Director of Outreach, ULI Boston
Urban Land Institute
Boston, MA, USA
USD 89,097-100,234 / year
About ULI Boston
The Urban Land Institute is a nonprofit research and education organization with 48,000 members across every discipline of land use and real estate. ULI Boston is one of our most active district councils, bringing together developers, planners, architects, public officials and community leaders across Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire and Connecticut.
The team is small and the work is tangible. We run technical assistance panels for communities working through real housing and development challenges, deliver the Homeward program to help communities think through their housing futures, and bring Urban Plan for Public Officials to decision-makers across the region. The people who do this work see its impact directly, in communities, in policy conversations and in the relationships, they build with some of the most influential voices in New England's built environment.
The Role
We are looking for a Director of Outreach to own three of ULI Boston's core public-facing programs: Technical Assistance Panels (TAPs), the Homeward project and Urban Plan for Public Officials. This is a substantive leadership position with direct revenue accountability, a direct report and significant external visibility with public and private sector stakeholders across the region.
The previous Director built strong foundations in each program area before moving into a municipal economic development role. We have used the transition to consolidate all three public-facing programs under one brief, giving the incoming Director a coherent and high-impact remit from day one.
Responsibilities
Technical Assistance Panels
- Source, recruit and manage TAPs from initial community inquiry through panel assembly, site logistics and final report.
- Build and maintain relationships with committee chairs and panel volunteers.
- Manage the full TAP pipeline, typically four or more per year, with scope to grow the program.
- Identify opportunities to pair TAP engagements with Homeward sessions for communities where both are a good fit.
Homeward Project
- Deliver three to four Homeward sessions per year, a community-facing workshop on housing inspired by the Urban Plan model.
- Manage all logistics, community partnerships and participant experience from outreach through follow-up.
- Track revenue and program targets and report progress to the Executive Director.
Urban Plan for Public Officials
- Deliver three to four sessions per year for planners, elected officials and community leaders.
- Source and confirm program participants and facilitators and oversee all logistics.
- Represent ULI Boston in public sector relationships across the region.
Team and Stakeholder Leadership
- Manage one direct report (Senior Associate), providing day-to-day guidance and development support.
- Serve as a liaison to ULI national teams including Advisory Services and Impact Labs, and to relevant ULI Boston committees including Housing and Economic Development.
- Be a visible external face of ULI Boston in public sector and community settings.
What We Are Looking For
Success in this role comes down to program management and relationships. You need to understand the world our members and partners come from, not necessarily have a background in urban planning or policy yourself. The defining skill in this role is managing people who do not work for you: convening them, supporting them and making sure that what they are building delivers genuine value for the communities we serve.
- Experience running multiple concurrent programs with revenue or budget accountability. You have owned a program from sourcing to delivery, not just supported one.
- Strong stakeholder management. You are comfortable working with members, volunteers, public officials and community leaders, and you know how to get results without formal authority.
- Public sector exposure or close alignment is a meaningful advantage. Direct experience working in or alongside local government, planning departments or community development gives you insight into the needs and constraints of our partners.
- Local market knowledge is preferred. Familiarity with Greater Boston, the regional planning landscape and the dynamics of Massachusetts municipalities will help you hit the ground running.
- People management experience. You have supervised or mentored at least one person and are comfortable taking ownership of a direct report's development.
- Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple programs at different stages simultaneously.
What Success Looks Like
In your first year, you will get deep into each program, learning the members, the pipeline and the rhythms of the work. By the end of year one, we want you leading all three programs independently: spotting the right TAP opportunity, knowing when Homeward is the right entry point, and driving everything through without needing to come to the Executive Director for every decision.
Working at ULI Boston
- A team of four people where you will know everyone and feel the impact of your work directly.
- In-office Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at our downtown Boston co-working space. Remote Monday and Friday.
- Evening and occasional weekend programming is part of the work. Flexibility is built into the culture.
- Close working relationships with ULI national staff, committee volunteers and community partners across the region.
Compensation and Benefits
The salary range for this position is $89,097 to $100,234 annually, which includes base salary and performance-based incentive eligibility. Compensation is determined by experience, education, skills, and other job-related factors.
ULI offers a comprehensive benefits package including health, dental, and life insurance; generous vacation leave; and retirement plan with employer match.
Application Instructions
To apply, please follow the link. Please submit a résumé and a letter of interest/cover letter.
ULI is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion/creed, sex, national origin, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, veteran or active military status, non-citizenship or citizenship status, arrest or conviction record, credit history, salary history, caregiver status, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital or partnership status, familial status, unemployment status, status as a victim of domestic violence or sexual violence, or any other status protected by applicable law.
EOE/m/f/d/v. No relocation reimbursement is offered at this time.
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