Deputy Director, Sprint Team

City of New York • New York, NY

2d • $115,000 - $125,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

The Department of City Planning (DCP) plans for the future of New York City, working to create thriving and dynamic neighborhoods with access to housing and jobs, resilient infrastructure, and a vibrant public realm. The Department engages communities to develop inclusive plans, expand housing access and economic opportunity, and plans for long-term sustainability. DCP supports the City Planning Commission in its annual review of hundreds of land use applications. The Department also advises on citywide strategic and capital planning, analyzes data, conducts policy analysis, and creates open data and civic engagement tools. The Department of City Planning offers staff meaningful opportunities to help shape the future of New York City and address some of its most pressing challenges. The Department values public service, collaboration, and creativity, and supports professional development. The Sprint Team is a new, dedicated project management team established to advance the Mamdani Administration's mandate to deliver affordable housing faster through streamlining the review of land use applications to reduce DCP pre-certification timelines for eligible projects from approximately two years to six months. The team will focus specifically on moving applications quickly, predictably, and transparently into public review while preserving the integrity of technical, zoning, and public review requirements. The Division is responsible for the timely review of applications to ensure that decision-makers have the information necessary to make informed decisions about their communities. Working closely with DCP borough offices, the Technical Review Division, Environmental Assessment and Review, Pipeline and Commission Operations, Counsel, Capital Planning and Support, Strategic Planning, and the Mayor’s Office, the Sprint Team will identify eligible projects, establish clear review pathways, resolve critical path issues, track milestones, maintain high-quality data in DCP’s Zoning Applications Portal and related systems, and ensure that applicants and reviewers have clear expectations and guidance. The Sprint Team's primary responsibility is the direct management and review of complex land use applications progressing through pre-certification. Staff within the division will serve as lead project managers responsible for driving projects through the establishment of interdivisional guidance, identifying and escalating risks to schedule, coordinating guidance and comments to applicants and the City Planning Commission, maintaining accountability to milestone commitments, ensuring that applicants receive timely and actionable direction throughout the process, and providing transparency to the pre-certification pipeline through accurate reporting in DCP’s Zoning Application Portal. The Sprint Team will operate in a highly deadline-driven environment requiring strong judgment, collaboration, technical and planning knowledge, focus on creating and maintaining agency best practices, and a public service dedication. This work will directly support the City's housing production goals by leading a solutions-focused team to reduce avoidable delays while balancing the needs to provide thoughtful and accurate guidance on technical and zoning requirements and public review recommendations and strengthening DCP’s accountability to support the city’s goals for affordable housing production. The Deputy Director of the Sprint Team will assist in overseeing daily project management operations and supervise Team Leaders and project managers responsible for advancing eligible housing and land use applications through pre-certification review. The Deputy Director will coordinate directly with borough offices, other DCP divisions, applicants, and other stakeholders and monitor project statuses, resolve bottlenecks, and maintain accountability to established review timelines and schedules in close consultation with the Director. The Deputy Director will support prioritization and workflow management, staff supervision, milestone tracking, escalation coordination, quality control for application review, and implementation of operational procedures. The position will also assist with the development of reporting tools, performance metrics, staff training, and process improvement initiatives intended to improve review efficiency, communication, and transparency throughout the application review period. DCP leaders are responsible for setting the tone and ensuring everyone works together towards a common goal, which includes, but is not limited to, developing staff and teams and advancing division and agency work plans.

Requirements

• Permanent Administrative City Planners, those reachable on the Administrative City Planner civil service list, or New York City Employees serving permanently in comparable civil service titles.
• A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college and four (4) years of full-time experience in city planning, at least eighteen (18) months of which must have been in a managerial capacity.
• Graduate work leading to an advance degree in city planning or related field may be substituted for up to two (2) years of the non-managerial experience on a year-for-year basis.
• Graduation from an accredited United States Law School may be substituted for two (2) years of non-managerial experience.
• Authorization to work in the United States is required.
• Applicants are responsible for ensuring that they meet all minimum qualifying requirements for this position at the time of application.

Nice To Haves

• A baccalaureate degree and eighteen (18) months of managerial experience in city planning is required of all candidates.

Responsibilities

• Oversee daily project management operations and supervise Team Leaders and project managers responsible for advancing eligible housing and land use applications through pre-certification review.
• Coordinate directly with borough offices, other DCP divisions, applicants, and other stakeholders.
• Monitor project statuses, resolve bottlenecks, and maintain accountability to established review timelines and schedules in close consultation with the Director.
• Support prioritization and workflow management, staff supervision, milestone tracking, escalation coordination, quality control for application review, and implementation of operational procedures.
• Assist with the development of reporting tools, performance metrics, staff training, and process improvement initiatives intended to improve review efficiency, communication, and transparency throughout the application review period.
• Building strong and cohesive teams, including integrating new staff into division and team structure.
• Supervising and tracking the progress of staff projects and assignments and ensuring that employees are meeting their work goals and objectives.
• Providing guidance and constructive criticism to employees and helping them develop as professionals, including but not limited to completing mid-year and year-end performance appraisals within designated timeframes.
• Ensuring that staff are following citywide and agency policies.
• Managing and outlining the work program for teams and staff.
• Overseeing internal and external stakeholder engagement and outreach.
• Supporting internal and external communications.
• Providing strategic and policy direction.
• Planning through the use of robust analytics, research and analysis.

Benefits

• Meaningful opportunities to help shape the future of New York City and address some of its most pressing challenges.
• Public service, collaboration, and creativity are valued.
• Support for professional development.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager