MVP Regional Coordinator - Berkshires - (23000954)

Description

The Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs seeks to protect, preserve, and enhance the Commonwealth’s environmental resources while ensuring and promoting a clean energy future for the state’s residents. Through the stewardship of open space, protection of environmental resources, and enhancement of clean energy, the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs works tirelessly to make Massachusetts a wonderful place to live, work, and raise a family.

Who We Serve:

Massachusetts was the first state in the nation to combine energy and environmental agencies under one Cabinet secretary. The Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EOEEA) serves Commonwealth residents interested in outdoor recreational activities, clean energy solutions and those who work with animals and livestock. Equally, EOEEA works with energy consumers, power companies, clean energy providers and farmers to delicately balance the interaction with environmental protection laws and regulations while being a cornerstone for our economic prosperity.

Secretariat Overview:

The Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretariat (EOEEA) provides oversight of the Commonwealth’s energy and environmental agencies, namely, the Division of Energy Resources (DOER), Department of Public Utilities (DPU), Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), Department of Fish and Game (DFG), and Department of Agricultural Resources (DAR). EOEEA also has divisions within the Secretariat, including the Office of Law Enforcement (OLE or Massachusetts Environmental Police), Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) office, Coastal Zone Management (CZM) office, and Division of Conservation Services (DCS). All agencies and divisions promote the environmental or energy related goals and initiatives of the Administration and the Secretary of EOEEA.

This position will fill the Berkshires & Hilltowns MVP Regional Coordinator position, one of six regional coordinators associated with the MVP Program. 

 The Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) Program provides funding for communities in Massachusetts to plan for climate change resiliency and implement priority projects. The MVP regional coordinators support the communities in their region with these efforts. The program currently has 99% participation across the Commonwealth. The program just launched a new grant opportunity called MVP Planning 2.0, that will center equity in updating the original MVP plan and focus on helping communities move from planning to action. The program also includes the MVP Action Grant opportunity where communities can apply for funds to implement priority projects. The MVP Regional Coordinator will work directly with community staff and community members to support them through the MVP process and ensure coordination with EEA in advancing climate resilience projects. This position will work closely with EEA staff to implement the MVP grant program, technical assistance, and other services.

 While focused on the Berkshires & Hilltowns region, this position can expect to provide assistance across all MVP communities that could benefit from their particular technical expertise.

 Another core job function will be to serve as the EEA expert coordinator of a particular focus area. Specific focus area will be decided upon hire based on current need and interest/expertise of the Regional Coordinator and may be changed periodically throughout the employees’ tenure. Examples of expected roles are listed in the description below.

DETAILED STATEMENT OF DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Specific duties and responsibilities of the MVP Regional Coordinator include, but are not limited to, the following:

Grant administration, project management, and technical support to communities:

• Reaching out to all communities in the designated region that are not yet MVP-certified to inform and recruit them into the program.
• Rolling out MVP Planning 2.0 and any other subsequent updates to the program and working to ensure communities maintain MVP designation status.
• Assisting communities in identifying and proposing projects ready for action grant funding, keeping in mind program goals and principles.
• Leading project pre-scoping meetings for communities interested in applying for an MVP action grant to build a robust proposal.
• Identifying potential projects or plans that would benefit from regional partnerships and working to connect necessary partners.
• Advertising new grant rounds to communities in the region.
• Assisting in hosting informational sessions on new grant rounds for communities within the region.
• Participating in the application review process and recommending projects for funding.
• Working with communities to rescope parts of the project based on review committee feedback.
• Conducting introductory meetings with all new grantees to go over the final scope of the funded project and program expectations, including expectations for monthly reporting and draft and final deliverable review.
• Ensuring all contracts for communities in the region are signed by the municipality in a timely fashion and conducting follow-up as needed.
• Coordinating feedback sessions for unsuccessful grant applications.
• Serving as a main point of contact for municipalities on questions related to technical assistance and grant administration.
• Serving as a liaison between communities in the region and EEA/other Agency staff and actively connecting MVP community leads with relevant technical assistance within the state as appropriate to ensure a successful project.
• Proactively identifying any potential issues and supporting communities in problem solving to minimize any delay in project progress.
• Identifying other funding sources, organizations, state agency staff, or other resources that could be leveraged to implement priority resilience projects in communities in the designated region.
• Providing support to MVP communities on utilizing climate change projections, future flood maps, resilience design guidelines, and other tools.
• Tracking project status to ensure completion of progress updates, invoices, and deliverables for communities in the region and pursuing outstanding items.
• Coordinating review of project deliverables received and providing feedback.
• Assisting with grant close-out for all projects in the region, including receiving all deliverables and helping communities to file reimbursement requests.
• Debriefing with grantees to hear feedback/lessons learned throughout the project and discussing potential future phases of work.

Climate resilience technical support for EEA:

A core job function will also be to serve as the EEA expert coordinator of a particular climate resilience focus area. Specific focus area will be decided upon hire based on current need and interest/expertise of the regional coordinator and may be changed periodically throughout the employees’ tenure. Focus areas could be one of the following or a combination of the following:

• Communications & Municipal Collaboration Lead: This position would be in charge of coordinating with the EEA communications team on efforts to promote the MVP program at the local, state, and national level. This position would also be in charge of developing and implementing opportunities for increased collaboration and learning among municipalities participating in the program through such initiatives as the MVP quarterly newsletter, webinars, networking events, and case studies.
• Equity & Engagement Lead: This position would be in charge of coordinating with EEA’s Environmental Justice (EJ) office to ensure that the MVP program centers EJ and climate vulnerable populations in its work. This could include developing trainings, new criteria for scoring action grant projects, and guidelines and materials to aid municipalities, CBOs, and MVP stakeholders in this work.
• Adaptation Policy and MVP Special Projects Lead: This position would be in charge of special projects related to MVP program improvements that could include items like building out a new toolkit on a topic of interest to municipalities or taking ownership of a recommendation that comes up during the MVP Planning 2.0 process. This position would also help the EEA climate resilience team stay up-to-date on the latest advancements and topics in climate adaptation (including nature-based solutions), and investigate and coordinate key statewide projects.
• Resilience Technical Review and Tools Lead: This position would take the lead on providing and coordinating technical review and feedback to improve resilience across state agency projects. This could include providing feedback on resilience for projects being reviewed by other state agencies and incorporating the RMAT Climate Resilience Design Standards Tool into project review throughout the Commonwealth, among other tasks.

Other overarching responsibilities:

• Leading information sharing and networking opportunities for MVP communities and other stakeholders in the region.
• Leading program presentations and providing updates on MVP program opportunities as necessary.
• Attending regional site visits, identifying events, and hosting regional roundtables with EEA staff promoting MVP grants and the program at large.
• Educating communities on updated climate change projections that should be used for planning, and tools and resources available through EEA, resilientMA.org, and the MVP network for advancing adaptation action such as maps, design guidelines, and best practices.
• Working with EEA staff and other MVP regional coordinators to conduct periodic evaluations of the program and suggesting areas of improvement based on these evaluations and experience working with communities in the region.
• Assisting in implementation of major program improvements, like the new MVP 2.0 program.
• Working with the Resilient Massachusetts Action Team on statewide climate resilience priorities.

QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED AT HIRE (List knowledge’s, skills, abilities)

• Demonstrated experience with project or grant management.
• Preferred experience with technical assistance to municipalities and/or Tribes.
• Familiarity and connections within the MVP region for which the candidate is applying.
• Excellent meeting facilitation and writing and oral communications skills.
• Strong organizational skills in terms of meeting deadlines while managing multiple work streams, circulating timely information, and capability to prioritize and evaluate goals.
• Familiarity with technical issues related to climate adaptation and resilience; MA climate change data and science; local, regional and state adaptation plans, projects, and priorities; nature-based solutions; environmental justice and equity.

Qualifications

First consideration will be given to those applicants that apply within the first 14 days.

MINIMUM ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS:  Applicants must have at least (A) four years of full-time, or equivalent part-time technical or professional experience in urban or regional planning, environmental planning, transportation planning or land use planning, and (B) of which at least two years must have been in a professional capacity or (C) any equivalent combination of the required experience and the substitutions below. 

Substitutions: 

• A Bachelor's degree with a major in urban or regional planning, environmental planning, urban studies, architecture, landscape architecture, civil, environmental, or transportation engineering or environmental sciences may be substituted for two years of the required (A) experience.* 
• A Graduate degree with a major in urban or regional planning, environmental planning, urban studies, architecture, landscape architecture, civil, environmental, or transportation engineering or environmental studies may be substituted for three years of the required (A)experience and one year of the required (B) experience. 

*Education toward such a degree will be prorated on the basis of the proportion of the requirements actually completed. 

NOTE: Educational substitutions will only be permitted for a maximum of three years of the required experience.  Substitutions will only be permitted for a maximum of one year of the required (B) experience. 

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS: Based on assignment, possession of a current and valid Massachusetts Class D Motor Vehicle Operator's License.

Comprehensive Benefits

When you embark on a career with the Commonwealth, you are offered an outstanding suite of employee benefits that add to the overall value of your compensation package. We take pride in providing a work experience that supports you, your loved ones, and your future.

Want the specifics? Explore our Employee Benefits and Rewards!

An Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action Employer.  Females, minorities, veterans, and persons with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply.

The Commonwealth is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, disability, national origin, veteran status, or any other basis covered by appropriate law.  Research suggests that qualified women, Black, Indigenous, and Persons of Color (BIPOC) may self-select out of opportunities if they don't meet 100% of the job requirements.  We encourage individuals who believe they have the skills necessary to thrive to apply for this role.

Official Title: Regional Planner III

Primary Location: United States-Massachusetts-Boston-100 Cambridge Street

Job: Planning

Agency: Exec Office Of Energy and Environmental Affairs

Schedule: Full-time

Shift: Day

Job Posting: Sep 12, 2023, 1:27:56 PM

Number of Openings: 1

Salary: 68,564.34 - 100,370.14 Yearly

If you have Diversity, Affirmative Action or Equal Employment Opportunity questions or need a Reasonable Accommodation, please contact Diversity Officer / ADA Coordinator: Melixza Esenyie - 6176261282

Bargaining Unit: 09-MOSES - Engineers/Scientists

Confidential: No

Hybrid Work Eligible: Yes