For more information and to apply please visit: Metropolitan Planning Council
Department: Land Use & Planning
Employment Type: Full-Time
The Position:
MPC is hiring a full time Manager to support our thriving communities and equitable infrastructure portfolios. This role will enrich existing water resource planning initiatives and relationships, manage technical assistance partnerships, and contribute to aligning existing and new lines of work that drive sustainable infrastructure policies and investment, accessible and affordable housing, and healthy and resilient neighborhoods. The manager convenes project teams and working groups, executes on project deliverables, sets and manages deadlines, tracks outcomes and identifies when work needs to change or move in a different direction.
The ideal candidate has strong facilitation and communication skills and is able to coordinate with different partners to advance objectives with a focus on equitable and sustainable infrastructure and intersections with community development and healthy and resilient neighborhoods. The Manager is a relationship builder who can cultivate and maintain strategic relationships and is skilled at policy and programmatic coordination with multiple partners. They should have the ability to engage in problem-solving and consensus-building on challenging issues with stakeholders ranging from heads of government to community residents. The position will report directly to the Director and will work closely with others on staff in multi-disciplinary project teams.
About MPC
Dedicated to shaping a better, bolder, more equitable future for everyone, Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC) believes that every community is valued. Every person has a voice. And every neighborhood thrives. Since 1934, this independent, nonpartisan organization has served metropolitan Chicago’s communities and residents to change perceptions, reimagine conversations, and defy the status quo. Through thoughtful collaboration with local communities, businesses, and governments, MPC is a bold change-maker, addressing the region’s toughest planning and development challenges. We believe that strong partnerships rooted in respect and trust are critical to creative and effective problem-solving.
MPC is a values-driven workplace, and we are seeking to expand our team. Successful team members are curious and collaborative with strong communication and project management skills who recognize the connections between our core areas of work and seek to affect meaningful change. Central to living our values is embracing MPC’s organizational commitment to an anti-racist, anti-oppressive workplace and centering equity in strengthening our internal policies and practices.
Core duties include:
- Manages or contributes to the research process, partner relationships and advocacy for MPC’s housing and community development policy priorities.
- Manages sustainable infrastructure focused technical assistance projects including Water Affordability and Drinking Water 1-2-3 Academy.
- Engages in advocacy activities including developing and delivering testimony, and interacting with lawmakers, other public officials, and advocacy organizations.
- Leadership and content expertise to support MPC’s local and state legislative agenda in at least one topic area pertaining to MPC’s Thriving Communities portfolio (community development, affordable and accessible housing, healthy communities) and one topic pertaining to the Equitable Infrastructure portfolio (lead service line replacement, affordable water rates, stormwater management).
- Convenes and facilitates internal and external work groups to support policy development, research and consensus building for policy and process change. MPC recently completed a Strategic Refresh in 2022, which set in motion a process to move from traditional planning issues to pillars of work oriented around impact. In 2023, the Manager will need to contribute actively to realigning work around these pillars, which will mean thinking across issue areas to germinate new work.
MPC seeks an individual who thrives in a collegial work environment and can manage multiple priorities. Given the nature of our work and the demands associated with remote and social-distanced working models, the Manager will need to be a nimble and creative team member with the emotional intelligence, compassion, patience, sense of humor, and interpersonal communication skills to test and embrace new ways of working. The ideal candidate has at least three years of relevant experience and a track record of managing either environmental or community development policy and technical assistance projects. Has an academic and/or professional background in public policy, advocacy, urban planning, climate resilience, environmental sustainability, or community development. Knowledge of local and regional actors and institutions in the Chicago region leading equitable climate resilience, environmental sustainability, community development and/or housing advocacy efforts is a plus.
How to apply:
Please submit the following materials:
1) A cover letter articulating your specific interest in the role and what you will bring to it or a short and relevant writing sample
2) Your résumé; or CV
No phone calls please.
For more information on MPC, please visit our website: www.metroplanning.org MPC is an equal opportunity employer.