The University of Washington Tacoma (UWT)
Tacoma, WA
Assistant Professor of Design and Spatial Justice
https://apply.interfolio.com/155749
Position Overview
The University of Washington Tacoma (UWT) invites applications for a tenure-track, Assistant Professor of Urban Design and Planning in the School of Urban Studies (SUS). This is a full-time (100% FTE) position with a 9-month service period and an expected start date of September 16, 2025. The initial appointment will be for a three-year term, eligible for reappointment after successful academic review.
The School of Urban Studies has an open position in urban design or related field. This position will be expected to engage in research that focuses on advancing spatial justice, broadly understood. This position will be expected to engage in scholarly areas such as, but not limited to: Indigenous planning, sovereignty planning, climate justice, transportation equity, or otherwise use frameworks such as anti-racism, abolition, intersectionality, or anti-colonial perspectives to understand urban environments.
Responsibilities
All faculty at the UW engage in teaching, scholarship, and service within their school, the University, and their professional community. UW Tacoma and the School of Urban Studies are committed to hiring and supporting faculty who will enhance diversity, inclusion, and equal opportunity in higher education through their teaching, scholarship, and service activities.
The successful candidate will be expected to perform highly effective and inclusive teaching, using a variety of pedagogical techniques and technologies, in an urban-serving campus environment. Faculty at UWT are expected to teach in multiple modalities, including in-person, online, and hybrid courses. Faculty at UWT are also expected to successfully mentor undergraduate and graduate students in an academic setting with diverse experiences and backgrounds.
The Assistant Professor of Urban Design and Planning will be expected to teach undergraduate urban design studios. They will also teach introductory GIS courses, and/or to contribute broadly to the School of Urban Studies curriculum. The expected teaching load for this position is the equivalent of six (6) undergraduate courses per academic year.
Positive factors for consideration include, but are not limited to individuals with interest and/or experience in one or more of the following areas: fostering co-learning and collaborative environments; community-engaged teaching, scholarship, and service; connecting theoretical work and action-oriented practice; and developing and/or delivering innovative classes in an urban studies curriculum. The successful candidate will be expected to bring critical perspectives on the experiences of underrepresented groups in U.S. to their academic work.
Compensation
The base salary range for this position is $9,444 to $9,723 per month ($84,996 to $87,507 per 9-month academic year), commensurate with experience and qualifications, or as mandated by a U.S. Department of Labor prevailing wage determination. Other compensation associated with this position may include a one-time relocation allowance, if applicable, and professional/research funds. A summary of benefits associate with this title/rank can be found at https://hr.uw.edu/benefits/benefits-orientation/benefit-summary-pdfs/.
Qualifications
An earned Ph.D. (or foreign equivalent) in Urban Design or closely related field, and demonstrated effectiveness in teaching and research/scholarship in the candidate’s area of expertise are required.
In exceptional circumstances, candidates in the final stages of their terminal degree (pending conferral) may be selected and appointed on an acting basis.
About UW Tacoma
The University of Washington Tacoma (UWT) is an urban-serving institution committed to providing a community-engaged education to a diverse student body. The UWT campus is located on the ancestral lands of the Puyallup Tribe of Indians within the traditional territories of the Coast Salish people. Established in 1990, our thriving downtown campus serves students of a wide range of ages and backgrounds; including an overall undergraduate population consisting over more than 50% first-generation college students.
The University of Washington Tacoma is one of three campuses of the University of Washington, providing faculty with access to the resources of a major, state-flagship research university while working and teaching within a small campus setting. The University of Washington is among the 119 institutions of higher education in the U.S. to receive the Carnegie Community Engagement Classification, an elective designation denoting institutional commitment to community engagement. UWT is a Minority-Serving Institution (MSI) and a federally funded Asian American Native American Pacific Islander- Serving Institution (AANAPISI). In particular, the Tacoma campus is renowned for its community-engaged activities, wherein many of its faculty, students, and staff are taking an active role in transforming the city and region into a thriving and just collective of communities.
The faculty of the School of Urban Studies believes that community-engaged learning is essential for fostering co-learning environments where knowledge is collaboratively created and applied to address real-world challenges. We value learning spaces which emphasize reciprocity and cultural humility, while cultivating empathy, critical thinking skills, and a commitment to social justice. For information about community partnership opportunities, visit https://www.tacoma.uw.edu/community-partnerships.
Faculty at UWT have access to the resources of a major research university while working and teaching within a small campus setting. UWT consists of approximately 5,000 students, across seven schools, and offers a variety of professional and academic degrees and certifications. UWT’s commitment to equity and inclusion is central to maintaining an atmosphere wherein students, staff, faculty, and community members find abundant opportunities for intellectual, personal, and professional growth.
Consistent with UWT’s urban-serving mission, our campus provides a unique environment for faculty to creatively develop their teaching, scholarship, and service portfolios, and to engage with the Tacoma community. UWT’s commitment to diversity and belonging is central to this mission, and to creating an atmosphere where students, staff, faculty, and community members find abundant opportunities for intellectual, personal, and professional growth. For more information about UW Tacoma, visit www.tacoma.uw.edu.
Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
The University of Washington Tacoma and the School of Urban Studies are dedicated to hiring and supporting faculty who will enhance diversity, social equity, and inclusion in higher education through their teaching, scholarship, and service. Creative scholarship agendas linking knowledge, community service, and professional practice are supported and encouraged. We encourage applicants from diverse backgrounds and areas of practice to apply.
Application Instructions
To apply, please submit the following, via Interfolio:
- A cover letter, providing an overview of your academic interests, qualifications, and relevant teaching and/or research experience. (two-page maximum)
- A curriculum vitae, including a list of courses taught, their frequency, and your role in each course (e.g., primary instructor vs. teaching assistant)
- A diversity statement, describing your commitment to diversity, social equity, and inclusion, and how you have demonstrated or plan to demonstrate this in your teaching, scholarship, and service. Please describe how your work will further UWT’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (two-page maximum)
- A research statement, including an assessment of the impact of your research, a concise description of planned research areas, and plans for seeking additional support and/or funding. Please include how you will involve and support the success of UWT students in your research and/or research area. (two-page maximum)
- A teaching statement, describing your teaching philosophy and including methods you use (or intend to use) and high-impact teaching practices that you use (or intend to use). (two-page maximum)
- Evidence of teaching effectiveness. This might include: sample syllabi, quantitative and/or qualitative student evaluations, samples of student work, and/or peer teaching evaluations.
- Work Portfolio. This might include design-based work samples (3-5 projects).
- Names and contact information for three professional references, with letters available upon request.
All application materials must be submitted through Interfolio (https://www.interfolio.com/). [SKDB1] Application materials received via mail or email will not be considered. Screening of applications will begin on November 7 and will continue until the position is filled. For further information or specific inquiries, please contact Anaid Yerena, search committee Chair, at yerena@uw.edu.
The following is automatically included in all Interfolio postings: --------------------------------------------------
Equal Employment Opportunity Statement
University of Washington is an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, pregnancy, genetic information, gender identity or expression, age, disability, or protected veteran status.
Benefits Information
A summary of benefits associated with this title/rank can be found at https://hr.uw.edu/benefits/benefits-orientation/benefit-summary-pdfs/. Appointees solely employed and paid directly by a non-UW entity are not UW employees and are not eligible for UW or Washington State employee benefits.
Commitment to Diversity
The University of Washington is committed to building diversity among its faculty, librarian, staff, and student communities, and articulates that commitment in the UW Diversity Blueprint (http://www.washington.edu/diversity/diversity-blueprint/). Additionally, the University’s Faculty Code recognizes faculty efforts in research, teaching and/or service that address diversity and equal opportunity as important contributions to a faculty member’s academic profile and responsibilities (https://www.washington.edu/admin/rules/policies/FCG/FCCH24.html#2432).
Privacy Notice
Review the University of Washington Privacy Notice for Demographic Data of Job Applicants and University Personnel to learn how your demographic data are protected, when the data may be used, and your rights.
Disability Services
To request disability accommodation in the application process, contact the Disability Services Office at 206-543-6450 or dso@uw.edu.
Junior Urban Planning Researcher & Project Management Consultant
Boston, Massachusetts
About Rivera Consulting, Inc:
Established in 2015, Rivera Consulting is a Boston-based management and strategy consulting firm. We are a diverse set of multi-disciplinary practitioners who work at the intersection of planning, engagement, and equity. Since 2019, the company has grown by 300% and doubled the size of our team, where we integrate mixed-method research, organizational development, and urban planning to advance new solutions to complex problems.
Research: Social Science, Geography, and Values Led. We leverage our lived experiences, cultural competency, and mixed-method research skills to design community informed strategic planning processes, plans, evaluations, and assessments.
Urban Planning: Equity Advisors and Inclusive Planning. Our social justice and equity framework is interdisciplinary and rooted in literature reviews, practices, and principles related to social determinants of health and transit equity as well as reparative urban design methodologies like mutual learning, spatial accessibility, and disaggregate data.
Organizational Development: Asset-Based Change Management. We leverage emergent facilitation, coaching, capacity building, and mixed-method research to improve learning, culture, and collaboration as well as to strengthen strategic and organizational decision-making for your day today work.
Overview of Role and Responsibilities:
Rivera Consulting seeks a full-time Junior Urban Planning Researcher & Project Management Consultant, an entry level role, to work closely with our firm’s President and Founder Wilnelia Rivera in addition to members of our firm’s research and urban planning team. We are seeking a detail-oriented candidate that is passionate about social change, urban planning, and community-informed research. As a multi-disciplinary firm, the consultant will work primarily with the President and Senior Research Consultant as a project manager across the firm’s portfolio of urban planning and research-based clients.
The Project Manager will have the opportunity to engage with a variety of non-profit, municipal, and state-based clients. Responsibilities include, but are not limited to project management of client project plan, agenda development, facilitation support, final deliverable creation, and client status updates.
This individual will lead meeting follow-up needs and collateral production in collaboration with the firm President (and other staff assigned to similar client engagements) to ensure timely delivery and progress with clients. They will provide thought partnership with the President and relevant staff on how to best design and implement client engagements, stakeholder convenings, and research-based tasks. This individual will communicate with the internal Rivera Consulting team, our project partners, and community stakeholders, manage risks and issues to project goals, and will monitor progress to ensure that client engagements remain on schedule. This is a great opportunity for anyone interested in learning about building an inclusive team for a growing start-up business that is focused on innovative urban planning research and change management practices to catalyze new results for communities across Massachusetts. The Equity Researcher & Project Management Consultant will be given the opportunity to take an active role in Rivera Consulting projects throughout all phases of client engagement, be it discovery research, project design and implementation, stakeholder facilitation, or final deliverable creation and content.
Assignments and needs will vary based on the client, project need, and firm capacity. Applicants must have strong self-accountability as well as organizational and interpersonal skills. Experience working with, advocating for, and supporting intersectional values, as well as BIPOC and TGNC communities are critical. We are looking for someone with entry level experience that is an excellent writer and comfortable working in a fast paced, values-driven start-up environment. Previous experience in working with executive leaders and/or senior managers will also be considered. Applicants with undergraduate degrees is a plus, but not a requirement. Previous lived and work experience will be valued in tandem with overall education. This position can be done remotely, with access to a shared workspace in downtown Boston.
Essential Qualifications:
Familiarity with Massachusetts, its planning system, and its cities and towns
1-3 years experience working in government, non-profit, or community settings with a focus on urban planning, policy advocacy, or education;
Strong writing skills and an ability to self-edit as well as copy edit and write collaboratively
Ability to exercise sound judgment and manage multiple tasks and workflow productively
Must excel working independently as well as in collaboration with President, Senior Consultants, their clients and other team members of the RC team (as applicable)
Project manage assigned clients that fall under the research and urban planning portfolio
A baseline understanding and background in the policy areas of housing, transit, environmental justice, and economic opportunity
Comfort with project management tools and willingness to both adapt and provide recommendations to current firm management systems
Background and skills in Microsoft excel, graphic visualization, and powerpoint presentation techniques
Ability to establish and maintain consistent client and internal communication schedule
Punctuality and strong time management skills
Experience in group facilitation approaches and meeting agenda development
Ability to organize own time and act on own initiative
Experience in a community-facing or otherwise public-facing role at any level—for example, in political campaigns, community organizing, retail, food service, community-based research, or direct service provision
Availability within the standard weekday work day hours and with some evening weekday client meeting, including ability to attend some in-person meetings and events related to client engagement
If Interested, please email resume and cover letter to gina@RiveraConsult.com with the subject line “Project Management Consultant Application”
Equity Researcher and Urban Planning Consultant (Hybrid/Remote)
Boston, Massachusetts
About Rivera Consulting, Inc:
Established in 2015, Rivera Consulting is a Boston-based management and strategy consulting firm. We are a diverse set of multi-disciplinary practitioners who work at the intersection of planning, engagement, and equity. Since 2019, the company has grown by 300% and doubled the size of our team, where we integrate mixed-method research, organizational development, and urban planning to advance new solutions to complex problems.
Research: Social Science, Geography, and Values Led. We leverage our lived experiences, cultural competency, and mixed-method research skills to design community informed strategic planning processes, plans, evaluations, and assessments.
Urban Planning: Equity Advisors and Inclusive Planning. Our social justice and equity framework is interdisciplinary and rooted in literature reviews, practices, and principles related to social determinants of health and transit equity as well as reparative urban design methodologies like mutual learning, spatial accessibility, and disaggregate data.
Organizational Development: Asset-Based Change Management. We leverage emergent facilitation, coaching, capacity building, and mixed-method research to improve learning, culture, and collaboration as well as to strengthen strategic and organizational decision-making for your day today work.
Overview of Role and Responsibilities:
Rivera Consulting seeks an Equity Researcher and Urban Planning Consultant, an Associate level role, who is passionate about community-informed data analysis, visualization, and inclusive planning and engagement. The Research Consultant will support research-driven client work across Rivera Consulting’s urban planning and qualitative research portfolios. This individual will have the opportunity to engage with a variety of urban planning projects in and around Massachusetts, with a particular focus on housing and transportation planning, community engagement, and spatial analysis to support planning an equitable public realm. This position is designed for recent Master's-level graduates in city, urban or transit planning or those that hold comparable professional experience and skill sets. Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
A passion for and commitment to social justice and equity as well as an inclusive and deeply democratic society. A bachelor’s degree and a minimum of 2 years relevant professional experience required; a master’s degree may be substituted for relevant or similar work experience
Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods research, including people centered data collection and analysis
The utilization of GIS, Tableau, or other spatial analysis tools in service of urban planning research, equity, and mobility
Stakeholder management and interviews
Editing, writing, and final deliverable creation for varied clients across the municipal and nonprofit sectors
Support the firm in visualization and data analysis of primary clients and department prospecting
As a member of the Research Team, the Equity Researcher and Urban Planning Consultant is supervised by the Senior Research Consultant for direct supervision and works closely with the President overall as well as other assigned staff and/or subcontracts on shared client projects.
Essential Qualifications:
Familiarity with Massachusetts, its planning system, and its cities and towns
Educational background in city, transit and/or urban planning, sustainability, geography, social determinants of health, economics, statistics, or another discipline that emphasizes research skills, specifically for interpreting quantitative information for policy or decision-making purposes on a neighborhood or municipal level
Background in quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods research techniques, especially equity oriented research
Excellent writing skills and the ability to self-edit and write collaboratively
A deep knowledge and understanding of urban planning spatial analysis tools, including experience in analyzing, summarizing, and visualizing municipal zoning regulations and parcel information for the purpose of existing conditions analyses and policy recommendations
Experience with data analysis of publicly accessible data
Mastery Experience In GIS—please include a brief description from a project on which you worked in your cover letter
Experience with data visualization techniques and approaches, including using infographic tools like Venngage
A foundational understanding and background in the policy areas of housing, transit, environmental justice, and economic opportunity
Strong project management skills, including time management
Availability within the standard weekday work day hours and with some evening weekday client meeting, including ability to attend some in-person meetings and events related to client engagement.
If Interested, please email resume and cover letter to gina@RiveraConsult.com with the subject line “Equity Researcher & Urban Planning Consultant””