About the Waterfront Alliance  

The Waterfront Alliance inspires and activates revitalized, accessible, and protected coastlines for all communities in the New York-New Jersey Harbor area and beyond. For 17 years, it has served as the region’s preeminent advocate for coastal resilience, waterfront access, the working waterfront, and harbor education, and has enlisted more than 1,100 Alliance Partners along the way. With an accomplished record in advocacy, policy, convening, and consensus-building, the Waterfront Alliance has earned remarkable success enhancing 1,600 miles of coastline. 
 

Position Description 

The Senior Manager of Planning and Design will manage the Waterfront Alliance’s portfolio of capital planning projects and support design and planning elements of multiple programs across the organization including the national WEDG® (Waterfront Edge Design Guidelines) program. The Senior Manager of Planning and Design will manage a $1.5 million planning process for resilience features at Flushing Meadows Corona Park and a $1 million planning process for resilience and ecological improvements along Coney Island Creek.  

Waterfront Alliance seeks an experienced professional with expertise in landscape architecture, architecture, or engineering and a passion for resilient sustainable, and equitable waterfront design. This role will serve as the organization’s primary subject-matter-expert on waterfront design and planning and play a critical advisory role across Waterfront Alliance’s portfolio.  

Classification: Fulltime, exempt 

Salary and Benefits: Salary is $75,000. Waterfront Alliance offers a comprehensive benefits package, including employer paid medical, dental, and vision insurances; life insurance; 401K retirement plan with employer match; commuter and FSA benefits, paid time off, paid sabbatical after five years, professional development opportunities, and more. 

Location: New York, NY, with a generous telecommuting policy.   

Reports to: Chief Waterfront Design Officer 

Required Travel: Up to 5% 

Responsibilities  

Capital Projects (65%) 

The Senior Manager of Planning and Design will be the project manager on both the Flushing Meadows Corona Park: A Hub for Climate Resilience project and the Preliminary Designs for Coney Island Creek project under the leadership of the Chief Waterfront Design Officer and in close collaboration with the President and CEO.  

• Maintain project progress, timelines, and milestones to ensure effective project delivery.  

• Manage relationships with key partners including city agencies, the consultant teams, and project stakeholders. 

• Lead reviews of consultant deliverables (including, but not limited to, concept-level design drawings, technical analysis, and stakeholder engagement materials). 

• Represent Waterfront Alliance in stakeholder engagement with support from other staff.  

• Manage communications with community members and other stakeholders with support from the Director of Communications and Waterfront Design Coordinator. 

• Manage reporting to granting agencies.  

WEDG (25%) 

In partnership with the Chief Waterfront Design Officer, manage key aspects of the national WEDG portfolio including:  

• Lead efforts to incorporate WEDG into community planning processes in the NY/NJ region. 

• Support WEDG Verification reviews and collaborate with projects seeking WEDG Verification. 

• Create resources and materials that improve WEDG’s functionality and growth potential (e.g., crosswalks with other rating systems, WaterWire articles on technical aspects of WEDG). 

• Support WEDG business development in key national target markets and build relationships with potential WEDG clients (for Verification or the WEDG Professionals Course). 

• Provide advisory support to the program on design and planning matters. 

Other (10%) 

Provide advisory support to other Waterfront Alliance projects and initiatives: 

• Participate on Waterfront Alliance’s behalf in workshops, stakeholder engagement meetings, and technical advisory committees for projects in the New York/New Jersey region and nationally.  

• Advise other Waterfront Alliance programs and initiatives on technical design matters (e.g., US Army Corps of Engineers HATS) 

• Other duties as assigned.  

Required Skills and Attributes  

• Five years of experience in architecture, landscape architecture, engineering, urban planning, construction, or real estate development. Licensure in landscape architecture, engineering, or architecture is a plus.  

• Experience in capital project design and management. Consulting experience on design projects is a plus.  

• Familiarity with and a passion for climate change, waterfront planning, land use regulations, and design.  

• Excellent oral and written communications, presentation, and public speaking skills.
   
• Ability to manage multiple projects at once, as well as internal teams for marketing and program development, and external consultants.  

How to Apply 

Submit your resume and the answers to the prompted questions. Only complete applications will be considered. Position open until filled. No phone calls please.    

As an equal opportunity employer, Waterfront Alliance encourages applications from all individuals regardless of age, gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, marital status, physical ability or any other legally protected basis.