Director of Transformative Community Planning

ABOUT JUST CITIES

Just Cities advances racial justice in public policy and urban planning through transformative models of participatory and community-based design. We organize collective action with directly impacted residents, government leaders, and other stakeholders to tackle the big racial justice issues facing Bay Area and California cities including environmental justice, climate change, homelessness, displacement, and re-entry justice. We solve social and economic injustice by addressing the root causes of systemic injustice and designing appropriate policy change solutions. Our work is rooted in love-based justice and racial reconciliation principles. Our work has led to local, statewide, and national best practice policies and plans that have restored human rights and dignity for thousands of residents impacted by structural racism and other forms of discrimination.

POSITION SUMMARY

Just Cities seeks an extremely committed, hard working, and highly organized leader who thrives on designing, leading, and managing urban community-based planning projects, including on environmental justice, housing, land use, and transportation justice. Reporting to the Executive Director (ED), the Director of Transformative Community Planning will be responsible for the programmatic success of Just Cities, ensuring seamless programming, team management and development, program delivery and outcomes, quality control and evaluation, and overseeing communications and story telling to advance narrative change in planning. The Director of Transformative Community Planning will also serve as a key member of the organizational leadership team, and help us co-create a sustainable nonprofit for the future.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Leadership: Oversee the quality execution of Just Cities’s community-based planning projects.

• Direct the planning process and development of quality and on time deliverables across multiple governmental and community-based planning initiatives.
• Guide multidisciplinary teams with clarity and accountability through engaging in creative problem-solving, and navigating challenges and conflicts in healthy, constructive ways.
• Center the voices and leadership of frontline grassroots leaders and translate community priorities into government policies, plans, and programs.
• Lead with integrity, flexibility, and purpose, proactively stepping in to ensure project success where needed.
• Uphold the highest ethical duty of care and loyalty to Just Cities, the communities we serve, and government partners/clients.
• Strategically guide and evolve Just Cities’ communications and story-telling strategies.

Team Management and Development: Oversee the development and performance of Just Cities’s program staff.

• Provide human-centered direct supervision and professional development support to Just Cities’ program staff.
• Oversee and improve program staff’s project management systems including weekly workplans and tracking project deliverables, and program compliance requirements.
• In collaboration with the Director of Finance and Operations, develop and implement a system to evaluate the skill, experience, and professional development needs of program staff.
• Implement programs to address program employee experience and skill gaps.
• Lead recruitment and onboarding of new program staff.

Resource Development: Serve as a thought and action leader in securing funding and other resources for Just Cities projects.

• In collaboration with the Executive Director, Board of Directors, and other team members, lead efforts to secure new funding and opportunities for urban planning projects and initiatives.

QUALIFICATIONS

Professional Experience

• Master’s degree in urban planning, public policy, or related field.
• At least 15 years of professional work experience in urban planning, public policy, public health, or community development including creating and managing community governance structures.
• At least 7 years supervising high-performing, collaborative, and diverse teams.
• Demonstrated success developing and implementing innovative program models, ideally in the areas of environmental justice, public health, and/or housing and community development.
• Demonstrated application of the principles of environmental justice.
• Strong project management and problem-solving skills managing complex, multifaceted programs resulting in measurable successes and program growth.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with exceptional attention to details.
• Demonstrated experience translating complex and technical information into accessible education.
• Familiarity with qualitative and quantitative research methods related to urban policy.

Interpersonal Skills and Qualities

• Strong ability to work with a team, navigate group dynamics, provide thoughtful and clear-headed problem solving, and engage in healthy group conflict resolution.
• Deep respect for and ability to collaborate with grassroots leaders.
• Committed to promoting the success and visibility of partners and peers.
• Demonstrated experience and skills at working across cultural differences and collaborating with communities that have experienced structural discrimination and exclusion.
• Integrity, credibility, and a commitment to and passion for Just Cities' mission.
• Adaptive to changing circumstances. When change happens, you pause, assess, adapt, and keep moving forward.
• Extremely well organized and enjoy the messiness of planning with people and making change. You understand that there are no linear playbooks for structural change.
• Engaged in the work to understand and unlearn the manifestation of white supremacy principles and habits in professional work, inter-personal relationships, and personal attitudes and behavior.

COMPENSATION

Just Cities benchmarks its salaries against comparable positions in the Bay Area to ensure that they are equitable. The salary for this position is $120,000 to $130,000, depending upon experience.

LOCATION

This position is based in our Berkeley office with a hybrid work policy allowing up to three remote workdays per week.

HOW TO APPLY

Please apply using this link and submit a cover letter and resume by August 8, 2025. We will review and respond to applications on a rolling basis.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY STATEMENT

Just Cities values a diverse workplace and strongly encourages women, people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, people who have been systems impacted, people with disabilities, members of ethnic minorities, foreign-born residents, and veterans to apply. Just Cities is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants will not be discriminated against because of race, color, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, religion, national origin, citizenship status, criminal history, disability, ancestry, marital status, veteran status, medical condition or any protected category prohibited by local, state or federal laws, or human rights principles.