About the City
The City of San José plays a vital economic and cultural role as the center of Silicon Valley. An incredibly diverse community of one million people who have family and business ties around the world call San José home. The City also fosters innovation with its tech-friendly policies and public-private partnerships. As a result, over 150 technology companies are located in the downtown area with many more, including major players like Cisco, Adobe and eBay, spread across the City. Located at the southern end of beautiful San Francisco Bay and nestled between the Diablo and Santa Cruz mountain ranges, San José is within easy reach of California’s beaches like Santa Cruz and Carmel and enjoys an abundance of good weather.
The City of San José is a full-service Charter City and operates under a Council-Manager form of government. Mayor Sam Liccardo assumed office on January 1, 2015, with a platform of restoring public safety, spending smarter, expanding economic opportunity for all of San José’s residents, and investing in the future. His philosophy is “It’s your city, and it should work for you.” Under his guidance, the City has developed a Smart City Vision with five key areas of focus for making the City of San José safer, more inclusive, user-friendly, a leader in sustainability and a model for the use of transformative technologies to enhance life in the city.
About the Department
The City of San José has been a leader in the affordable housing field since 1987, creating more than 19,100 new housing opportunities for San José residents. The Department assists homebuyers to purchase their first home, to homeowners and mobile-home owners who need emergency repairs, and to developers who are building new affordable housing developments with an emphasis on housing solutions for the homeless.
In addition to its lending activities, the Department is actively involved in the following areas: Ending homelessness in the City; managing the City’s two rent stabilization ordinances; working with community groups to respond to fair housing and displacement issues; overseeing the City’s Place-Based Neighborhood efforts. The Department also manages numerous federal, State, and local grant programs that provide funding for services, affordable housing, homelessness, and community infrastructure. The Department also has an active policy program to ensure that the City has the tools it needs to respond to its housing challenges.
Working in partnership with the City’s Planning, Building and Code Enforcement Department, the Housing Department works to ensure that the City has a variety of housing options for its residents—including affordable and market-rate housing, housing for the homeless, and single-family and multi-family options. This work includes identifying sites for housing development, facilitating the efforts to include housing in Urban Villages, and working with local and regional partners to implement the State’s regional housing goals. The Department works with market rate developers to ensure that either the City’s Inclusionary Housing Policy or the Housing Impact Fee program requirements are met.
As a testament to its excellence in the creation, preservation, and improvement of San José’s affordable housing, the City’s Housing Department and its developments have been honored with multiple accolades. Examples include the 2011 John Clancy Award and the 2012 California Redevelopment Association Award of Excellence in Sustainable Development which recognizes projects and programs that are outstanding examples of the redevelopment processes that have resulted in building better communities.
The mission of the Housing Department is to strengthen and revitalize the community through housing and neighborhood investment.
About the Opportunity
The City of San José is seeking a talented, energetic, and experienced individual to manage its Inclusionary and Housing Impact Fee Programs. Working in the classification of a Senior Development Officer, the Program Administrator will lead the implementation of the Inclusionary Housing Ordinance and Affordable Housing Impact Fee programs. The ideal candidate will be a collaborative and innovative leader with excellent interpersonal skills, as well as possessing a strong work ethic and commitment to customer service. In addition, the ideal candidate will possess the following desirable competencies, attributes and qualities.
Key Competencies and Attributes
- Ability to explain the requirements of the Inclusionary and Housing Impact Fee Programs in a business-friendly manner and negotiate/work with both market rate and affordable housing developers, land-use consultants, representative from other City Departments and a variety of stakeholders.
- Ability to review Planning applications for market-rate developments to determine if the projects have an affordable housing obligation.
- Ability to analyze regulations and policies; prepare complex written reports and agreements; and develop policies and procedures for new affordable housing options for San José residents.
- Ability to monitor projects throughout the entitlement and development processes to ensure developers remain in compliance with their affordable housing obligation.
Qualities
The ideal candidate will possess a record of individual and leadership success as demonstrated by the following:
- LEADERSHIP: Demonstrates high ethical standards; remains visible and approachable and interacts with others on a regular basis; promotes a cooperative work environment, encourages and rewards risk-taking, allowing subordinate staff to learn from mistakes.
- SUPERVISION: Sets effective long- and short-term goals based on a good understanding of management practices; establishes realistic priorities within available resources.
- COLLABORATION: Develops and maintains effective working relationships with team members, internal partners, customers, and community stakeholders through use of strong interpersonal skills.
- PROJECT MANAGEMENT: Effective program and project manager that produces results and understands the details that are necessary to keep goals on track, ensure stakeholders and staff are well informed , and to make necessary schedules adjustments in a timely manner.
- DECISION MAKING: Identifies and understands issues, competing interests, problems, and opportunities; uses effective approaches for choosing a course of action or developing appropriate solutions.
- COMMUNICATION: Communicates and listens effectively and responds in a timely, effective, positive, and respectful manner. Written reports, Council memoranda, policy documents and presentation are well written, concise, and legible.
- JOB EXPERTISE: Knowledge of affordable housing principles, policies and government lending in support of affordable housing development; experience implementing the complex requirements of a development fee program.
Education, Experience and other Requirements
- A Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university or college in planning, housing, geography, economics, architecture, real estate development, finance, public administration, construction management or a related field.
- Five (5) years of increasingly responsible professional level experience in a related area such as managing affordable housing programs, residential architecture, real estate development, finance, planning and construction management, including two years of supervisory or development project lead experience
- Planning experience is highly desirable.
- Possession of a valid driver’s license in the State of California may be required.
- Disclosure of outside investments, real property interest, income and business positions is required.
Compensation and Benefit
The salary range is $98,716.80 to 120,224.00 annually.
Benefits
Retirement – Competitive defined benefit retirement system with full reciprocity with CalPERS.
Health Insurance – The City contributes 85% towards the cost of the lowest cost plan and offers several plans.
Dental Insurance – The City contributes 100% of the premium of the lowest-priced plan for dental coverage.
Personal Time Off – Vacation is accrued initially at the rate of three weeks per year with amounts increasing to five (5) weeks after 15 years of service. Executive Leave of 40 hours is granted annually. Sick Leave is accrued at the rate of 8 hours per month.
Holidays – 14 paid holidays annually.
Deferred Compensation – An optional 457 plan.
Flexible Spending Accounts – Dependent Care Assistance and Medical Reimbursement Programs.
Insurance – A term life policy equal to two times annual salary; long-term disability and AD&D plans are optional.
Employee Assistance Program – A comprehensive range of services through the EAP.
Important Application Information
To apply for this outstanding opportunity, please visit the Koff & Associates website at www.koffassociates.com to download the application. Please email your cover letter, resume and application to infokoff@koffassociates.com or mail it to Koff & Associates, 2835 7th Street, Berkeley, CA 94710 by December 16, 2016.