Associate Energy & Environmental Planner

Associate Energy & Environmental Planner

POSITION TITLE: Associate Energy & Environmental Planner

DEPARTMENT/PROGRAM: Energy & Environmental Program at Berkshire Regional Planning Commission

REPORTS TO: Courteny Morehouse, Principal Planner

STATUS: Regular, Full-Time

LOCATION: Pittsfield, MA

ABOUT THE DR. ROGER ARLINER YOUNG FELLOWSHIP

In an effort to make the conservation and clean energy fields more equitable and accessible, the Dr. Roger Arliner Young (RAY) Fellowship Program aims to increase and facilitate environmentally-related career pathways for emerging leaders. The RAY Fellowship Program is a paid fellowship designed to equip recent college graduates with the tools, experiences, support, and community they need to become leaders in the conservation and clean energy sectors—one that, in our vision of the future, fully represents, includes, and is led by the diverse communities, perspectives, and experiences of the United States.

ABOUT BERKSHIRE REGIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION

Berkshire Regional Planning Commission (BRPC) is the regional planning agency for Berkshire County which provides community planning services for the thirty towns and two cities in Berkshire County, western Massachusetts. As a public agency we are in service to ensuring a high quality of life for County residents including greater economic growth, sustainable resources management, environmental, social, and economic equity, and effective governmental and educational services.

The Energy and Environmental Program works with communities to strengthen and protect the natural and built environment as well as promote climate resiliency. To do this we partner with community groups and conservation organizations on a variety of project that reduce pollution, enhance clean energy projects and energy efficiency, and build climate resiliency.

POSITION SUMMARY

The RAY Fellow / Associate Planner serves as an entry-level professional staff member supporting regional and municipal planning projects through research, data collection, administrative support, and project support. In this role, the Associate Planner will work closely with the Energy and Environmental Team on projects that address climate resiliency, public health, and environmental justice needs throughout Berkshire County. Projects include:
Community planning to enhance green spaces and community services to mitigate the impacts of heat, flooding, and warming winters;
Enhancing fish and wildlife passage and climate resiliency of build infrastucture such as road stream crossings and dams and;
Supporting community-driven improvements to the built environment in Environmental Justice communities. This is a fully integrated role within the staff of BRPC which includes opportunities to work on projects in other planning departments such as Transportation, Community Planning, and Public Health.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Providing technical, organizational, and administrative support to various planning program areas.
• Assisting with the preparation of project materials, including reports, summaries, budgeting support materials, and progress documentation.
• Completing assigned project tasks and components that contribute to major project deliverables while adhering to established project deadlines
• Perform routine contract administration and project tracking tasks, including invoice preparation and payment tracking
• Providing general support to Senior Management, including contributing to the identification of potential future projects or program opportunities.
• Participation in agency wide meetings and initiatives.
• Compile and analyze demographic, environmental, and infrastructure data for public use and internal planning of climate resilient implementation
• Support the integration of outreach outcomes into planning documents or project reports
• Work with BRPC staff and Community Partners to coordinate logistics and participation tracking for virtual and in-person public meetings, workshops, and stakeholder sessions
• Prepare outreach materials including presentations, flyers, social media content, and web updates
• Assist with implementation, collection, and interpretation of surveys and other public…