Director, Sprint Team

SmartRecruiters, Inc.; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 130,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

The Department of City Planning (DCP) seeks a Director of the Sprint Team to oversee expedited pre-certification and guide a team through high-priority housing and land-use applications. You will establish best practices, escalation procedures, and interdivisional coordination to meet program requirements.

You will work with executive leadership, borough offices, and external stakeholders to identify constraints, allocate resources, and monitor pipelines while ensuring accountability to SPEED

Qualifications

• A baccalaureate degree in city planning or equivalent required.
• Four years of full-time city planning experience, with at least 18 months in a managerial capacity.
• Graduate work may substitute for up to two years of experience.

Responsibilities

• Oversee expedited pre-certification reviews for high-priority housing projects.
• Lead a team responsible for managing applications through DCP review with milestones.
• Coordinate with counsel and operations to ensure procedural compliance and timelines.

Skills

Management

Project management

Education

Baccalaureate degree in City Planning

Job description

• Job Category: Engineering, Architecture, & Planning
• Salary Band: $125,000 to $150,000
• Compensation: USD 130,000 - USD 140,000

Job Description

DISCLAIMER: Only candidates who are permanent Administrative City Planners, those reachable on the civil service list, or New York City Employees serving permanently in comparable civil service titles are invited to apply.

THE AGENCY

The Department of City Planning (DCP) plans for the future of New York City, working to create thriving and dynamic neighborhoods with access to housing and jobs, resilient infrastructure, and a vibrant public realm. The Department engages communities to develop inclusive plans, expands housing access and economic opportunity, and plans for long-term sustainability.

DCP supports the City Planning Commission in its annual review of hundreds of land use applications. The Department also advises on citywide strategic and capital planning, analyzes data, conducts policy analysis, and creates open data and civic engagement tools.

The Department of City Planning offers staff meaningful opportunities to help shape the future of New York City and address some of its most pressing challenges. The Department values public service, collaboration, and creativity, and supports professional development.

THE DIVISION

Established to carry out the functions outlined in the SPEED Report, the Sprint Team is a new, dedicated project management team established to advance the Mamdani Administration's mandate to deliver affordable housing faster through streamlining the review of land use applications to reduce DCP pre-certification timelines for eligible projects from approximately two years to six months. The team will focus specifically on moving applications quickly, predictably, and transparently into public review while preserving the integrity of technical, zoning, and public review requirements. The land use application is the building block upon which the public discussion about the future of our city rests. The Division is responsible for the timely review of applications to ensure that decision-makers have the information necessary to make informed decisions about their communities.

Working closely with DCP Borough Offices, the Technical Review Division, Environmental Assessment and Review, Pipeline and Commission Operations, Counsel, Capital Planning and Support, Strategic Planning, and the Mayor’s Office, the Sprint Team will identify eligible projects, establish clear review pathways, resolve critical path issues, track milestones, maintain high-quality data in DCP’s Zoning Applications Portal and related systems, and ensure that applicants and reviewers have clear expectations and guidance.

The Sprint Team's primary responsibility is the direct management and review of complex land use applications progressing through pre-certification. Staff within the division will serve as lead project managers responsible for driving projects through the establishment of interdivisional guidance, identifying and escalating risks to schedule, coordinating guidance and comments to applicants and the City Planning Commission, maintaining accountability to milestone commitments, ensuring that applicants receive timely and actionable direction throughout the process, and providing transparency to the pre-certification pipeline through accurate reporting in DCP’s Zoning Application Portal.

The Sprint Team will operate in a highly deadline-driven environment requiring strong judgment, collaboration, technical and planning knowledge, focus on creating and maintaining agency best practices, and a public service dedication. The Director's work will directly support the City's housing production goals by leading a solutions-focused team to reduce avoidable delays while balancing the need to provide thoughtful and accurate guidance on technical and zoning requirements and public review recommendations and strengthening DCP’s accountability to support the city’s goals for affordable housing production.

THE ROLE

The Director of the Sprint Team will oversee the City's expedited pre-certification application review and lead a team responsible for managing high-priority housing and land use applications through DCP review. The Director will be responsible for the administration and success of DCP’s expedited pre-cert protocols for eligible projects and establish operational best practices, performance standards, escalation procedures, and interdivisional coordination practices to ensure that eligible applications advance accordingly to meet the program’s requirements.

The Director will work closely with executive leadership, borough offices, strategic and advisory divisions, and external stakeholders to identify systemic process constraints, allocate staffing resources, monitor project pipelines, and ensure accountability to agencywide SPEED objectives. The Director will supervise the Deputy Director, Team Leaders, and application review staff, oversee reporting structures and metrics, coordinate with Counsel and Pipeline and Commission Operations on procedural matters, and support strategic process improvements in collaboration with the executive office and Capital Planning and Support related to application review and milestone management.

DCP MANAGERIAL RESPONSIBILITIES

A well-organized workplace leads to a productive and happy workforce. DCP leaders are responsible for setting the tone and ensuring everyone works together towards a common goal, which includes, but is not limited to, developing staff and teams and advancing division and agency work plans.

Developing staff and teams:

• Building strong and cohesive teams, including integrating new staff into division and team structure
• Supervising and tracking the progress of staff projects and assignments and ensuring that employees are meeting their work goals and objectives
• Providing guidance and constructive criticism to employees and helping them develop as professionals, including but not limited to completing mid-year and year-end performance appraisals within designated timeframes
• Ensuring that staff are following citywide and agency policies

Advancing division and agency work plans:

• Managing and outlining the work program for teams and staff
• Overseeing internal and external stakeholder engagement and outreach
• Supporting internal and external communications
• Providing strategic and policy direction
• Planning through the use of robust analytics, research and analysis

IMPORTANT: Only candidates who are permanent Administrative City Planners, those reachable on the Administrative City Planner civil service list, or New York City Employees serving permanently in comparable civil service titles are invited to apply.

Please include a copy of your Notice of Results card or indicate if you are already permanent in this title or a comparable title with your application.

Authorization to work in the United States is required for this position. NYC Department of City Planning does not provide sponsorship for international employees for visa applications, extensions, or status changes, including STEM/OPT visas. Applicants are responsible for ensuring that they meet all qualifying requirements for this position, at the time of application.

Only applicants under consideration will be contacted. Appointments are subject to Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval.

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.

This position may be eligible for remote work up to 2 days per week, pursuant to the Remote Work Pilot Program agreed to between the City and labor unions.

NOTE: If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation during your visit or have questions regarding the accessibility of our facilities, please reach out to [e-mail] or call 212-720-3508 at least three business days prior to your arrival.

ADMINISTRATIVE CITY PLANNER - 10053

Qualifications

1. A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college and four (4) years of full-time experience in city planning, at least eighteen (18) months of which must have been in a managerial capacity; or

2. Education and/or experience which is equivalent to "1" above. However, a baccalaureate degree and eighteen (18) months of managerial experience in city planning is required of all candidates. Graduate work leading to an advance degree in city planning or related field may be substituted for up to two (2) years of the non-managerial experience on a year-for-year basis. Graduation from an accredited United States Law School may be substituted for two (2) years of non-managerial experience.

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.