Choice Neighborhood Initiative Director

Choice Neighborhood Initiative Director

The New York City office of the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) seeks a dynamic leader to fill the position of Choice Neighborhood Initiative Director. This is a temporary position that is currently funded for 24 months. This position reports to the Deputy Director.

Background

LISC is a national nonprofit organization, which provides financial and technical assistance to neighborhood-based nonprofit community development corporations (CDCs) working to improve housing and economic conditions in distressed neighborhoods. The New York City program works with CDCs and community-based entrepreneurs throughout the city to develop affordable multi-family rental housing, homeownership opportunities, commercial enterprises and community facilities.

The Choice Neighborhood Initiative Director will lead the community transformation process for the Mott Haven neighborhood in the South Bronx. HUD's Choice Neighborhoods Initiative (CNI) is designed to address struggling neighborhoods with distressed public housing or HUD assisted housing by creating a transformation plan that impacts the housing, people and neighborhood. LISC was selected by the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) to be the planning coordinator for the CNI planning grant.

Responsibilities

• Manage the CNI program activities in New York City on a day-to-day basis, reporting to the LISC NYC Deputy Director.
• Develop a resident engagement strategy that includes an active resident committee, surveys, charettes and other tools.
• Conduct neighborhood assessment and asset mapping.
• Establish performance indicators and develop system to track and evaluate performance, as well as use as a decision-making tool.
• Develop a housing revitalization plan for the NYCHA developments and determine opportunities for additional affordable housing development in the surrounding area.
• Implement a capacity building program for local non-profits.
• Determine opportunities and develop a plan to create, sustain, and expand community resources that build quality cradle-to-career educational opportunities, increase business development and entrepreneurship, improve public safety, promote community health, and support training in high growth careers with access to jobs.
• Develop and maintain partnerships with organizations that provide high quality services.
• Establish and maintain connections with government agencies and determine leverage opportunities.
• Work closely with groups on the ground to identify programmatic and regulatory issues as they arise, bring them to the attention of relevant government agencies and civic groups, and help develop strategies for resolving them.
• Manage consultants who will be providing technical expertise in various issue areas.
• Lead process and submit application for CNI Implementation grant.
• Create a long-term fundraising strategy to support people and neighborhood aspects of the transformation plan.
• Regular on-site and evening meetings required.

Qualifications

• Undergraduate degree required, Master's degree in Urban Planning, Public Policy, or similar preferred.
• Demonstrated management experience and ability to efficiently direct large scale planning and program activities.
• Bi-lingual preferred.
• Knowledge of community development and affordable housing. Familiarity with Mott Haven and/or South Bronx is a plus.
• Prior experience with advocacy and tenant outreach preferred.
• Ability to collaborate with local partners and multiple teams.
• Flexibility to interact with a variety of people from diverse backgrounds.
• Experience in policy and advocacy around issues that affect low-income neighborhoods.
• Self-directed, independent worker who takes initiative and is interested in helping to create systems and processes to support this position.
• Capacity to simultaneously work on multiple tasks and set priorities for a challenging workload.
• Demonstrated commitment to working in the nonprofit sector.

Please send cover letter and resume via e-mail to:

Jessica Guilfoy

Deputy Director

LISC NYC

501 Seventh Avenue, 7^th Floor

New York, NY 10018

resumes@lisc.org

LISC IS AN AFFIRMATIVE ACTION/EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER