Chief of Staff, Division of Building and Land Development Services

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.

The Office of Development (OOD) leads the agency’s effort to create and preserve affordable housing in collaboration with other HPD offices as well as other city, state and federal agencies. The OOD is comprised of eight divisions that administer a range of programs. These divisions include:

• New Construction Finance
• Special Needs Housing
• Housing Incentives
• Building and Land Development Services (BLDS)
• Home ownership Opportunities and Preservation
• Preservation Finance
• Portfolio Management and Conversions
• Compliance and Enforcement

The Division of Building and Land Development Services (BLDS) provides architectural, engineering, cost valuation, environmental planning, and construction support services to the various divisions within HPD’s Office of Development. BLDS is the largest division within the Office of Development with over 100 staff composed of seven units which include: the Bureau of New Construction Design Review Services, the Bureau of Preservation Design Review Services, the Bureau of Engineering, the Bureau of Construction Services, the Environmental Planning Unit, the Policy Unit, and the Program Management Unit.

As Chief of Staff, you will be responsible for managing and implementing a portfolio of initiatives implemented by BLDS Executive Office and acting as the liaison between the BLDS Executive Office, the Office of Development and external stakeholders such as the Department of Buildings, Con Edison and the Department of Environmental Protection.

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’s or graduate degree in Urban Planning, Public Administration, Architecture, Construction Management, or a related field; technical skills and experience in affordable housing development are strongly preferred. They must possess excellent organizational and communication skills and be competent in negotiating with diverse technical specialists and applying sound judgment in technical matters.

• 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 time frames, and technical services provided by the division.
• Develop tracking tools, technical reports, and other 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.

• Demonstrated capacity for performing multiple tasks, analyzing complex processes, and using independent judgment.
• Knowledge of or experience working with affordable housing…