Job Description

About the Agency:

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.

BLDS 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 Review Services, the Bureau of Preservation Design Review Services, the Bureau of Engineering, the Bureau of Construction Services, Environmental Planning Unit, the Policy Unit, and the Program Management Unit.

Your Impact:

As Senior Environmental Planner for BLDS, you will work with the Environmental Planning Unit to conduct environmental reviews of new construction and rehabilitation projects in accordance with City, State and Federal environmental regulations. The unit focuses on developing and implementing a framework to identify critical milestones of the project life cycle to assure on-time and on-budget completion of affordable housing projects with various new construction and preservation projects that are in both the design and post-construction phases.

Your Role:

The ideal candidate should have a Bachelor, or Graduate Degree in Urban or Environmental Planning, Environmental Studies or Environmental Science are strongly preferred. S/he should be able to negotiate with diverse technical specialists and apply sound judgment in technical matters.

Your Responsibilities:

- Assist the Deputy Director and Director to prepare and review federal environmental assessments, pursuant to the regulations of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), with particular focus on U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) environmental reviews;

- Assist the Deputy Director and Director to prepare CEQR applications and analyses, including Environmental Assessment Statements;

- Assist the Deputy Director and Director to provide oversight and technical assistance to staff to ensure compliance with environmental determinations;

- Assist the Deputy Director and Director to provide day-to-day project management on environmental reviews and work efficiently to meet project deadlines;

- Assist the Deputy Director and Director to work with other agency staff and applicants to provide technical assistance in the preparation, review and submission of applications;

- Coordinate inter- and intra-agency technical reviews, review and analyze environmental applications and prepare environmental determinations and other forms of correspondence;

- Represent the agency at intra- and inter-agency committee meetings and public forums.

Preferred skills

1. Highly organized, demonstrate the ability to multi-task and meet deadlines, and possess excellent communication and computer skills.
2. Excellent writing and analytical skills are highly preferred.
3. Ability to work in a fast-paced environment, negotiate with diverse technical specialists, apply independent judgment in technical matters, take initiative, and work effectively with others.
4. Excellent writing, interpersonal, organizational, communication, leadership, and negotiation skills.
5. Demonstrated ability to meet deadlines, coordinate multiple projects, and deal with complex construction issues.
6. Proficient in the operation of Microsoft Suite.
7. A Motor Vehicle Driver License valid in the State of New York may be required for certain assignments. If required, this license must be maintained for the duration of the assignment.
8. Candidate may be subject to a background investigation conducted by the New York City Department of Investigation.

Qualifications

1. For Assignment Level I (only physical, biological and environmental sciences and public health) A master’s degree from an accredited college or university with a specialization in an appropriate field of physical, biological or environmental science or in public health.
To be appointed to Assignment Level II and above, candidates must have:
1. A doctorate degree from an accredited college or university with specialization in an appropriate field of physical, biological, environmental or social science and one year of full-time experience in a responsible supervisory, administrative or research capacity in the appropriate field of specialization; or
2. A master’s degree from an accredited college or university with specialization in an appropriate field of physical, biological, environmental or social science and three years of responsible full-time research experience in the appropriate field of specialization; or
3. Education and/or experience which is equivalent to "1" or "2" above. However, all candidates must have at least a master’s degree in an appropriate field of specialization and at least two years of experience described in "2" above. Two years as a City Research Scientist Level I can be substituted for the experience required in "1" and "2" above.

NOTE:
Probationary Period
Appointments to this position are subject to a minimum probationary period of one year.