Assistant Director | Community Development

The City of Norfolk is seeking an Assistant Director to join an exciting opportunity with the new Department of Housing and Community Development.

The Department of Housing and Community Development oversees a variety of housing and community development programs and services for those who wish to be a part of the City of Norfolk's vibrant communities. The department seeks to provide opportunities for City of Norfolk residents to live in safe, quality, affordable housing by developing, preserving, and revitalizing communities through responsible and transparent processes. Join us as we work to build great neighborhoods.

The Assistant Director will contribute to the coordination and direction of daily operations of the department and oversee the activities of professional, technical and administrative personnel. The Assistant Director will contribute to departmental strategic planning and budgeting, as well as create, implement, and enforce City/Department policies and procedures.

Applicants from all backgrounds, including women, minorities and underrepresented communities are encouraged to apply.

 

Essential Functions

Essential functions include but are not limited to:

Assists with the coordination of daily activities for the department. Directs and delegates the work of lower level managers and employees. Performs performance evaluations on employees who directly report to the position.

Contributes to the creation and implementation of strategic plans and goals that align with the City’s core values. Measures the plan effectiveness in relation to the department’s goals. Modifies plans and goals as necessary, keeping the best interests of the City and its residents in mind.

Supports the creation, implementation and enforcement of the policies and procedures that govern the area of specialization. 

Makes exceptions to and/or modifies the department’s policies and procedures based on specific situations.

Responsible for properly staffing the department. Provides and directs training of staff as needed. Identifies opportunities for new training. May be required to develop training materials/programs as needed.

Assists with the creation and adherence to the budget of the department.

Works with management from other departments/areas to create citywide policies and procedures.

Acts as the Department Director when the Director is absent. Serves as a representative of the department and city by attending meetings, serving on committees and attending business functions as needed.

Ensures the compliance of local housing programs and HUD-funded programs with state, federal, and local law, as well as program-specific agreements.

Manages housing programs and plans in accordance with grant requirements.

Oversees programs that assist low- and moderate-income homebuyers and promotes those programs.

Leads the development and implementation of a Housing Trust Fund (or otherwise named fund designed to invest in housing preservation and development in Norfolk). 

Leads project teams in the successful execution of preservation projects, conducting project assessments and evaluating preservation proposals. 

Performs department specific tasks as needed.

Education/Experience

Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Bachelor’s Degree in urban and regional planning, political science, business administration, public administration, real estate or related field and five (5) years’ experience in affordable housing, community development, government grant experience that includes two (2) years’ of supervisory experience OR a Master’s Degree and three (3) years’ of experience in affordable housing, community development, government grant experience that includes one (1) year of supervisory experience. Proficiency in software and web-based applications to include: IDIS, Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint.

The ideal candidate will possess the following skills or experience:

Professional communication skills (oral and written)

In-depth knowledge and experience of interpreting and applying federal and state grant sources to include but not limited to: 

 
                 o    U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Community Development Block Grant (CDBG)
                 o    HUD Home Investment Partnership Program (HOME)
                 o    HUD Emergency Solutions Grant Program (ESG)
 

Knowledge of housing rehabilitation programs

Knowledge of housing, community development, or real estate policy or law

Utilize advanced knowledge of affordable housing finance, including Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC), tax-exempt bonds, and private funding

Experience interpreting Federal, state, or local laws/code

Experience with the oversight of program or organizational budgets

Experience supervising or managing others

Public or community engagement experience

Ability to implement and monitor contracts and agreements

Ability to perform value analysis and possess high degree of analysis and logical reasoning skills to address multifaceted issues