Programming Assistant Jobs in Needham, MA (NOW HIRING)

Under the direction of the City Engineer or his designee, this position will assist with the daily administrative activities of the Engineering Division. Tasks are primarily administrative in nature, and are performed in an office setting, and include answering phones, responding to emails and other duties as assigned.                           

Description of Work Performed:

• Assist the Engineering Division with customer service, finding and printing plans, and scanning documents.
• Cover the Engineering office in the absence of the Office Engineer and/or the Permits Engineer.
• Assist customers with permit applications and with answering general questions.
• Assist with processing payments for permit applications, curb betterment applications, research/maps, and other applications and Engineering services as needed.
• Assists the Engineering office with purchase order requisitions and invoice payments.
• Assist the Engineering office in answering the Engineering office phone, responding to emails, scanning documents, and keeping the office in order.
• Assist the Engineering office by helping keep the records organized and reorganizing records as directed.
• Assist the Engineering Division with the preparation and distribution of public information materials.
• Conduct engineering research as requested within our Engineering records.

Desired Qualifications:

High school diploma or equivalent required.  Some college or trade school education is desirable. The candidate must have the ability to follow oral and written instruction. The candidate must be organized and proficient in basic computer software such as Microsoft Outlook, Word and Excel. Experience in civil engineering, plan review, and construction of public infrastructure is desirable.

THE CITY:
The City of Newton is a wonderful place to live and work. Newton has safe and attractive neighborhoods, an excellent public school system, an active community life, multiple transportation systems, proximity to Boston and a well-managed and financially strong City government. The City of Newton has a population of approximately 88,900, with 32,600 housing units and occupies a land area of 18.3 square miles. Newton is principally suburban-residential in character. Unlike many other communities that are established around a single Main Street or downtown, Newton is comprised of thirteen distinctive villages. Newton has a diversified economic base with approximately 4,700 establishments employing approximately 79,500 people. Newton is special in many ways. It is home to a variety of private secondary and post-secondary schools including a portion of Boston College, Lasell University, William James College, Hebrew College, and the UMass Amherst – Mount Ida Campus.  The longest stretch of the Boston Marathon runs through the City, including the well-known Heartbreak Hill. Newton-Wellesley Hospital, part of the Mass General Brigham health care system, serves as an important partner to the City. In September 2018, Newton was again ranked #1 in Massachusetts as the best place to live and #12 in the U.S.
OUR GOVERNMENT:
Newton has what is known as a “strong Mayor” form of government with the Mayor having the executive and administrative powers of the City. The legislative branch is comprised of 24 City Councilors. Mayor Marc C. Laredo was sworn in on January 1, 2026 after serving on the City Council. The City of Newton was evaluated by Moody’s Investors Services in February 2020 and assigned its highest rating of AAA. Newton was thus well-positioned to weather the pandemic and economic downturn.
AS AN EMPLOYER:

The City of Newton believes that its employees are its greatest asset.  To that end, we are committed to supporting our employees by providing competitive wages and growth, a comprehensive benefits package which includes a defined municipal pension plan, quality health and dental insurance plans, generous paid leave benefits, paid holidays, and access to supplemental benefits such as deferred compensation, short term disability plans, flexible spending accounts, and other employee benefits.  We also provide access to an Employee Assistance Program and access to employee training and professional development opportunities.  We continuously work to review and expand upon our benefit offerings.  We encourage you to visit our Human Resources Department website to learn more about our organization and benefits which are available to our employees.  And as always, you are encouraged to reach out to our dynamic HR Team by emailing hr@newtonma.gov.

Human Resources Diversity Statement

We recognize our workforce is a source of strength that is vital to our ability to effectively serve the City of Newton’s diverse community. We will:

• Actively recruit, develop, and retain a diverse and talented workforce.
• Proactively address discrimination through education and in partnership with other departments and leaders.
• Serve as a role model to celebrate and nurture diversity.
• Foster inclusion by staying curious and clarifying assumptions.
• Evaluate and develop policies and practices that reflect the diverse nature of our workforce.
• Build and strengthen accountability at all levels to support diversity efforts.

The targeted salary range reflects what the City of Newton reasonably and in good faith expects to offer for this position at the time of posting, but the final salary determination may be within or outside this range based on various factors, including, but not limited to, experience, skills, education, and market factors. The range will be reviewed regularly and is subject to change.

This is a non-benefited position