Job Description

A best-in-class city that attracts best-in-class talent, Philadelphia is an incredible place to build a career. From our thriving arts scene and rich history to our culture of passion and grit, there are countless reasons to love living and working here. With a workforce of over 30,000 people, and more than 1,000 different job categories, the City of Philadelphia offers boundless opportunities to make an impact.

As an employer, the City of Philadelphia values inclusion, integrity, innovation, empowerment, and hard work above all else. We offer a vibrant work environment, comprehensive health care and benefits, and the experience you need to grow and excel. If you’re interested in working with a passionate team of people who care about the future of Philadelphia, start here.

What we offer

• Impact - The work you do here matters to millions. 
• Growth  - Philadelphia is growing, why not grow with it? 
• Diversity & Inclusion  - Find a career in a place where everyone belongs.
• Benefits  - We care about your well-being.

Agency Description

The Department of Planning and Development (DPD) coordinates Philadelphia’s planning, zoning, preservation, and housing functions to promote the economic health of all neighborhoods and the City. DPD includes the Divisions of Executive Administration, Housing and Community Development (DHCD); Planning and Zoning (DPZ); and Development Services (DS). DPD also contracts with the Philadelphia Housing Development Corporation PHDC, Philadelphia Land Bank and Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority as well as departments within the city that perform community development block grant program activities.

DHCD has an annual budget of nearly $200M from local, state, and federal funding sources including the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Each year, HUD requires DHCD to complete an Annual Action Plan (includes program budget and plan for affordable housing, neighborhood, and economic development programs) approved by City Council. DHCD also manages other HUD grants such as Choice ($30M), CARES Act ($40M), HOME-ARP($40M), and CDBG-DR($160M). DHCD contracts with over 80+ non-profit agencies each year to carry out programs for low-income residents and communities.

Job Description

This is senior level management work to advance equity in home appraisal industry in Philadelphia by providing leadership and internal capacity to embedding the work of City Council’s Home Appraisal Bias Task Force into the Division of Housing and Community Development. The Director for Home Appraisal Equity will drive the implementation efforts of the Task Force through convening, coordinating City and external stakeholders, innovating and incubating pilots, tracking and evaluation, and developing a scaling and sustainability plan for successful efforts.

Work includes but is not limited to ongoing convening of the Home Appraisal Bias Stakeholder Committee and reporting subcommittees, prioritizing recommendations for implementation, engaging partners to develop a data sharing strategy and plan, implementing outreach and engagement strategies, developing a pipeline for diversifying the field of home appraisals, and coordinating City advocacy efforts at the state and federal level.

Essential Functions

• Manages relationships with all stakeholders, including members of the Home Appraisal Bias Advisory Committee, reporting subcommittees, contracted program partners, City departments and evaluation partners. Directs through reporting staff the creation of meeting agendas, minutes and follow-up items and ensures staff completes follow-up items as directed.
• Works with Division leadership to resolve high level program implementation issues to ensure successful operations, including the development of a scaling and sustainability plan.
• Works with the Advisory Committee determine the feasibility and prioritization for implementation of recommendations made by the City’s Home Appraisal Bias Task Force.
• Oversees the negotiation with all contracted partners the annual program scopes, budgets and reporting requirements. This includes consultation with the DHCD leadership and coordination with Fiscal and Contract Administration units. Manages all required reporting including quarterly reports to City Finance and City Council and updates to program and plans dashboards.
• Directs and reviews budgets for new federal, state or local grants opportunities; reviews conditions and terms of grant agreements; arranges reimbursement schedules and monitors expenditures during the life of the grant.
• Manages the planning, development, implementation and evaluation of new programs and services aimed at creating equity in home appraisals.
• Confers with city officials, members of City Council, federal and state agencies and others concerning the need for funds, including coordination and cooperation in implementing policies; serves on the executive leadership team in negotiations with city, state, federal and non-governmental agencies.
• Oversees development of plans, reports and evaluations and directs and utilizes data collection and analysis to inform these efforts; and implements best practice research to inform program design and performance. Coordinates with subordinate and unit staff to develop annual performance and evaluation metrics.
• Attends meetings and speaks before civic, professional organizations, and city council to promote efforts to address bias in home appraisals. Directs the program communication strategy and serves as the lead on the City’s response to media inquiries.
• Performs work as required.

Competencies, Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Strong Communication Skills - Relates well to all kinds of people – up, down, and sideways inside and outside of the organization; uses diplomacy and tact; builds constructive and effective relationships.
• Motivating Others - Creates a climate in which people want to do their best; can assess each person’s strengths and use it to get the best out of them; empowers others; invites input from each person and shares ownership and visibility.
• Planning/Project Management - Accurately scopes out length and difficult of tasks and projects; sets objectives and goals; establishes accountability measures, and evaluates performance against goals.
• Problem Solving - Uses rigorous logic and methods to solve difficult problems with effective solutions; probes all fruitful sources for answers; can see hidden problems.

KNOWLEDGE OF:

• the principles, methodologies, practices, and theories of housing and social programs including best practice research; fair housing principles; local real estate markets and trends; affordable housing preservation and development; and the planning, development, implementation and evaluation of programs.
• the principles and practices of public administration including such areas as budgeting, organizational development, and staffing.
• the planning and development of programs, plans, grant applications and reports. Knowledge of technical systems, databases and applications to advance programs and operations is essential to the position.

SKILL IN:

• managing and maintaining effective working relationships with associates, civic, non-profit housing/legal services agencies, elected officials, and the public.
• building partnerships with diverse stakeholders such as community and professional groups to achieve division goals and objectives.

ABILITY TO:

• work with existing technology systems for processing in the City systems (ACIS) and databases such as Quickbase and identify and utilize new technology and software.
• train, prioritize, organize, and direct staff.
• establish and maintain effective working relationships with employees, other agencies, and departments and the public.
• create and present project reports and to communicate effectively with stakeholders and senior leadership, including elected officials, federal and state partners, and subject matter experts;
• analyze, evaluate and exercise sound judgement to resolve complex problems and to determine proper courses of actions.

Qualifications

• Completion of a bachelor’s degree program at an accredited college or university with major coursework in Public Policy, Housing Policy, Urban Studies, Social Service/Social Policy, other relevant fields, OR commensurate experience.

• Minimum of 3 years of supervisory experience with responsibility for the development, coordination and implementation of program activities, plans and reports, for a public agency or non-profit organization.
• Minimum of 6 years of program administration, plan development and evaluation experience for a public agency or non-profit organization.

Additional Information

TO APPLY:   Interested candidates must submit a cover letter, references and resume.

Salary Range: $86,000 - $112,000

Discover the Perks of Being a City of Philadelphia Employee:

• Transportation : City employees get unlimited FREE public transportation all year long through SEPTA’s Key Advantage program. Employees can ride on SEPTA buses, subways, trolleys, and regional rail for their daily commute and more.
• Parental Benefits: The City offers its employees 6 weeks of paid parental leave.
• We offer Comprehensive health coverage for employees and their eligible dependents.
• Our wellness program offers eligibility into the discounted medical plan
• Employees receive paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays
• Generous retirement savings options are available
• Pay off your student loans faster - As a qualifying employer, City of Philadelphia employees are eligible to participate in the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. Join the ranks of hundreds of employees who have already benefited from this program and achieved student loan forgiveness.
• Unlock Tuition Discounts and Scholarships - The City of Philadelphia has forged partnerships with over a dozen esteemed colleges and universities in the area, ensuring that our employees have access to a wide range of tuition discounts and scholarships. Experience savings of 10% to 40% on your educational expenses, extending not only to City employees but in some cases, spouse and dependents too!

Join the City of Philadelphia team today and seize these incredible benefits designed to enhance your financial well-being and personal growth!

*The successful candidate must be a city of Philadelphia resident within six months of hire

Effective May 22, 2023, vaccinations are no longer required for new employees that work in non-medical, non-emergency or patient facing positions with the City of Philadelphia. As a result, only employees in positions providing services that are patient-facing medical care (ex: Nurses, doctors, emergency medical personnel), must be fully vaccinated.

The City of Philadelphia is an Equal Opportunity employer and does not permit discrimination based on race, ethnicity, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, marital status, source of income, familial status, genetic information or domestic or sexual violence victim status. If you believe you were discriminated against, call the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations at 215-686-4670 or send an email to faqpchr@phila.gov.

For more information, go to: Human Relations Website:

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