Housing Development Specialist

Classification Title: Community Development Specialist 3

Location: 310 Court Street, Clearwater, FL 33756

Schedule: Some remote work is available

The Affordable Housing Development Specialist is a professional position within the Housing and Community Development Department that is primarily responsible for the oversight of affordable housing development projects. Project responsibilities include communicating program information to potential applicants, reviewing funding assistance applications, developing project funding recommendations, coordinating financial and construction oversight and providing comprehensive housing project management from start to finish. This position involves complex, technical and analytical work that requires knowledge of affordable housing finance, development and construction, as well as federal, state and local grant programs. Responsibilities include leading others in planning, implementation, and administration of grant funded housing programs. This position classification encompasses a high degree of technical, creative, and organization responsibility as well as the exercise of considerable independence in the coordination of projects, providing technical assistance to a wide range of citizen's groups and developing solutions to individual or community problems. Responsibilities include project site visits, developer meetings and coordination with other County departments, local governments, agencies and private sector entities. This position requires strong project management skills and the ability to work in a team-oriented environment.

What Sets Us Apart?

Health, vision, prescription, dental, life insurance, and a flexible spending account (FSA) option. Click here for more benefits details.

• 9-11 paid County holidays; 2 floating holidays and 2 personal days (pro-rated); annual leave (accrue 15 days in first year)
• Florida Retirement System , Employees contribute 3% and the county contributes 6.3% for regular status employees enrolled in the FRS Pension Plan.
• See contribution breakdown on FRS.
• 457 Deferred Compensation Plan
• Tuition Reimbursement

Job Specific Requirements

• Implementation of major administrative functions such as developer outreach, community development construction projects, and housing development programs.
• Maintains thorough and complete project files.
• Identifies and documents housing & community development needs and assists in securing available local resources for successful project implementation and control.
• Provides direct outreach to a wide range of housing providers and professional organizations and multiple governmental entities to coordinate and effectively implement projects sponsored by the County.
• Coordinates and plans activities with other governments, departments, citizen groups, and agencies to promote, plan, and implement program and development projects.
• Researches housing, community, and economic development regulations, programs, and grants to assist the department and County in determining the viability of housing and community development activities.
• Participates in the evaluation, planning and development of housing activities.
• Analyzes and reports on proposed projects for feasibility, site development locations, acquisition and other community needs.
• Performs other related job duties as assigned.

Position Specific Requirements

Experience – Advanced technical and professional experience in affordable housing, grant administration, real estate finance, mortgage lending, construction management or community development work as described.

Education – Degree in urban planning, government, law, engineering, design, economics, social science, geography, statistics or a related field.

• 7 years of experience as described above.
• Associate degree as described above, and 5 years of experience as described above.
• Bachelor’s degree as described above, and 3 years of experience as described above.
• Master’s degree as described above, and 1 years of experience as described above.
• An equivalent combination of education, training and/or experience.

Additional Requirements

• Possession and maintenance of a valid State of Florida Driver's License upon hire with eligibility based upon evaluation of a Motor Vehicle Record (MVR) driving report.
• Assignment to work a variety of work schedules including compulsory work periods in special, emergency, and/or disaster situations.

Highly Desirable

• Experience implementing grant funded community development and affordable housing projects and programs.
• Construction project management experience.
• Knowledge and experience of commercial and residential lending practices.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Knowledge of the structure, organization and functions assigned to Federal, state and county government organizations implementing community development programs.
• Knowledge of the principles, practices and methods of community development, community planning, project management and public relations.
• Knowledge of regulations governing programmatic functions, such as neighborhood organization, real property acquisition, development, finance, and underwriting or economic development.
• Skill in writing technical information, program reports, correspondence, newsletters and other publications for various audiences.
• Skill in planning and controlling complex assignments.
• Skill in public speaking and making effective oral and written presentations.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships addressing complex neighborhood issues revising complex community development initiatives with other County officials and public stakeholder interests.
• Ability to interpret laws, rules and regulations in community development or government planning.
• Ability to direct work efforts of others plus resolve citizens' community problems by presenting information clearly and concisely in written, oral or graphic form.

Physical/Mental Demands

The work is light work which requires exerting up to 20 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 10 pounds of force to move objects. Additionally, the following physical abilities are required:

• Balancing: Maintaining body equilibrium to prevent falling while walking, standing or crouching on narrow, slippery, or erratically moving surfaces. The amount of balancing exceeds that needed for ordinary locomotion and maintenance of body equilibrium.
• Climbing: Ascending or descending ladders, stairs, scaffolding, ramps, poles and the like, using feet and legs and/or hands and arms. Body agility is emphasized.
• Crouching: Bending the body downward and forward by bending leg and spine.
• Feeling: Perceiving attributes of objects, such as size, shape, temperature or texture by touching with skin, particularly that of fingertips.
• Fingering: Picking, pinching, typing, or otherwise working, primarily with fingers rather than with the whole hand as in handling.
• Grasping: Applying pressure to an object with the fingers and palm.
• Handling: Picking, holding, or otherwise working, primarily with the whole hand.
• Hearing: Perceiving the nature of sounds at normal speaking levels with or without correction. Ability to receive detailed information through oral communication, and to make the discrimination in sound.
• Kneeling: Bending legs at knee to come to a rest on knee or knees.
• Mental acuity: Ability to make rational decisions through sound logic and deductive processes.
• Reaching: Extending hand(s) and arm(s) in any direction.
• Repetitive motion: Substantial movements (motions) of the wrist, hands, and/or fingers.
• Speaking: Expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word including the ability to convey detailed or important spoken instructions to other workers accurately and concisely.
• Standing: Particularly for sustained periods of time.
• Stooping: Bending body downward and forward by bending spine at the waist. Occurs to a considerable degree and requires full motion of the lower extremities and back muscles.
• Talking: Expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word including those activities in which they must convey detailed or important spoken instructions to other workers accurately, loudly, or quickly.
• Visual acuity: Have close visual acuity such as color differentiation, depth perception, and adequate field vision.
• Walking: Moving about on foot to accomplish tasks, particularly for long distances or moving from one work site to another.

Working Conditions

• Work is typically performed in a dynamic environment that requires sensitivity to changing goals, priorities, and needs.

This position has supplemental questions. If unable to complete all questions, you may save your answers as a draft during the application process and return at any time prior to the closing date. Please note that the application is complete upon final submission.