Senior Regional Arts and Culture Planner
The Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) seeks a Senior Regional Arts & Culture Planner who will lead planning projects and research efforts that advance the agency’s priorities in this field: building municipal capacity to work with artists and support the creative and cultural economy, integrating arts and culture into COVID recovery and climate resiliency initiatives, and promoting a more welcoming and inclusive region through arts, culture, and heritage. The Senior Planner will also help to evaluate and improve state laws, regulations, policies and programs in alignment with the priorities identified in MetroCommon2050, the regional land use and policy plan adopted in November 2021.
The Senior Planner will report to the Director of Arts & Culture, who oversees a six-person team. MAPC’s Arts & Culture Department is one of the first efforts nationwide to advance arts, culture and heritage to build a more sustainable and equitable future through regional planning.
About MAPC:
MAPC is the Regional Planning Agency (RPA) serving the people who live and work in metropolitan Boston. Our mission is to promote smart growth and regional collaboration. We are guided by MetroCommon 2050: Shaping the Region Together, our regional policy plan for a more sustainable and equitable future, which we adopted in November 2021 after a three-year planning process involving thousands of stakeholders.
MAPC has a hybrid schedule, combining time in the office with remote work.
MAPC encourages all staff to develop new ideas to make MAPC's planning and policy work more relevant and impactful, and to adapt to changing times. We strongly support the professional development of each staff person, believing their growth to be consistent with the best interests of MAPC and the region. For more information about MAPC and MetroCommon2050, please visit www.mapc.org.
Responsibilities (including but not limited to)
- Manage and staff arts and culture planning and creative community development projects in collaboration with fellow MAPC planners, municipalities, and community stakeholders;
- Implement strategies for cultural inclusion, equity and justice in planning practice, including inclusive engagement, to address legacies of injustice in planning and arts and culture;
- Draft local zoning, permitting procedures, programs, and funding strategies that can advance artistic and cultural expression through the establishment and growth of businesses, institutions, creative workspace, artist-friendly housing and public art;
- Design and execute workshops and trainings on arts, culture, heritage, and related topics for planners, community developers, community organizers, volunteer boards and committees, and artists;
- Improve the collection and management of arts, culture, and heritage data to incorporate arts & culture assets and outcomes into planning and policy making and to increase equitable access and representation in the arts and culture sector;
- Collaborate with state agencies and related partners to improve state laws, regulations, policies, and programs that can help arts and culture to thrive;
- Document department projects, tools, and lessons to be shared on our educational platform, the MAPC Arts & Planning Toolkit, or through the department newsletter;
- Integrate arts and culture into other local and regional planning projects, including the agency’s implementation of MetroCommon2050;
- Expand the visibility and impact of MAPC’s arts and culture planning and creative community development work through attendance and presentations at local and regional, and occasionally national, events and conferences; and
- Conduct other activities as assigned to implement the work plan of the Arts & Culture Department and more broadly, to advance the goals of MetroCommon2050.
Evening events, occasional weekend events, and local travel are a responsibility for this position. MAPC does not require that you have a vehicle; however, you must have a valid driver’s license and/or the ability to arrange transportation to meetings in different parts of the region. MAPC provides support for travel, including a Zipcar account and BlueBikes membership.
Qualifications
Candidates should have a Bachelor’s degree and a minimum of six (6) years of relevant professional and/or academic experience in any of the following areas:, community development, urban studies, city or regional planning, public history or humanities, historic preservation, arts administration, urban design, landscape architecture, public policy, curation, socially engaged art, public art, or other closely related disciplines; OR a Masters degree with a major in one of these fields and a minimum of four (4) years of relevant professional experience.
Preference will be given to candidates whose interests and background combine arts and culture with another area of expertise related to urban planning or community development. Experience working directly with artists, non-profit organizations, community-based groups, and local government is a plus.
Successful candidates for this position will demonstrate all or most of the following:
- Experience providing professional arts and culture planning assistance, such as arts-based community development, cultural planning, cultural economic development, and cultural asset mapping, to local governments, universities, or arts and culture stakeholders, showing advancement to progressively more complex projects over time;
- Knowledge of or experience with creative placemaking, public art, and/or social practice art/socially engaged art; including awareness of key challenges and tensions related to representation, gentrification, and displacement;
- Demonstrated ability to work effectively with community-based groups, communities of color, and artists and arts organizations as well as other key stakeholders including elected and appointed government officials and staff;
- Project management experience, including strong organizational skills and attention to detail, ability to prepare work plans and budgets, ability to manage project timelines, meet deadlines and work within budget limits, and ability to work in a self-directed manner to produce relevant project content;
- Strong verbal and written presentation and communications skills, including the ability to facilitate meetings and articulate planning and policy issues to a wide variety of audiences;
- Ability to work collaboratively with colleagues across disciplines and external partners in a range of settings, including diverse urban neighborhoods in cities, suburban centers, and/or small or rural communities;
- Demonstrated ability to conduct and synthesize research, including working with qualitative or quantitative data, to inform cultural planning, policy development and creative community development practice;
- Skills in graphic design or web design; experience with software and platforms such as WordPress, Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, or social media platforms; and
- Knowledge of federal, state and local land use or arts and culture policy issues, laws, regulations, and programs.
Per MAPC COVID-19 Vaccine Policy, the selected candidate is required to be up-to-date with COVID-19 vaccinations, as defined by the CDC, by the agreed upon start date. See COVID-19 Vaccine Booster Shots | CDC.
Compensation and Benefits
The salary ranges from $75,000 - $85,000, depending on qualifications and experience. Master's Degree and additional experience a plus for higher salary range. This is a full-time exempt position. MAPC offers excellent Massachusetts state employee benefits as well as a flexible, supportive, and family-friendly work environment and a commitment to continued professional development.
How to Apply
Apply online at www.mapc.org/jobs. The position is open until filled, and applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. Interested candidates should submit a cover letter and resume. Candidates selected to interview will be asked to submit three (3) references plus a sample of relevant writing or work product. Candidates must have legal authorization to work in the USA and a valid driver's license and/or the ability to arrange transportation to meetings in different parts of the region. MAPC participates in E-Verify, which is a federal program that helps us to determine work eligibility in the United States.
MAPC is an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer. We believe that a staff with a range of perspectives, experiences, and skillsets strengthens our work. We are committed to building a more equitable workplace that allows staff with diverse backgrounds and identities to thrive, grow, and lead. For more information on MAPC’s culture of equity, see our Equity at MAPC page.