Project Advocate

City of New York; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Remote work up to 2 days per week

Job summary

City of New York's Department of Buildings is seeking an Assistant Plan Examiner to engage the community, advise on development plans, and coordinate timely Certificates of Occupancy. The role supports the Building One City Plan and Road to Recovery initiatives, liaising with other agencies and stakeholders to streamline plan reviews and inspections.

Candidates must hold relevant engineering or architectural degrees and demonstrate strong communication, with remote work eligibility up to two

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in civil or mechanical engineering with 1 year related experience or a master’s degree in civil/mechanical engineering.
• Bachelor’s degree in civil/mechanical engineering technology with 2 years related experience.
• Bachelor’s degree and a master’s in civil/mechanical engineering with 1 year related experience.
• Bachelor or Master of Architecture (first professional degree).
• Bachelor of Science in architecture with 1 year related experience.
• Bachelor’s in architectural technology with 1 year related experience.

Responsibilities

• Engage the community to explain NYC Construction Codes and Department processes.

Skills

Exceptional written and oral comms

NYC Construction Codes knowledge

Plan examination & inspections

Education

Civil/Mechanical engineering (B.S.)

Civil/Mechanical engineering (M.S.)

Architecture (B.Arch/M.Arch)

Architecture (B.S. in architecture)

Architectural technology (B.A.T.)

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.

Minimum 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.

Preferred Skills

• Exceptional written and oral communication skills
• Working knowledge of NYC Construction Codes and Zoning Resolution
• Experience with NYC government processes pertaining to plan examination and/or inspections

55a Program

This position is also open to qualified persons with a disability who are eligible for the 55-a Program. Please indicate at the top of your resume and cover letter that you would like to be considered for the position through the 55-a Program.

Public Service Loan Forgiveness

As a prospective employee of the City of New York, you may be eligible for federal loan forgiveness programs and state repayment assistance programs. For more information, please visit the U.S. Department of Education's website at https://studentaid.gov/pslf/.

Residency Requirement

New York City Residency is not required for this position

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.