REHABILITATION CONSTRUCTION SPECIALIST

City of Chicago; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 70,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

City of Chicago seeks a Rehabilitation Construction Specialist to supervise and inspect housing rehabilitation and new construction projects. You will evaluate structures, advise owners on improvements, and ensure compliance with program requirements.

Responsibilities include reviewing contracts and cost estimates, inspecting progress, and providing technical assistance to contractors and developers. A valid IL driver's license is required.

Qualifications

• Four years of skilled building construction, rehabilitation, or inspection experience.
• Option: completed DOL-registered apprenticeship in a building trade with journeyman status.
• Option: industry or company-sponsored apprenticeship plus two years journeyman experience.
• Option: college degree with required journey level experience in construction or inspection.

Responsibilities

• Inspect housing rehab and new construction to determine eligibility for city and federal funding.
• Inspect with contractors the condition and extent of rehab work required.
• Evaluate structures and advise property owners on improvements and code violations.
• Review specs and cost estimates for compliance and value.
• Review architectural plans for single and multi-family construction for compliance.
• Inspect progress and certify completion of work.
• Provide technical assistance to contractors, developers, architects, and owners.
• Input and review data in construction estimation software and databases.

Skills

Inspection

Building construction

Microsoft Office

Customer interactions

Education

Associate's degree in Construction Management or Building Inspection

Bachelor's degree or higher in Construction Management or Building Inspection

U.S. Department of Labor registered apprenticeship

Industry or company sponsored apprenticeship

Tools

Construction estimation software

Database management systems

AIA contract documents

Job description

Description

BID/JOB ANNOUNCEMENT

REHABILITATION CONSTRUCTION SPECIALIST

DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING

Bureau of Construction & Compliance

Number of Positions: 1

(Additional vacancies possible pending budget approval)

Starting Salary: $82,644

New hires are paid the starting rate. Current employees' pay rate is determined by their job title and years of service

This position is open to the public and all current City employees covered under the City's collective bargaining agreement with AMERICAN FEDERATION OF STATE, COUNTY, AND MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEES (AFSCME) - BARGAINING UNIT 1, 3, 4 & 5. Only employees in City job titles in this bargaining unit are eligible to bid.

Applications for this position will be accepted until 11:59pm CDT on 9/1/2026

Department of Housing website

Under supervision, performs technical inspections of housing construction and rehabilitation projects, and performs related duties as required.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES:

• Inspects existing residential properties for scope of rehabilitation and new construction specifications to determine eligibility for City and federal housing and rehabilitation program funding
• Inspects with independent contractors the condition and extent of rehabilitation work required on building structures and operating components (e.g., roofing, heating, cooling, plumbing, electrical systems)
• Evaluates structures and recommends building improvements to property owners based on inspection findings and provides owners with a general assessment on the condition of their property including any building code violations and health and public safety hazards that exist
• Reviews construction specifications and cost estimates submitted by contractors to ensure planned rehabilitation work is in compliance with inspection findings, cost effective, and complete
• Reviews architectural plans and drawings for the construction of new single and multi-family homes and evaluates for cost effectiveness and program compliance
• Reviews and approves or rejects contract modifications submitted by contractors based on initial contract specifications
• Inspects work in progress to evaluate the quality of workmanship and to resolve problems that may arise as construction or rehabilitation work progresses
• Conducts final inspections to certify completion of work
• Provides technical assistance to contractors, developers, architects, and property owners, as required
• Reviews and approves vouchers for partial and final payments to contractors
• Reviews and approves multi-family payment draw requests, including, but not limited to, title company and American Institute of Architects (AIA) construction and contract documents
• Inputs and reviews data in a number of different construction estimation software and database management systems

Additional duties may be required for this position

Location: 2 N LaSalle, 6th Floor

Days: Monday - Friday

Hours: 8:30am - 4:30pm

THIS POSITION IS IN THE CAREER SERVICE

Qualifications

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

Four (4) years of skilled building construction, rehabilitation, or inspection work experience.

Should the above criteria not be fulfilled, the following options are acceptable:

Successful completion of a U.S. Department of Labor registered apprenticeship training program in a building trade and journeyman status.

OR

Successful completion of an industry or company sponsored apprenticeship training program in a building trade, plus two (2) years of journey level work experience in skill building construction, rehabilitation or inspection.

OR

Graduation from an accredited college with an Associate's degree in Construction Management or Building Inspection, plus two (2) years of journey level experience in skill building construction, rehabilitation or inspection.

OR

Graduation from an accredited college with a Bachelor's degree or higher in Construction Management or Building Inspection, plus one (1) year of journey level experience in skill building construction, rehabilitation or inspection

Licensure, Certification, or Other Qualifications

A valid State of Illinois driver's license is required.

Must have the permanent use of an automobile that is properly insured, including a clause specifically insuring the City of Chicago from accident liability.

NOTE: To be considered for this position you must provide information about your educational background and your work experience. You must include job titles, dates of employment and specific job duties. (IF you are a current City employee, Acting Up cannot be considered). If you fail to provide this information at the time you submit your application, it will be incomplete, and you will not be considered for this position. There are three ways to provide the information: 1) you may attach a resume; 2) you may paste a resume; or 3) you can complete the online resume fields.

Educational & Employment Verification:

Please be advised that if you are selected to be hired you must provide, upon request, adequate information regarding your educational and employment history as it relates to the qualifications of the position for which you are applying. If you received your degree internationally, all international transcripts/diploma must be accompanied by a Foreign Credential Evaluation. If the City of Chicago cannot verify this information, any offer extended to you will be withdrawn and you will not be hired.

SELECTION REQUIREMENTS

This position requires applicants to complete an interview which will include a written exercise and or a skills assessment test as part of the interview. The interviewed candidate(s) possessing the qualifications best suited to fulfill the responsibilities of the position, based on the oral and written parts of the interview will be selected.

Desired Skills:

Previous experience inspecting single and multi-family housing construction and rehabilitation projects

Previous experience working with HUD (U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development) rules, regulations, and standards

Previous experience managing and resolving a diverse range of difficult customer interactions

Proficiency working with Microsoft Office products

For Information on our employees benefits please visit our benefits website at: https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/fin/benefits-office.html

For Information on our salary and title structure visit our classifications website at: City of Chicago :: Classification and Pay Plan

APPLICATION EVALUATION: Initial evaluation will be based on information provided on the application and the documents submitted. Department of Human Resource staff will review applications after the final posting date. Staff will follow any and all required Employment/Hiring Plan provisions, federal, state and local laws, and Collective Bargaining Agreements when applicable. Staff will apply hiring preferences as required by the municipal code. Placement on an eligibility list is not an offer or guarantee of an interview nor employment with the City of Chicago.

COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY: To further our commitment to hiring applicants with diverse experience the City of Chicago has adopted the following ordinances 2-74-020 and 2-74-075. The ordinances provide a preference to applicants who meet minimum qualifications and who are veterans of the Armed Forces, and/or residents of Socio-Economically Disadvantaged Areas (SEDA) and/or Chicago Public School (CPS) high school graduates to be referred to departments for consideration. These hiring preferences do not apply to bidders, as Collective Bargaining Agreements define the hiring process for bidders. To learn more about our hiring practices click here.

ALL REFERENCES TO POLITICAL SPONSORSHIP OR RECOMMENDATION MUST BE OMITTED FROM ALL APPLICATION MATERIALS SUBMITTED FOR CITY EMPLOYMENT.

The City of Chicago in an Equal Employment Opportunity, Military Friendly, and Fair Chance Employer.

City of Chicago

Brandon Johnson, Mayor