Deputy Director of Economic Development

Somerville, MA, United States

Statement of Duties The Deputy Director of Economic Development assists with oversight of the City’s Economic Development Division. The Deputy Director is responsible for managing the workflow of a portion of the division, providing strategic policy guidance to the Division Director, Executive Director of OSPCD, and elected and appointed officials; development of new projects and standard practices; preparing written project communications; interfacing with state and federal agencies; and managing consultant contracts including scopes-of-work and budgets. Employee is required to perform all similar or related duties.

SomerVision, the City’s comprehensive plan, highlights the importance of supporting the economic base of Somerville. This includes engaging with and supporting an expanding commercial base, working with the City’s impressive workforce to grow their skills, and to support the diverse retailers, restaurateurs, innovators, and entrepreneurs that make up the dynamic small business community. The Deputy Director is expected to lead one stream of the division’s work – real estate and commercial development, workforce development, or small business support, while also supporting the staff across the entire division.

Essential Functions: The essential functions or duties 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.

Duties applicable to the position:

Provide strategic direction to one of the three streams of work in the economic development division - real estate and commercial development, workforce development, or small business support.

Hold lead supervisory responsibility of selected Economic Development Division staff, and assists with supervising and managing other staff in the division.

Assists in the development of an annual department budget and management of the budget throughout the year.

Develops relationships and collaborations with the local business community and regional stakeholders such as the Somerville Chamber of Commerce, Somerville Job Creation & Retention Trust, East Somerville Main Streets, Union Square Main Streets, MassHire MetroNorth, Tufts University, etc.

Interfaces with local community, other city departments, and state/federal agencies.

Ensures that all activities fulfill program and funding requirements of funding agencies. Pursues additional grant resources to promote Office goals and activities.

Prepares written project analysis/response communications.

Works in close cooperation with the other divisions that comprise the Mayor’s Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development (Planning, Preservation, and Zoning; Mobility; Public Space and Urban Forestry; Housing; and the Office of Housing Stability), as well as other departments of the City.

Minimum Qualifications Education and Experience: Bachelor’s Degree and seven (7) years’ experience, particularly as it pertains to economics, urban planning, real estate development, workforce development, business administration, or public administration; and five to seven (5-7) years of experience in municipal government or related work 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.

Knowledge, Abilities and Skill

This position requires a person to be a strong leader, effective communicator, and capable of multi-tasking in a busy environment.

Knowledge : Knowledge of community, politics (local), neighborhood, advocacy groups, and business concerns; considerable knowledge of economic, sociological, and environmental aspects of planning; particular knowledge and experience with relation to business development, workforce development, or real estate development.

Abilities : Ability to meet and deal with the public effectively and appropriately; ability to handle problems and emergencies effectively; ability to communicate clearly, both orally and in writing; ability to operate a computer; ability to maintain confidential information; ability to maintain, manage, and organize records; ability to deal appropriately with City employees, City officials and the general public.

Skill : Skilled strategic thinker, excellent customer service, community engagement, and public speaking, planning, and creative problem-solving skills.

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 may be required to work beyond normal business hours in response 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

Few 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. May also be some occasional lifting of objects such as office equipment and computer paper (up to 30lbs.). Site visits to properties in construction anticipated.

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: $108,243.22 annualized, plus benefits

Union: Non-Union

FMLA: Exempt

Date Posted: April 18th, 2024

City of Somerville residents are especially encouraged to apply.

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 [email protected].

Pre-Employment Requirements for All Employees:

MA Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) clearance

Completition of Conflict-of-Interest Law Education training for municipal employees

Overview of Total Rewards:

4 weeks annual vacation (for non-union positions) union positions vary by contract

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)

Benefits listed are for benefits-eligible positions and the above information is meant to be a general overview of the benefit programs offered by the City of Somerville and not a binding contract.

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