Director of the Department of Housing
San Mateo County
Professional Area:
Community Development and Redevelopment
Housing
Experience:
5-7 years
Location:
Redwood City, CA
DIRECTOR OF THE
DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING
San Mateo County
$12,260-$15,324/month
The County of San Mateo is seeking qualified candidates for the position ofDirector of the Department of Housing.Reporting to the County Manager, the Director plans, directs and oversees the functions and activities of the Department of Housing, which includes 56 staff members, 45 of whom work in the Housing Authority. The annual budget for the Department is approximately $83 million.
The mission of the Department of Housing is to serve as a catalyst for increasing access to affordable housing, supporting community development and forging partnerships that increase the supply of housing, so that housing exists for people of all income levels and generations in San Mateo County. The Director provides vision, leadership and direction to staff and outside agencies in achieving this mission. In addition, the Director coordinates activities with other County departments, outside agencies and advisory bodies to provide this housing, and provides highly responsible and complex administrative support to the County Manager, Board of Supervisors and advisory groups.
OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES FOR THE DIRECTOR
- The Director is challenged to think creatively and collaboratively in addressing the County’s severe shortage of affordable housing. The County has created a $30 million affordable housing fund ($18 million over the past two years plus an additional $12 million over the next two years) to address this issue. Innovative programs are being designed together with the Housing Authority and other county departments.
- The Housing Authority is one of only 39 agencies in the nation with MTW status. This enables the Housing Authority to experiment with creative application of its annual HUD funding commitments through the program’s block grant provision and to change HUD rules and regulations to re-create rental subsidy programs that better meet local conditions and needs.
- As a catalyst for the creation of new housing, the Director must create partnerships and build coalitions with the cities, builders, developers, nonprofit organizations, funders, state agencies and others.
- With many land use regulations a barrier to building new housing, the new Director must work with various partners to remove/minimize obstacles.
As an advocate and catalyst for the creation of housing, the new Director will ideally be a charismatic leader and progressive visionary. As a leader, the new Director will create an environment of trust and partnership in building diverse coalitions with all stakeholders. As a visionary, he/she will be an innovator and entrepreneur with creative yet practical solutions to long-term housing needs and a passionate champion for housing development.
More specifically, the ideal Director will be:
- An experienced manager with a sound understanding of the complexities of housing, land use and financing issues
- An approachable and politically astute leader with a management style that quickly fosters trust, loyalty, respect, commitment and partnership
- A strategic thinker and planner whose vision is balanced with realism
- Eloquent and persuasive, as an ambassador for housing development
- A consensus builder with superior negotiation skills
- Action and results-oriented
- Astute in resolving highly controversial issues in a participatory and effective manner
The successful candidate will have six years of progressively responsible administrative experience in housing development and rehabilitation, planning or a related field, at least two years of which involved directing, planning, organizing and coordinating housing programs. An educational background equivalent to a Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with major course work in planning, finance, business administration, public policy, public administration or a related discipline is preferred.
San Mateo County is located in the heart of the San Francisco Peninsula and offers a wide range of recreational pursuits, economic opportunities and numerous attractions. The 700,000 residents of the County enjoy the benefits of rural open space, temperate climate and clean air, as well as metropolitan San Francisco within easy reach. San Mateo County government provides a full range of services with a workforce of over 5,500 employees in 23 agencies and departments, and a budget of $1.3 billion.
Final Filing Date: July 30, 2015