Compliance Specialist, Lead-Based Paint & Healthy Homes

Job Description

About the Agency:


The New York City Department of Housing Preservation Development (HPD) promotes quality and affordability in the city's housing, and diversity and strength in the city’s neighborhoods because every New Yorker deserves a safe, affordable place to live in a neighborhood they love.


- We maintain building and resident safety and health

- We create opportunities for New Yorkers through housing affordability

- We engage New Yorkers to build and sustain neighborhood strength and diversity.


HPD is entrusted with fulfilling these objectives through the goals and strategies of “Housing Our Neighbors: A Blueprint for Housing and Homelessness,” Mayor Adams’ comprehensive housing framework. To support this important work, the administration has committed $5 billion in new capital funding, bringing the 10-year planned investment in housing to $22 billion the largest in the city’s history. This investment, coupled with a commitment to reduce administrative and regulatory barriers, is a multi-pronged strategy to tackle New York City’s complex housing crisis, by addressing homelessness and housing instability, promoting economic stability and mobility, increasing homeownership opportunities, improving health and safety, and increasing opportunities for equitable growth.


Your Team

The Compliance Specialist for Lead-Based Paint & Healthy Homes will be a key member of the agency’s new Office of Compliance & Risk Management (CRM). This Office centralizes various compliance, oversight, and hearing functions from across the agency critical to ensure fairness, consistency, and equity in both our external and internal engagement. CRM will collaborate with programs across HPD to ensure the agency and its partners comply with laws (federal, state, and city), regulatory requirements, policies, and procedures. The Office includes the following Divisions and units:

- Adjudications

- Economic Opportunity & Regulatory Compliance

- Public Information

- Audit Support


Your Impact

CRM is responsible for coordinating the agency’s compliance programs, liaising with the units and staff responsible for relevant compliance responsibilities, audit responses, site standard adherence for financed construction work, public-facing appeals and hearings, and managing risk for the agency. The Compliance Specialist for Lead-Based Paint & Healthy Homes will have the opportunity to use their expertise to provide leadership and technical assistance for CRM and lead-related compliance functions throughout the agency. This role will also provide a unique opportunity to help build out a new office, strengthen agency compliance culture, and ensure compliance is seamlessly integrated into HPD program administration and operations.


Your Role

Reporting to the Executive Director of Compliance and working in conjunction with the other Compliance Specialists, the Compliance Specialist for Lead-Based Paint & Healthy Homes will support the Mayor’s Leadfree NYC Initiative. This includes managing cross-agency compliance programmatic and reporting obligations and providing technical assistance to staff throughout the agency. The person in this role will work closely and liaise with Offices throughout HPD, including Enforcement & Neighborhood Services (ENS), Asset & Property Management (APM), Development (OOD), Policy & Strategy (OPS), Finance & Administration (OFA), and Legal Affairs (OLA) for effective monitoring, tracking, and coordinating of agency lead requirements.


Your Responsibilities

In support of the Mayor’s Leadfree NYC Initiative, the Compliance Specialist for Lead-Based Paint & Healthy Homes will oversee HPD’s agency-wide lead compliance operations ad policy. This includes, but is not limited to:


- Evaluate the implementation of lead-related procedures across all areas of the agency including:

o Coordinate compliance monitoring related to requirements under federal, state, and local laws including Local Law 1 of 2004 and Title X for lead-based paint and Local Law 55 of 2018 and other state regulations related to mold.

o Participate with audits of lead-based paint compliance both in coordination with ENS’s Field Audit Review Unit and external audits.

o Work closely with the Director of Lead Hazard Reduction and Healthy Homes Program within OOD to support of the Lead Demo Grant.

o Work with members of APM to ensure compliance related to City-owned properties

- Perform assessments and evaluations to proactively identify risk areas and program noncompliance. Provide corrective action plans, recommendations, and a set of best practices, as necessary to mitigate risks.

- Participate in the development of agency-wide trainings related to lead-based paint and Healthy Homes topics.

- Support the development of internal reporting mechanisms for specialized initiatives for public reporting.

- Monitor regulatory changes and keep stakeholders abreast of operational or other implications.


Preferred Skills and Qualifications

- Knowledge of New York City’s Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Act of 2003, also known as Local Law 1 of 2004 (LL1) and/or Local Law 55 of 2018.

- EPA-certified Lead Inspector and/or Lead Risk Assessor

- Experience in the lead-based paint or mold fields, particularly related to project, staff, and vendor management

- Experience in housing policy, law, or regulations

- Knowledge of generally accepted government auditing standards, including experience interacting with regulatory authorities and/or oversight agencies

- Strong attention to detail and excellent organizational and problem-solving abilities

- Strong collaborator across all levels of management and experience, and with a wide array of internal and external stakeholders

- Ability to balance a variety of projects and priorities for a fast-paced, high-volume workload

- Collaborative team player with strong interpersonal and communication skills (verbal and written)

- Passion for public service with a commitment to ensuring effective management of and adherence to policies, procedures, and requirements


Candidates will need to meet the civil service requirements of City Research Scientist Level 2.

1. A doctorate degree from an accredited college or university with specialization in an appropriate field of physical, biological, environmental or social science and one year full-time experience in a responsible, administrative or research capacity in the appropriate field of specialization; or

2. A master’s degree from an accredited college or university with a specialization in an appropriate field of physical, biological, environmental or social science and three years of responsible full-time research experience in the appropriate field of specialization; or

3. Education and/or experience which is equivalent to “1” or “2” above. However, all candidates must have at least a master’s degree in an appropriate field of specialization and at least two years of experience described in “2” above. Two years as a City Research Scientist Level 1 can be substituted for the experience required in “1” and “2” above.


Please submit a cover letter as part of your application.


Note: This position is eligible for remote work up to two days per week, pursuant to the Remote Work Pilot Program agreed to between the City and DC37.

CITY RESEARCH SCIENTIST - 21744

Qualifications

1. For Assignment Level I (only physical, biological and environmental sciences and public health) A master's degree from an accredited college or university with a specialization in an appropriate field of physical, biological or environmental science or in public health.
To be appointed to Assignment Level II and above, candidates must have:
1. A doctorate degree from an accredited college or university with specialization in an appropriate field of physical, biological, environmental or social science and one year of full-time experience in a responsible supervisory, administrative or research capacity in the appropriate field of specialization; or
2. A master's degree from an accredited college or university with specialization in an appropriate field of physical, biological, environmental or social science and three years of responsible full-time research experience in the appropriate field of specialization; or
3. Education and/or experience which is equivalent to "1" or "2" above. However, all candidates must have at least a master's degree in an appropriate field of specialization and at least two years of experience described in "2" above. Two years as a City Research Scientist Level I can be substituted for the experience required in "1" and "2" above.

NOTE:
Probationary Period
Appointments to this position are subject to a minimum probationary period of one year.

Additional Information

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.