On June 16, 2022, Governor Kathy Hochul signed the NYC Public Housing Preservation Trust Act, which authorized creation of the NYC Public Housing Preservation Trust (the Trust). The Trust is a public benefit corporation that will oversee the renovation and rehabilitation of the city’s public housing developments, owned by the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA). NYCHA and the Trust will enter into a ground lease, which will trigger federally-subsidized Tenant Protection Vouchers (TPVs). The Trust will use the revenue from the TPVs to issue municipal revenue bonds to fund large scale capital repairs at specific NYCHA sites. The Trust Act limits the Trust’s initial unit volume to 25,000 units. No NYCHA site can convert to the Trust without a positive vote of the site’s residents. Under the Act, NYCHA must develop and administer a voting process to provide residents with that choice.

The Trust Act took effect on August 15, 2022 and the Trust will be built by its initial nine-member board and a small staff. As the Trust assumes a full workload in 2023 including leasehold contracts with NYCHA, Section 8 conversions with the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and the procurement of design-build partners to perform construction work the Trust will continue to add staff to fulfill critical functions.

Position Summary

As a direct report to the President of the Trust and a member of the agency’s senior management team, the Chief of Staff will have broad latitude for independent judgment, action, and decision making. They will advise the President on strategic and political matters, liaise with counterparts in NYCHA and other external partners, manage public-facing communication related to Trust activities, and direct community organizing activities to inform NYCHA residents and the general public regarding Trust operations and initiatives.

Primary Responsibilities

1. Act as Proxy of the President
- Represent Trust President’s perspectives and priorities across key Trust initiatives.
- Collaborate with the senior team and provide project management and support, where necessary.
- Diagnose and troubleshoot key organizational challenges, as needed, on behalf of the President.

2. Manage the Trust’s Communications and Organizing Operations
- Work closely with the President to set and execute Trust policies related to public relations, communications, and political and community organizing.
- Communicate and liaise with, and on behalf of, the President and internal and external stakeholders, most notably, City Hall, residents, elected officials, sister agencies, employees and civic groups.
- Provide support on Board-related matters.

3. Quarterback Special/Strategic Projects
- Manage top priority initiatives that require cross-disciplinary implementation, particularly across multiple departments and levels.
- Execute projects that require utmost confidentiality and/or urgency for the Trust.
- Support President and Chief Operating Officer in hiring and onboarding of the Trust staff in 2023-2024.

4. Executive Responsibilities
- Build and maintain relationships with governmental and quasi-governmental agencies, real estate developers and business groups, consultants, civic and community stakeholders, and cultural and professional organizations.
- Demonstrate managerial experience/ability with specific focus on ability to lead and motivate teams to set and meet goals, expectations and deadlines with limited oversight.
- Advise the Trust President on key agency decisions.

SPECIAL NOTE: Effective August 16, 2021, all persons newly hired for employment by the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) must provide proof of having received at least one dose of an approved COVID-19 vaccine prior to beginning their employment, except for those who obtain an exception due to medical or religious reasons through the reasonable accommodation process.

After receiving a conditional offer of employment from NYCHA, an applicant for employment must provide proof of having received at least one dose of an approved COVID-19 vaccine within a reasonable period of time. Failure by the applicant to provide NYCHA with proof of having received at least one dose of an approved COVID-19 vaccine will result in NYCHA revoking the conditional offer, unless the applicant obtains an exception through the reasonable accommodation process.

Any person who begins their employment with NYCHA after providing proof of having received only one dose in a 2-dose series of a COVID-19 vaccine, will also be required to provide NYCHA with proof of receipt of a second dose within 30 days of the first dose. Failure to do so will result in termination.

NOTE: IF THIS APPOINTMENT IS MADE ON A PROVISIONAL BASIS PURSUANT TO 65 OF THE NYS CIVIL SERVICE LAW, NO TENURE OR PERMANENCE ACCRUES TO AN INCUMBENT IN THIS POSITION BY VIRTUE OF SUCH APPOINTMENT.

NOTE: This position is open to qualified persons with a disability who are eligible for the 55-a Program. Please indicate in your cover letter that you would like to be considered for the position under the 55-a Program. For detailed information regarding the 55-a Program, click on the link below:

http://www.nyc.gov/html/dcas/downloads/pdf/psb/100_1.pdf

Please read this posting carefully to make certain you meet the minimum qualification requirements before applying to this position.

1. A four-year high school diploma or its educational equivalent and six years of satisfactory, full-time, progressively responsible experience in real property management, at least 18 months of which must have been in a managerial capacity involving the supervision of a large staff of property management agents and/or housing development specialists and requiring independent decision-making concerning program management or planning, allocation of resources and the scheduling and assignment of work. "Progressively responsible experience" must
be demonstrated by a work history of promotions and/or assumption of increasingly responsible duties and assignments. Experience in building construction or renovation; management of residential, commercial, industrial, or waterfront properties, including both renting and operating; or site management in connection with housing or with reconstruction/rehabilitation projects; supervision of receivership, tenant relocation and anti-abandonment work in housing and other properties, and buildings owned, managed, to be acquired by the City, or at risk of being abandoned; or building maintenance will be accepted up to a maximum of three years toward meeting the general requirements; or

2. A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college and four years of experience described in "1" above, including eighteen months of experience in managerial capacity; or

3. A satisfactory combination of education and/or experience equivalent to "1" or "2" above. However, all candidates must have eighteen months of managerial experience. Education at an accredited college or university may be substituted for general work experience (but not for the 18 months of managerial experience described above) at the rate of 60 college semester credits for one year of acceptable experience up to a maximum of 4 years of college for 2 years of experience.

To be acceptable, experience in property management must have included both renting and operating the managed properties. Experience in renting must have included interviewing prospective tenants, qualifying tenants' income and background, and/or assuring that vacancies are ready for occupancy. Experience in operating must have included overseeing maintenance and repair of building operating systems, and overseeing staff to assure that necessary work is properly completed.

To be acceptable, experience in site management must have included on-site rental and maintenance of buildings.

To be acceptable, experience in relocation must have included negotiation with tenants to surrender leases for cash consideration or for an alternative site, and determining tenant eligibility for benefits.

Key Competencies - Leadership & Capacity Building - A proven leader with senior management experience in a broad range of areas and the ability to lead a diverse team, on an individual and corporate level. - Finance & Real Estate Acumen - Technical knowledge related to finance, real estate, public administration, and other related professional fields to ensure accurate interpretation of policies, legislation, regulations and standards applied to problems involving land use, zoning, infrastructure, finance and other planning issues. - Boardroom polish and professional demeanor. - Excellent Communicator - Ability to communicate expertly and clearly, both written and verbal to think on one’s feet with a calm and pleasant demeanor to artfully influence and persuade, and to render diplomatic approaches while remaining focused on the agency’s goals and priorities. - Liaison & Partner - Establish a strong network of relationships among peer leaders across other City, State and Federal agencies and government and external stakeholders, and develop creative partnerships to add value for residents or the agency. - Multitasked - A 'nimble' thinker who is results-oriented and deadline-driven possesses the ability to work independently as well as collaboratively, and to shift priorities in an ever-changing work environment can get things done quickly and accurately and is skilled at problem solving in order to expertly field both internal and external requests. - Integrity - Possesses the highest degree of integrity, supported by a flawless record of maintaining confidentiality. - Humility - Comfortable leading as well as executing and taking constructive input from multiple sources. Qualification & Experience Preferred - B.A. required and advanced degree preferred. - A minimum of 10+ years of pre/post-graduate work experience with large institutions. - An understanding of public housing law, bond finance, construction management, and US Department of Housing and Urban Development regulations is a bonus.

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.

The Trust has no residency requirements.

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.