Housing and Neighborhood Services Manager

The City of San Mateo Community Development Department is Looking for a Housing and Neighborhood Services Manager

Why Join our Department?

You’ll be joining a team of dedicated and talented professionals that strive to provide the highest quality of service to the San Mateo community, in a dynamic, fast paced, collaborative, innovative, and goal-oriented work environment.  This is an excellent opportunity for a forward-thinking compassionate, professional who values civic engagement, leadership, accountability, and mentorship, and is eager to accept and take on new challenges in their career.

The Community Development Department, also known as CDD, is organized into four core divisions — Building, Code Enforcement, Housing, and Planning.  CDD has broad responsibilities including, but not limited to, long-range planning, review of applications for new developments, construction permitting and inspection, and administration of the City’s housing programs.  The Housing and Neighborhood Services Manager will work alongside a team of focused and highly motivated professionals who work closely with the public, City officials, and personnel from other City departments and organizations/agencies.  The Housing and Neighborhood Services Manager serves as a leader, facilitator, mentor, coach, and collaborator within CDD, the City of San Mateo, and the community at large.

What You’ll Do

The Housing and Neighborhood Services Manager oversees the City’s Housing Division and is a key member of CDD’s leadership team. Duties and responsibilities include leading implementation of the City’s 2023-2031 Housing Element; administering housing and community development funds, policies and related housing development and rehabilitation services; supervising current and long-range housing programs and policies, and providing leadership and recommendations on innovative housing initiatives, projects and programs; collaborating with other City departments and outside partner agencies; and providing complex staff assistance to the Community Development Director and other city leaders.  The position exercises direct or indirect supervision over professional, technical, and administrative support staff in the Housing Division. The Housing and Neighborhood Services Manager receives general direction from the Community Development Director and/or Deputy Community Development Director, and works collaboratively with other division managers within CDD. 

For a complete list of duties, reference our job specifications at https://www.cityofsanmateo.org/DocumentCenter/Home/Index/86c

Who You Are

• A highly motivated individual who possesses knowledge of principles and practices of leadership, conflict resolution, public agency administration, and personnel and budget management.
• An individual who is experienced in procedures, regulations, and practices in housing and redevelopment, financing, land acquisition, construction, rehabilitation and historic preservation and principles of building, zoning, and applicable local codes.
• An individual who possesses the ability to analyze, interpret, apply and clearly explain laws, rules, codes and regulations related to housing production, preservation and maintenance, neighborhood improvement, redevelopment and economic development.
• An individual who possesses knowledge of private financial institutions, including procedures, requirements, underwriting, real estate principles, and eligibility criteria pertaining to housing preservation and production.
• An individual who possesses the ability to research proposals, evaluate alternatives, and make sound recommendations within established policy guidelines and negotiate and prepare written agreements.
• An individual who possesses knowledge of Federal and state laws pertaining to funding sources, including Community Development Block Grants, HOME and Redevelopment Housing Successor funds and procedures, regulations and practices in economic development, housing production, and preservation.
• An individual who possesses the ability to plan, organize, supervise, review, direct and evaluate the work of staff in a manner conducive to independent judgment, high performance, and personal accountability
• An individual who possesses the ability to communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing, and deliver effective public presentations.
• An individual who desires to contribute to a positive work environment that fosters motivation, collaboration, coaching, and engagement of our workforce.
• An individual who is skilled in civic engagement and values inclusivity and transparency.

What You Bring

Any combination of experience and training that would likely provide the required knowledge and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the knowledge and abilities would be:

• You possess at least five years of increasingly responsible experience in community housing, including two years providing supervision over assigned personnel.

• You have the equivalent to a Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with major course work in public administration, business administration, planning, community development, urban studies, land development or a related field.
• Possession of, or ability to obtain, a valid California driver’s license.

Bonus Points (highly desirable)

• Master’s Degree in planning, economics, public administration, or a related field
• Housing Element experience
• Experience using Microsoft 365, including Teams