Job Description

Agency Description:

The New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) promotes quality and affordability in the city's housing, and diversity and strength in the city’s neighborhoods because every New Yorker deserves a safe, affordable place to live in a neighborhood they love.

• We maintain building and resident safety and health

• We create opportunities for New Yorkers through housing affordability

• We engage New Yorkers to build and sustain neighborhood strength and diversity.

HPD is entrusted with fulfilling these objectives through the goals and strategies of “Housing Our Neighbors: A Blueprint for Housing and Homelessness,” Mayor Adams’ comprehensive housing framework. To support this important work, the administration has committed $5 billion in new capital funding, bringing the 10-year planned investment in housing to $22 billion the largest in the city’s history. This investment, coupled with a commitment to reduce administrative and regulatory barriers, is a multi-pronged strategy to tackle New York City’s complex housing crisis, by addressing homelessness and housing instability, promoting economic stability and mobility, increasing homeownership opportunities, improving health and safety, and increasing opportunities for equitable growth. __

Your Team:

The Division of Building and Land Development Services (BLDS) leads the agency’s effort in providing architectural, engineering, cost valuation, environmental planning, and construction support services to the various divisions within HPD’s Office of Development. The Office of Development utilizes a public-private partnership model and provides loans, grants and/or incentives to assist in the finance of housing development projects that will benefit low- and moderate-income New Yorkers.

The Division of Building and Land Development Services is the largest division within the Office of Development with over 120 staff composed of seven units which include: the Bureau of New Construction Design Services, the Bureau of Preservation Design Services, the Bureau of Engineering, the Bureau of Construction Services, Environmental Planning Unit, the Policy Unit, and the Program Management Unit.

Your Impact:

BLDS is seeking a Chief of Staff who will be responsible for managing and implementing a portfolio of initiatives implemented by BLDS Executive Office. The Chief of Staff will be the liaison among the BLDS Executive Office, the Office of Development and external stake holders, such as Department of Buildings, Con Ed and Department of Environmental Protection, among others.

Your Role:

As the Chief of Staff for BLDS, you will report to the Assistant Commissioner of BLDS, and help to manage the division’s operations, develop policy, and assist with the implementation of the Executive Office’s priorities. This position will include close collaboration with the Office of Development leadership and partner agencies.

The ideal candidate should have management experience and a Bachelor or Graduate degree in Urban Planning, Public Administration, Architecture, Construction Management, or related field; technical skills and experience in affordable housing development are strongly preferred. S/he should possess excellent organizational and communication skills, and be competent in negotiating with diverse technical specialists and applying sound judgment in technical matters.

Your Responsibilities:

As the Chief of Staff, you will perform duties including, but not limited to, the following:

• Work closely with the Assistant Commissioner and the BLDS Executive Office to develop, implement, track progress, and evaluate various operational, policy, and strategic planning strategies for the division, and assure they are aligned with the Agency’s mission;

• Work collaboratively with Office of Development leadership and various parts of the Agency to ensure that the division’s efforts are aligned with the Agency’s and Administration’s goals and priorities, as outlined in the Housing Blueprint;

• Serve as a liaison with senior leadership team members across the agency to represent the division in intra- and inter-agency objectives, initiatives, and special projects;

• Review proposed policy and/or legislation and identify potential impacts on project pipelines, programmatic timeframes, and technical services provided by the division;

• Develop tracking tools, technical reports, and others deliverables, as requested;

• Assist in data management and data analyses for the division;

• Develop and maintain communication and strong working relationships with teams across BLDS, the Office of Development, and HPD, and support the division’s role in interagency-related initiatives;

• Respond to various inquiries and attend meetings on behalf of the Assistant Commissioner, as necessary;

• Assist with operational and/or policy-related tasks and time-sensitive requests, as necessary.

Preferred Skills:

Strong preference for candidates who possess:

• Demonstrated capacity for performing multiple tasks, analyzing complex processes, and using independent judgment.

• Knowledge of or experience working with affordable housing developments and /or capital projects.

• Knowledge of or experience with the design and construction process; ability to read architectural drawings and familiarity with the City’s zoning and building codes is a plus.

• Excellent organizational, interpersonal and communication skills.

• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision.

• Proficiency using Microsoft Office suite; data visualization experience is a plus.

Qualifications

1. A baccalaureate degree in architecture from an accredited college or university and two (2) years of full-time experience in planning, design, research, investigations and/or studies related to urban design development programs; or

2. A satisfactory combination of education and/or experience which is equivalent to ""1"" above. However, a baccalaureate degree in architecture is required of all candidates. Graduate work

leading to an advanced degree in architecture, urban design or city planning maybe substituted for experience on a year-for-year basis.

Additional Information

The City of New York is an inclusive equal opportunity employer committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based upon any legally protected status or protected characteristic, including but not limited to an individual's sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender identity, or pregnancy.