Deputy Commissioner

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Job Description
- Deputy Commissioner (9679-DPD-102026)

Job Description

9679-DPD-102026

Description

JOB ANNOUNCEMENT

Deputy Commissioner

Department of Planning & Development

Bureau of Economic Development

Number of Positions: 1

The City of Chicago’s Department of Planning and Development is responsible for the economic development growth of the City and its neighborhoods. This work is largely done through the Department’s Bureau of Economic Development (the Bureau), whose mission is to create equitable economic growth throughout Chicago, by investing financial resources and support in people, businesses, and neighborhoods. To do that, the Bureau administers a variety of programs including Community Development Grants (CDG), Neighborhood Opportunity Fund (NOF), Tax Increment Financing (TIF), and Property Tax Abatements.

In total, the City has used these programs to make approximately $1.7 billion in investments in Chicago’s neighborhoods over the past five years.

Within the Bureau, the Deputy Commissioner is responsible for leading and overseeing the work of both the Underwriting and Monitoring & Compliance Groups. This includes all aspects of the City’s management of projects, including application review, financial analysis, contract negotiations and execution, legislative approvals, and long-term compliance monitoring. Although the Deputy Commissioner does not directly perform the related day-to-day tasks, the position requires providing frequent project-level support and guidance on certain key tasks, including the application review, financial analysis, contract negotiations, and legislative approvals.

The Deputy Commissioner is additionally responsible for the operations of the Bureau’s various programs and funding rounds which are primary vehicles by which projects are selected. This work includes not only ensuring these remain high-functioning programs, but also simultaneously pursuing policy, process, and programmatic changes that improve operations and outcomes.

• Oversee the administration of the City’s use of financial incentives, including the managers of the Underwriting and the Monitoring and Compliance Group and the subordinate staff.
• Supervise and support critical aspects of the application review and project management process with a particular emphasis on financial due diligence, contract negotiation, and legislative approval.
• Facilitate the monthly meetings of the Community Development Commission and the TIF Investment Committee, including oversight of staff responsible for the coordination of those meetings.
• Represent the Department at City Council when seeking its approval for the use of funds for specific projects.
• Evaluate program operations and identify opportunities to make improvements by implementing new or revised policies and procedures.
• Develop and supervise the preparation of operational and administrative reports summarizing the Bureau’s activities.
• Ensure a high degree of project and program data integrity including the Bureau’s consistent use of PROMA in order to improve the Department’s data-driven decision making.
• Oversee the Bureau’s data transparency efforts, including meeting the statutory requirements of the TIF Sunshine Ordinance and the TIF Annual Reports.

Serve as Bureau liaison with Alders and other elected officials, operating departments, governmental agencies, and private consultants on specific projects, policy concerns, and operational issues.

• Engage external stakeholders for both project- and program-specific issues, including developers, community-based organizations, and residents.
• Ass…