Policy Director

City of New York • New York, NY

1d

About The Position

The Policy Director will oversee initiatives critical to the Mayor’s Office to Protect Tenants (MOPT), within the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Housing and Planning. Under the direction of the Executive Director, this role serves as a strategic thought partner, helps set MOPT’s priorities, supervises Policy Advisors, and manages high-level relationships across New York City’s housing and tenant-protection landscape. The Policy Director also supports the Executive Director as a public representative of MOPT.

MOPT advances policies and programs to strengthen tenant protections, promote housing stability, and ensure equitable access to safe and affordable housing. It works with City agencies, community-based organizations, advocates, and private-sector partners to implement the City’s housing agenda.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• At least 4 years of relevant experience in housing policy, government, or a related field.
• Experience with policy analysis and development, including analyzing and drafting legislation, coordinating strategically with elected officials, crafting policy arguments, and supporting coalition-building efforts.
• Strong relational skills and problem-solving ability.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including synthesizing complex information and presenting it in different formats.
• Experience managing staff to deliver results.
• Experience managing projects involving multiple stakeholders and agencies.
• Experience managing negotiations among stakeholders with competing objectives and priorities.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and manage multiple priorities simultaneously.

Nice To Haves

• Advanced degree in public policy, urban planning, law, or a related field.

Responsibilities

• Anticipate major emerging challenges for tenants across New York City and develop policies and programs to address them.
• Lead the development of policy recommendations and briefing materials for senior leadership, including the Deputy Mayor and MOPT Executive Director.
• Advance the Housing Maintenance Legislative Task Force convened by MOPT.
• Develop and implement tools to track relevant city, state, and federal legislation, regulations, and national best practices in housing policy.
• Supervise Policy Advisors working on MOPT priority issues.
• Ensure MOPT policy initiatives align with one another and with broader mayoral administration priorities.
• Prepare the MOPT Executive Director for legislative hearings in coordination with relevant Intergovernmental Affairs teams.
• Oversee cross-agency initiatives from concept through implementation, including preservation strategies for buildings and portfolios in physical or financial distress, eviction diversion, and homelessness prevention.
• Manage initiative plans, timelines, deliverables, progress tracking, and resolution or escalation of challenges.
• Coordinate with City agencies, external partners, and community stakeholders to advance policy initiatives.
• Prepare presentations, memoranda, and reports for internal and external audiences.
• Track budget requirements for policy initiatives.
• Serve as a liaison among MOPT, City agencies, tenant advocates, and community-based organizations throughout policy development.
• Facilitate interagency working groups and stakeholder meetings.
• Supervise team members and set clear goals.
• Give and receive feedback effectively.
• Assist with staff hiring and training.
• Help define team priorities and improve internal operations.

What This Job Offers

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