Eco-Innovation Assistant

Codman Square Neighborhood Development Corporation
Eco-Innovation District

Position Description
Eco-Innovation Assistant

The mission of the Codman Square Neighborhood Development Corporation (CSNDC) is to build a better, stronger community in Codman Square and South Dorchester by creating housing and commercial spaces that are safe, sustainable, and affordable, promoting financial and economic stability for residents and for the neighborhood, and providing residents of all ages with opportunities and skills to empower themselves to improve their lives.

Background

A low-income, minority neighborhood in the South Dorchester section of Boston, MA is creating a new model for green and equitable development on a neighborhood or district scale – an Eco-Innovation District—the Talbot-Norfolk Triangle Eco Innovation District (TNT EID). The Codman Square Neighborhood Development Corporation, through a lead grant from the Barr Foundation, and with support from the Local Initiatives Support Corporation-Boston (LISC), Enterprise Community Partners, the Talbot Norfolk Neighbors United (TNTNU), the City of Boston, residents, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), Eco Districts, and other partners, is moving to advance ambitious and feasible sustainability goals on a neighborhood-wide basis through engagement with the community and through the creation of a focused Eco-Innovation plan. This nationally significant effort is creating and implementing a vision of urban sustainability that is both responsive to neighborhood residents and is a model for others.

Environmental, energy, and economic and social equity goals for the Talbot Norfolk Triangle neighborhood in the Codman Square area of Boston include:

1. Energy Retrofits: Have 50% of TNT residents retrofit their homes with insulation to save themselves money and to reduce their energy usage, and complete two deep energy retrofits in the neighborhood, including related case studies.
2. Renewables: Support local energy generation by exploring on-site and off-site local renewable energy generation options for current and planned mixed-use housing developments, commercial spaces and businesses, to help provide neighborhood resilience and energy independence. Specifically, using some of CSNDC’s properties, create a Community Shared Solar project that enables area residents and businesses to get electricity credits though virtual net metering. Complete Case Study of this work.
3. Green Infrastructure: Promote signage, crosswalks, bike lanes, rain gardens, green roofs, sharrows, new green spaces and explore ways to implement more sustainable innovations for civic and utility infrastructure.
4. Efficient mixed use TOD projects: Build one or more highly energy efficient, Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) projects for housing and/or commercial uses.
5. Equity: Link all efforts to social and economic equity for residents by partnering to promote jobs (including green jobs), small businesses, improved health and quality of life, affordable home ownership and affordable rental housing for existing residents.
6. LEED-ND: Achieve Leadership in Environmental and Energy Design – Neighborhood Development certification for the neighborhood.
7. Track improvements: in CSNDC energy efficiency and reductions in GHGe of CSNDC housing stock and in the EID overall.

Scope of Work

The Assistant will report to and be supervised by CSNDC’s Director of Eco Innovation.
This is a salaried full time position. Work duties will include (but may not be limited to) the following:

1. Help coordinate all aspects of TNT Eco Innovation District (EID) related meetings as directed by Director and other CSNDC staff;
2. Work on all aspects of EID development, planning, and implementation, as required by Director;
3. Organization of files (electronic and paper) to ensure smooth transition of workflow inter and intra-departmentally;
4. Provide a report and update as to progress on specific elements of work on at least a monthly basis.
5. Set up dashboards for Eco Innovation District Working Groups and Executive Committee and align those dashboards with overall EID project goals and targets; attend Executive Committee, Working Group, Board, Advisory Group and other internal and external meetings as required;
6. Learn SalesForce database program;
7. Take notes at all meetings, distribute to attendees in a timely fashion; put and track names and related data in SalesForce;
8. Create spreadsheets, Gantt charts or other formats to chart and track work progress;
9. Update and maintain web page or link from CSNDC website that highlights EID work;
10. Do research about energy, solar power, as needed;
11. Undertake outreach to partners and constituents in support of implementing Eco Innovation District projects, activities, and achieving concrete project goals;
12. Support Eco Innovation project implementation;
13. Liaise with partners as requested.
14. Gather information and upload key LEED-ND required information in order to complete LEED-ND designation for the EID;
15. Perform direct and event-based outreach to area residents about retrofitting their homes with insulation;
16. Coordinate and perform outreach to area businesses re: energy savings;
17. Perform other advocacy and policy related work as requested

Further work may include, but is not limited to:

• Research as requested and required re: best practices in various fields;
• Perform ongoing analysis of energy efficiency in the EID, on both neighborhood scale as well as through case studies of individual homes, updating as needed.
• Work with Director to prioritize work as necessary, including coordination of project requirements and terms of research;
• Drafting emails, memos, and other documents;
• Ensure that plans and reports for funders are kept up to date;
• Perform and/or coordinate analyses for aspects of EID as requested;
• Prepare presentations as requested and required;
• Assist with presentations to key partners and for conferences as requested and required;
• Research best practices for potential strategies and plans related to urban resiliency, energy management, district energy, sustainability, and other projects as required;
• oAttend webinars, conferences and conference calls as requested;
• Work with other CSNDC staff, departments and project partners as requested;
• Other related duties as assigned by Director.

Skills/Qualifications: Master’s degree in city/urban/regional planning, urban-focused architecture and design, community development, landscape architecture, or related degree, and at least one to two years related experience, including at least one year’s experience in related community-based engagement, strongly preferred.

Minimum of an undergraduate/Bachelor’s degree. Very strong analytical skills required. Excellent written, verbal, social interaction skills required. Working knowledge of website modification, SalesForce, and Arc GIS a plus.

Please send PDF of resume and cover letter by 5:00 PM on Friday, November 6th, 2015, to:

David Queeley
Director of Eco Innovation
Codman square Neighborhood Development Corporation
587 Washington Street
Dorchester, MA 02124

No calls, please.