Project Advocate

City of New York; New York (NY); On-site; USD 80,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

The NYC Department of Buildings is recruiting for a civil/Mechanical engineering–focused role to ensure safe and lawful development in New York City. The position emphasizes community education, coordinating Certificates of Occupancy, and acting as a key liaison for major and small projects under the Building One City Plan and Road to Recovery initiatives.

Remote work eligibility up to 2 days per week is available under the Remote Work Pilot Program.

Qualifications

• Degree in civil or mechanical engineering with related work experience
• Master’s degree in civil/mechanical engineering with related experience
• Architectural degrees with required civil/mechanical experience

Responsibilities

• Engage the community in understanding NYC Construction Codes and Department processes
• Serve as the customer service liaison for a group of applicants and coordinate Certificate of Occupancies
• Be a single point of contact for special projects supporting Building One City Plan and Road to Recovery Plan
• Liaise between the Department, other City agencies, communities and applicants
• Develop resources to help stakeholders navigate the review and approval process
• Conduct monthly meetings with large developers and/or small businesses to discuss status
• Attend public forums and other meetings related to Department issues
• Perform analyses to recommend more efficient plan examination, inspections, or occupancy certification

Education

Baccalaureate degree in civil or mechanical engineering with 1 year experience

Baccalaureate degree in civil or mechanical engineering technology with 2 years experience

Baccalaureate degree with master’s in civil or mechanical engineering and 1 year experience

Bachelor/Master of Architecture (first professional degree)

Bachelor of Science in architecture (first four years of five-year program) with 1 year experience

Baccalaureate degree in architectural technology with 1 year experience

Job description

• Job Category: Engineering, Architecture, & Planning
• Salary Band: $80,000 to $90,000
• Compensation: USD 69,331 - USD 89,479

Job Description

The NYC Department of Buildings is responsible for ensuring the safe and lawful use of buildings and properties by enforcing the NYC Construction Codes, Energy Code and Zoning Resolution. We facilitate compliant development with integrity, efficiency and professionalism. We are committed to becoming a premier municipal building organization, dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for all New Yorkers and making our city safer. We are committed to improving our performance and developing procedures that are streamlined, understandable and transparent.

The Department’s project advocacy program provides customer service liaisons for groups of applicants, assists the public in understanding processes for approval of development, and seeks to improve the efficiency of plan examination and inspections. Project Advocates acts as a single point of contact for the industry, and provide the required technical assistance and decision support at various stages to the Borough Commissioner’s Office and central offices. Their advocacy role is to engage the community in understanding various project requirements, facilitate project progress, and assist in timely completion of their projects.

This position is citywide. Duties will include, but are not limited to:

• Engage the community in understanding NYC Construction Codes and the Department’s processes.
• Serve as the customer service liaison for a group of applicants and coordinate an effort to deliver Certificate of Occupancies (C of O) in a timely fashion.
• Be a single point of contact for special projects within the Agency in support of the Department’s project advocacy program, Building One City Plan, and Road to Recovery Plan.
• Liaise between the Department of Buildings, other City agencies, community organizations and groups with an interest in proposed development, and applicants.
• Develop and provide resources to assist community stakeholders in navigating the Department’s review and approval process.
• Conduct monthly meetings with large scale project developers and/or small businesses to discuss project status.
• Attend public forums and other meetings relating to Department issues.
• Perform quantitative and qualitative analysis to make recommendations on more efficient processes for plan examination, inspections, or certification of occupancy.

CIVIL SERVICE STATUS

Only permanent Assistant Plan Examiners (Buildings), applicants who passed the Assistant Plan Examiner (Buildings) open competitive list, and applicants as indicated below will be considered.

Candidates who are permanent in comparable civil service titles may be considered for title change under rule 6.1.9 of the Personnel Rules and Regulations of the City of New York.

Candidates may be considered in one of the following civil service titles: Assistant Architect [if permanent or reachable on list], Assistant Civil Engineer [if permanent or reachable on list, or if the list is exhausted, passed Exam No. 7006], Assistant Mechanical Engineer [if permanent or reachable on list], or Inspector (Construction) L4.

REMOTE WORK:

This position may be eligible for remote work up to 2 days per week, pursuant to the Remote Work Pilot Program.

Qualifications

1. A baccalaureate degree in civil or mechanical engineering from an accredited college or university and either (a) one year of full-time satisfactory experience in civil engineering, mechanical engineering, or architectural work in building design or building construction or (b) a master’s degree in civil or mechanical engineering from an accredited college or university; or
2. A baccalaureate degree in civil or mechanical engineering technology from an accredited college or university and two years of full-time engineering or architectural work in building design or building construction; or
3. A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college and a master’s degree in civil or mechanical engineering from an accredited college or university, plus one year of full-time satisfactory experience in civil engineering, mechanical engineering, or architectural work in building design or building construction; or
4. A Bachelor of Architecture or a Master of Architecture from an accredited college or university, both of which are first professional degrees in architecture (please note that a baccalaureate degree in architecture awarded after a four-year program does not qualify); or
5. A Bachelor of Science degree in architecture that is the first four years of a five year first professional degree program in architecture, and one year of full-time satisfactory experience in civil engineering, mechanical engineering, or architectural work in building design or building construction; or
6. A baccalaureate degree in architectural technology from an accredited college or university and one year of full-time satisfactory experience in civil engineering, mechanical engineering, or architectural work in building design or building construction.

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.