought Leadership

• Manage future zoning and/or housing signature reports.
• Support research on urban planning, housing attainability, zoning reform, and other trends, policies, and best practices to inform program and policy development.
• Draft newsletters, blog posts, and other thought leadership materials on the topics of zoning reform, housing attainability, land use and health equity, and the interdisciplinary connectivity of land use, transportation, and housing.
• Design and manage day-to-day operations of the annual Form-Based Codes Award.

These responsibilities are intended to illustrate the types of work the program manager will be responsible for. Responsibilities are likely to evolve on account of organizational and project needs.

Knowledge and Skills

Required:

• Commitment to SGA’s north star, with a demonstrated commitment to equitable development outcomes and advancing racial equity;
• 3-5 years of progressively responsible experience working in and knowledge of a smart-growth-related field, such as land use and urban and regional planning, housing, equitable development, public administration, or a closely related field;
• Knowledge of urban planning principles, policies, and regulations;
• Excellent writing and communication skills with the ability to influence and engage stakeholders at all levels;
• Exceptional project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines from inception to completion, ideally within land use/urban planning, housing, and/or zoning; examples include but are not limited to the ability to closely manage projects including timelines, work plans, reporting, partner communications, and production of deliverables;
• Knowledge of and/or passion for the interdisciplinary nature of housing, planning/land use, transportation, and equity;
• High motivation for accuracy and attention to detail;
• Bachelor’s degree in Urban Planning, Housing, Public Administration, or a related field required.

Preferred:

• Knowledge of key local, state, and federal, HUD, and private-sector affordable housing and homeless services programs, regulations, policies, and compliance requirements;
• Working knowledge of quantitative, design, and spatial programs, such as ESRI’s ArcGIS, Tableau, and/or design programs such as Canva, InDesign, Illustrator, or Photoshop;
• Working knowledge of MS Excel for moderate to advanced data analysis (pivot tables, macros, moderate-to-advanced Excel functions).

Compensation:

Salary is commensurate with applicable experience, with a range of $65,500–$70,000. The successful candidate would need to have at least 3–4 years of progressively responsible experience, most of the preferred and quantitative skills, project management experience, and mission alignment to be considered for a salary at the top of the range. Internal equity is also a factor in determining a final salary.

SGA has an entrepreneurial and innovative workplace culture where employees work collaboratively to achieve the mission with a focus on equity. SGA offers a generous employee benefits package featuring a fully paid medical plan, optional dental and vision coverage, 401k with a strong company contribution, company-paid life and disability insurance, transportation stipend, three weeks’ vacation in the first year, and 12 paid holidays.

Office Schedule & COVID Protocols:

This position is based in Washington, DC. SGA staff work in the office at 1350 Eye St Street NW, Washington DC, Tuesdays–Thursdays. No relocation assistance is offered at this time. SGA requires employees to be vaccinated for COVID-19 and boosted.

Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion:

Smart Growth America is committed to building a diverse staff and strongly encourages applications from candidates of color.

Employment and promotional opportunities are based on individual capabilities and qualifications without regard to race, color, religion, gender, pregnancy, sexual orientation/preference, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic as established under law.

How to Apply:

Please send the following materials to jobs@smartgrowthamerica.org with “LUD Program Manager Job Posting Inquiry” in the Subject Line:

1. Cover letter (one page maximum):
   1. Indicate the following:
      1. How you learned about this opportunity;
      2. How your experience aligns with the requirements of the job description;
      3. How your experience will contribute to advancing SGA’s North Star;
      4. How Community-Based Organizations can advance their missions via land use and health equity.
2. A writing sample of past work (do not prepare a new writing sample for this application);
3. Resume as a PDF.

Incomplete applications will not be considered. Only applications submitted via email to jobs@smartgrowthamerica.org will be considered.

Applications will be reviewed as received on a rolling basis. We look forward to hearing from candidates soon.