News

Smart Growth America (SGA) is seeking a contractor to support the organization’s Climate and Land Use work including ongoing technical assistance and research projects.

The contractor will contribute to key climate adaptation projects on a regular, part-time schedule over a 3-5 month period, writing communications materials, managing aspects of a new technical assistance program, and/or contributing to research or educational programming. While this is initially envisioned as a short-term contract during a staff transition, there is potential for renewal or revision to the agreement for future project-based support at the completion of the contract period.

The deadline to submit is Wednesday, October 23rd, by close of business Eastern Standard Time.

Background

Smart Growth America is a national non-profit organization that envisions a country where no matter where you live or who you are, you can enjoy living in a place that is healthy, prosperous, and resilient. We empower communities through technical assistance, advocacy, and thought leadership to realize our vision of livable places, healthy people, and shared prosperity.

Smart Growth is a critical strategy to advance climate adaptation and support communities to be more prepared for the impacts of climate change, such as extreme heat, flooding, and drought. This work is most urgent in communities that have been historically marginalized by land use and transportation policy and who face compounded climate risk. SGA’s work in climate adaptation includes federal advocacy, research and technical assistance supporting community-based organizations to advocate for change. Through a ‘local/national partnership model,’ SGA regularly partners with communities to build local capacity to advance smart growth. For example, through a recent Climate and Land Use technical assistance cohort, SGA partnered with resident-led organizations to advocate for housing, zoning, and infrastructure solutions to be more prepared for the impacts of climate change.

Scope of work

The final work products will be mutually agreed upon depending on the consultant’s level of availability (between 10-25 hours per week). SGA’s ideal level of availability would be 15-25 hours/week from November to January, with a reduced level of engagement in February and March.

The contractor is envisioned to collaborate with members of the Land Use and Development team to contribute to team projects, so could expect to attend some team and other meetings.

Specific tasks are likely to include:

• Author of climate communications materials such as blog posts and sections of research reports;
• Manager of SGA climate programming, such as a webinar and/or panel at Smart Growth America’s Equity Summit event in March 2025;
• Manager of aspects of a technical assistance call for partners, including assessment of applications in collaboration with a team of SGA colleagues.
  Travel
• Work is not anticipated to include travel. DC area-based contractors would be welcome to come into the SGA office, and national contractors would conduct work virtually. If SGA were to identify a travel opportunity relevant to the work, this would be agreed upon and reimbursed. For example, the contractor may participate in the Smart Growth America Equity Summit on March 26-27, 2025, in Washington, D.C.

Desired qualifications

Applicants will be selected based on the criteria below. SGA is seeking a diverse pool of candidates. Black, Indigenous, and people of color-led and women-owned companies are especially encouraged to apply.

• Knowledge of the intersection of land use, housing, climate adaptation, and transportation;
• Excellent writing and research skills and experience authoring reports or communications materials focused on topics related to climate change;
• Ability to communicate complex, scientific, and policy ideas in an accessible way;
• Excellent project management skills and ability to juggle more than one assignment and meet deadlines;
• Experience working and trust-building in and/or with community-based organizations;
• Ability and interest in working on projects in a collaborative work environment;
• Subject matter understanding of and commitment to SGA’s programmatic priorities of advancing racial equity, addressing the climate crisis, and improving community health.

Proposal submission:

Please email proposal submissions to Katharine Burgess at kburgess@smartgrowthamerica.org by Wednesday, October 23rd, by close of business Eastern Standard Time. Proposals should include:

• A short letter (one page or less) describing your approach and interest in this work;
• Your resume and/or link to your website;
• 2-4 examples of finished work products, such as research, communications, or strategy documents;
• Your hourly or weekly rate for project work at a 15-25 hour/week cap; please note if rate or approach would change at different levels of time commitment;
• Your availability to conduct some or all of the work at a regular schedule during SGA’s core office hours (10am-4pm Eastern are official core hours; most staff are at work 9am-5pm).

Timing

The deadline to submit is Wednesday, October 23rd, by close of business Eastern Standard Time. Interviews will be conducted the following week, and the project will kick off in November with an anticipated November-March timeline.