Design Reviewer, Bureau of Preservation Design Review Services, for the Division of Building and Land Development Services

City of New York • New York City, NY

21h

About The Position

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.

The Office of Development (OOD) leads the agency’s effort to create and preserve affordable housing in collaboration with other HPD offices as well as other city, state and federal agencies. The OOD is comprised of eight divisions that administer a range of programs. These divisions include New Construction Finance, Special Needs Housing, Housing Incentives, Building and Land Development Services (BLDS), Homeownership Opportunities and Preservation, Preservation Finance, Portfolio Management and Conversions, and Compliance and Enforcement. The Division of Building and Land Development Services (BLDS) provides architectural, engineering, cost valuation, environmental planning, and construction support services to the various divisions within HPD’s Office of Development. BLDS is the largest division within the Office of Development with over 100 staff composed of seven units which include: the Bureau of New Construction Design Review Services, the Bureau of Preservation Design Review Services, the Bureau of Engineering, the Bureau of Construction Services, the Environmental Planning Unit, the Policy Unit, and the Program Management Unit. As a Design Reviewer, you will work on a variety of HPD-assisted preservation projects during the design phase. In this role, you will help ensure that project designs meet applicable standards and comply with local, state, and federal rules and regulations, including federal accessibility standards.

The ideal candidate will have a background in architecture or a related field and demonstrate a thorough knowledge of New York City Building and Construction Codes, as well as applicable federal, state, and city housing codes, rules, and regulations. The candidate should also have experience with the methods, standards, and practices used in the preservation and rehabilitation of multifamily housing, consistent with the responsibilities of a Construction Project Manager engaged in design review and project oversight.

Requirements

• A four-year high school diploma or its educational equivalent approved by a State’s Department of Education or a recognized accrediting organization, and five years of full-time satisfactory experience managing and/or inspecting one or more construction projects which must have a total cost of at least $300,000 for each of the five years of the required experience; or
• One year of the experience as described in “1” above and a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university, accredited by regional, national, professional or specialized agencies recognized as accrediting bodies by the U. S. Secretary of Education and by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), in engineering, engineering technology, architecture, architectural technology, landscape architecture, construction, construction technology, or construction management; or
• One year of the experience as described in “1” above and a valid license as a professional engineer, registered architect, or registered landscape architect, issued by a board of examining engineers, architects, or landscape architects duly established and qualified pursuant to the laws of any state or territory of the United States; or
• A four-year high school diploma or its educational equivalent approved by a State's Department of Education or a recognized accrediting organization, and a combination of at least two years of experience as described in “1” above and the education as described in “2” above to equal a total of five years of education and experience. Matriculation in an undergraduate college degree program as described in “2” above may be substituted for experience on the basis of 30 semester credits for one year of satisfactory full-time experience up to a maximum of three years of experience.
• Note: Candidates must specify for each construction project they worked on: a description of the construction project, the time period they worked on the construction project, and the type of work they performed. Candidates must also specify the money allotted for the project.
• Driver License Requirement: At the time of appointment to this position, you must have a motor vehicle driver license valid in the State of New York. If you have moving violations, license suspension or an accident record, you may be disqualified. This license must be maintained for the duration of your employment.
• For Assignment to Level II, In addition to meeting the "Qualification Requirements" above, candidates must have one additional year of satisfactory full-time experience working in Assignment Level I; or one additional year of satisfactory full-time experience as described in "1" above.
• For Assignment to Level III, in addition to meeting the Qualification Requirements for Construction Project Manager, candidates must have two additional years of satisfactory full-time experience working in Construction Project Manager Assignment Level I and II; or two additional years of satisfactory full-time experience as described in question "1" above and possess a motor vehicle driver license valid in the State of New York which must be maintained for the duration of employment noting that if you have moving violations, license suspension or an accident record, you may be disqualified.
• Authorization to work in the United States is required for this position.
• Applicants are responsible for ensuring that they meet all qualifying requirements for this position at the time of application.

Nice To Haves

• Thorough knowledge in all areas of architecture, design, and construction, including City, State, and Federal regulations and procedures, and methods and standards for preservation of multi-family housing.
• Excellent trade base knowledge and familiarity with New York City government and housing issues.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment, negotiate with diverse technical specialists, apply independent judgment in technical matters, take initiative, and work effectively with others.
• Excellent writing, interpersonal, organizational, communication, leadership, and negotiation skills.
• Demonstrated ability to meet deadlines, coordinate multiple projects, and deal with complex construction issues.
• Proficient in the operation of AutoCAD, Architectural Desktop, Bluebeam Revu, Excel, Word, and Powerpoint.
• Candidate may be subject to a background investigation conducted by the New York City Department of Investigation

Responsibilities

• Review and evaluate consultants’ work for preservation projects to ensure compliance with applicable codes, rules, and regulations, including the New York City Building and Construction Codes, Zoning Resolution, Multiple Dwelling Law, HPD Design Guidelines, Housing Maintenance Code, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards (UFAS), and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessibility design standards.
• Review and evaluate consultants’ work for preservation projects with respect to Integrated Physical Needs Assessments (IPNA), as well as submitted proposed scopes of work, drawings, and specifications.
• Prepare, develop, and/or review drawings, maps, plans, scopes of work, and specifications using various methods and technologies for the substantial rehabilitation of housing projects.
• Conduct building inspections to verify compliance with applicable accessibility regulations and design standards.
• Assist in providing design consultation and guidance to external development teams during the schematic design phase for projects with complex site and/or design issues.
• Participate in and may supervise the design, inspection, and construction of premises to ensure compliance with contracts, drawings, specifications, codes, resolutions, statutes, rules, and regulations, including activities related to the issuance of certificates of occupancy or other required permits.
• Engage in research, investigations, studies, or examinations related to the architectural functions and activities of the Agency.
• Assist in preparing tracking reports and maintaining a well-organized, centralized document management system to monitor the progress of each project throughout the design and construction review process.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: High school or GED