Assistant Director (Boston Home Center)

City of Boston; Boston (MA); On-site; USD 60,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking an Assistant Director for the Boston Home Center. This pivotal role involves overseeing construction monitoring and supporting homeowners in maintaining their homes. The ideal candidate will lead initiatives aimed at electrifying and decarbonizing properties, contributing to the city's goal of carbon neutrality by 2050. With a focus on collaboration and project management, you'll ensure the success of various housing programs while representing the division in key communications. Join a team dedicated to making Boston a more equitable and inclusive city, and be part of transformative projects that impact the community positively.

Qualifications

• 4+ years in housing, construction, or program management with supervisory experience.
• Strong skills in writing, negotiation, and project management are essential.

Responsibilities

• Oversee programs and staff in the Homeowner Services team.
• Coordinate new program development and represent the Director as needed.

Skills

Project Management

Communication Skills

Analytical Skills

Problem-Solving

Negotiation Skills

Sensitivity to Diverse Populations

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Housing, Architecture, or Related Field

Master's Degree (preferred)

Tools

Microsoft Office

Google Suite

Energy Audit Tools

Job description

Overview

The mission of the Mayor's Office of Housing (MOH) is to make Boston a more equitable and inclusive city where all residents can thrive. MOH oversees programs that create and preserve affordable housing, support homeowners and renters, provide housing and services to homeless individuals and families, and develop city-owned property. MOH seeks to carry out its mission through a lens of promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion and addressing the effects of systemic racism in our city.

The Boston Home Center (BHC) helps Boston residents purchase, improve, and keep their homes. The BHC offers training, financial help and counseling to first-time homebuyers, guidance and funding for homeowners for home improvements, and counseling to help families avoid foreclosure. The BHC also markets homes developed for income-eligible, first-time homebuyers as well as supports homeowners to decarbonize their homes.

Brief Job Description:

Under the direct supervision of the Director of the Boston Home Center (BHC) or their designee, the Assistant Director is responsible for overseeing the construction monitoring from the Homeowner Services Unit (HOS), which includes homeowners' home repair programs and services as well as the construction monitoring field office and services. The Assistant Director will help implement the city's homeownership goals and lead the unit that assists homeowners in maintaining their homes. This includes initiatives to electrify and decarbonize owner-occupied 2-4 unit buildings and transition to sustainable, green, and healthy homes in Boston, working towards carbon neutrality by 2050.

Additionally, the ideal candidate will possess excellent staff supervisory and project management skills, communication skills, a collaborative approach, and the ability to manage multiple complex projects simultaneously. As the 'second in command,' the Assistant Director must be prepared to represent the Boston Home Center Division and stand in for the Director when necessary.

Responsibilities

• Senior leader is responsible for oversight of all programs and staff in the Homeowner services team in the Boston Home Center.
• Convene staff and coordinate work across the Homeowner Services Unit (HOS) and the Homebuyer Assistance (HBA) Unit when needed.
• Coordinate with other Assistant Directors on new program and policy development efforts and make recommendations to assist in the design and launch of innovative homeowner programs and new initiatives.
• Represent the Director as needed in formal and informal communications with leadership at partner public and private funders.
• Act as liaison between City departments and appointed bodies on project-specific matters.
• Complete special projects identified by the Director or Director of MOH.
• Review and evaluate contractor performance quarterly for review by the Director.
• Develop a protocol for regular contractor evaluation by constituents.
• Collaborate on HOS policies, procedures, and program design of HOS programs.
• Oversee the progress of construction-related activities on projects, including review of the Construction Managers project tracking systems for caseloads, site visits and turnaround times.
• Direct spot checks of projects in construction to assess the quality of work performed and adherence to policies and procedures.
• Act as BHC’s liaison to other agencies on BHC construction projects with permitting and related issues.
• Prepare and oversee requests for proposals, service orders, contracts, grant agreements, and memorandums of agreement (MOA’s) as needed.
• Track program performance and provide data-driven reports to senior leadership, ensuring compliance with funding and regulatory requirements, and evaluating the success of decarbonization strategies.
• Perform public speaking and outreach to publicize homebuyer programs.
• Oversee unit audits.
• Perform other duties as required.

Minimum Entrance Qualifications

• At least four (4) years of experience in housing, residential development, architecture, construction, and/or program management, with at least three (3) years of staff supervisory experience.
• Appropriate educational substitutions may be made.
• Excellent writing, negotiation, communication, organizational, analytical, problem-solving, and management skills.
• Experience in finance, architecture, construction, or program/project management.
• Demonstrated experience with lead abatement and knowledge of relevant laws.
• Experience with a variety of housing programs and projects.
• Knowledge of construction, specification writing, and cost-estimating technologies.
• Familiarity with codes, permitting, and regulatory processes.
• Familiarity with energy audit tools, energy-efficient technologies, and best practices for low-carbon construction and renovation.
• Understanding of construction requirements for State and Federal public programs.
• Demonstrated knowledge and understanding of HUD-related programs, including the Community Development Block Grant Program and other federal and state rules and guidelines as they apply to home repair assistance programs.
• Must have and maintain a valid MA driver's license and willingness to work evenings and weekends throughout the city.
• Demonstrated sensitivity to the needs of diverse populations.
• Working knowledge or experience with Microsoft Office and Google Suite.
• Ability to exercise good judgment and focus on detail.
• Ability to speak and write fluently in Spanish or other non-English language preferred.

BOSTON RESIDENCY REQUIRED

Terms: Union/Salary Plan/Grade: Non-Union/NU-26

Hours per week: 35

Please refer to the Salary Information section on the Boston Career Center site for more information on compensation. For each Salary Plan, salaries are listed by Grade and Step.