Coordinator, Urban Sustainability

The Lincoln Institute of Land Policy is hiring a Program Coordinator for its Urban Sustainability team. This full-time position involves contributing to research, coordinating events, and engaging with external audiences. The role is based in Cambridge, MA, but offers a hybrid work arrangement with two days in the office and the option to work from Washington, DC. The team typically operates on a four-day workweek.
Our Mission 

The Lincoln Institute of Land Policy seeks to improve quality of life through the effective use, taxation, and stewardship of land. A nonprofit private operating foundation whose origins date to 1946, the Lincoln Institute researches and recommends creative approaches to land as a solution to economic, social, and environmental challenges. Through education, training, publications, and events, we integrate theory and practice to inform public policy decisions worldwide. With locations in Cambridge, Massachusetts; Washington, DC; Phoenix, Arizona; and Beijing, we organize our work around six goals: low-carbon, climate-resilient communities and regions; efficient and equitable tax systems; reduced poverty and spatial inequality; fiscally healthy communities and regions; sustainably managed land and water resources; and functional land markets and reduced informality.

Urban Sustainability Team Overview

The Urban Sustainability team sits within the Land and Communities Impact Area of Programs at the Lincoln Institute. Our work focuses primarily on global cities and their land use management systems but also recognizes the importance of strong urban-rural linkages, is informed by and addresses climate change, and seeks to improve quality of life for all, with an emphasis on historically marginalized communities. The Urban Sustainability team currently manages three programs: Sustainable Urban Form, Climate Mobility and Displacement, and Equitable Urban Greening.

Position Overview

We are looking for a Program Coordinator to join the Urban Sustainability (UrbS) team. You will help us enhance our impact by contributing to our current and future initiatives, including networks, convenings, workshops, place-based pilot programs, research, publications, and communications. You will be an integral member of the team, building thought partnerships while coordinating internally and interfacing with our external audience. The Program Coordinator will be responsible for key aspects of programmatic work, including research synthesis and analysis, and should have an interest in building their expertise in relevant subject matters.

This is a full-time position (37.5 hrs./wk) ideally located in our Cambridge, MA office. This position is a hybrid work arrangement with about two days weekly in the office, and the selected candidate could work out of our Washington, DC, office instead. Our team tends to operate on a four-day workweek schedule.

What You Will Do: Program Specific Work
• Contribute to research and data collection projects, including literature reviews, research synthesis and analysis, and drafting content for proposals and other materials.
• Review, copy-edit, and format working papers and other materials.
• Collaborate with cross-department staff to coordinate events (e.g., lectures, workshops, gatherings, or other presentations).
• Contribute to outreach, external engagement, and marketing.
• Coordinate Requests for Proposals.
• Build and maintain up-to-date familiarity with trends and topics related to Urban Sustainability programs.
• Monitor and maintain materials on the internal network (SharePoint).
• Take notes and summarize decisions and action items in team meetings.
• Track and manage network contacts and partners.
• Schedule meetings with internal and external partners and make space reservations for both in-office and virtual meetings (e.g., Zoom, Teams).
• Assist with team travel and logistics associated with attendance at events held by external organizations.
• Adhere and contribute to improvement of team procedures, practices, and processes
• Grow in subject matter expertise and ability to represent the team and the Institute externally.

Event Specific Work
• Draft, edit, proofread, and format program materials, including agendas, participant lists, feedback forms, and other documents.
• Gather participant contact information and coordinate receipt of participant contributions to event materials.
• Work with internal and external partners to ensure event-related tasks stay on track.

Procurement, Budget, and Finance Specific Work
• Obtain necessary information for procurement requests and correspond with researchers, universities, and other contractors regarding Lincoln contract requirements.
• Monitor contract deliverables and communicate with contractors regarding deliverable status.
• Assist with payment processing for contract deliverables.
• Produce budget estimates.
• Monitor and update program budget and expenditure system to ensure that information is accurately reflected; resolve missing or inaccurate entries.
• Monitor the finance system to ensure that vendors receive payments in a timely manner.

Website Specific Work
• Coordinate with cross-department staff to draft, update, and monitor website content.
• Assist in collecting materials (articles, graphics, images, etc.) for web-based presentations, based on existing or new materials, obtaining copyright permission from authors and journals, and other related tasks.