Location: Jamaica,NY, USA
THE AGENCY
The Department of City Planning (DCP) plans for the strategic growth and development of the City through ground-up planning with communities, the development of land use policies, and zoning regulations applicable citywide and sharing its perspectives on growth and community needs with sister agencies in collaboration with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).
The New York City Department of City Planning is a great place to work - cultivating intellectual inspiration, professional development, and creativity. Visit our website at www.nyc.gov/planning to access the full listing of job opportunities and to learn more about our great agency.
THE DIVISION
Queens is home to more than 2.4 million residents, a historic peak population. Queens' extensive ethnic diversity leads the city and the country. Its growth has been fueled in large measure by an influx of persons arriving from abroad with nearly half the population foreign born, and its residents speak over 160 languages. Some of the fastest-growing neighborhoods in New York City are located in Queens, with the past decade seeing significant housing growth in areas such as Long Island City and Flushing. The borough fosters the most diverse economy in the region, as a center for industry, manufacturing, freight and distribution, primarily centered around Western Queens and the airports.
The Queens Office is a dynamic work environment responsible for a wide range of planning and design activities, including developing borough-wide and local plans with a focus on affordable housing, resiliency, expanded economic opportunity, and transit-oriented development; reviewing and processing land use applications; leading community outreach; planning for resiliency and climate change; and providing technical and policy guidance and direction on all land use and zoning related matters to the City Planning Commission, local Community Boards, elected officials, and the public at large. The borough's recent growth is occurring within distinct neighborhood contexts, which vary widely across the borough. Currently, its efforts are focused on directing a range of new housing, economic recovery and equitable planning opportunities in to enliven and support the growth and vitality of Queens neighborhoods.
THE ROLE
The Queens Borough Office is seeking an experienced planning professional to serve as a Team Leader. The geography under the supervision of the Team Leader includes a diverse range of neighborhood characters and housing types, as well as John F. Kennedy International Airport, lands surrounding Jamaica Bay, and the Rockaway Peninsula.
The ideal candidate will have exceptional technical planning skills and a strong grasp of land use and public policy issues of primary importance to the department, including zoning, urban design, affordable housing and economic development. As the Leader of the team responsible for the districts with significant waterfront areas, the candidate should possess a working knowledge of the city's policy for promoting resilience to flood risk and facilitating recovery along its diverse waterfronts.
Under the supervision of the Borough Director and Deputy, the Team Leader will manage a team of planning and urban design professionals with a wide variety of projects and studies, track the numerous land use applications in Queens, and oversee comprehensive planning efforts. With great latitude for exercising independent judgement, the Team Leader will:
* Develop work programs, establish priorities and deadlines, and manage work assignments
* Supervise the work of team members and/or other planners in the processing of land use applications and preparing materials to present to the City Planning Commission, and implementation of studies and reports for several Community Districts to ensure a high degree of quality and consistency with agency protocol and policy;
* Create and organize graphic and written materials for presentations to the City Planning Commission, other governmental agencies, and the public;
* Manage Department initiatives, and ULURP and other land use applications, and contribute to planning and urban design studies, and coordinate this work with other divisions of the Department, other city agencies, community boards, elected officials and the public;
* Advise and coordinate with internal policy experts and external stakeholders on a variety of matters including on industrial urbanism and resiliency;
* Represent the Department at meetings with elected officials, civic, business and community groups, community boards and public agencies to communicate City policy and maintain working relationships;
* Develop and maintain working knowledge of planning, urban design, and zoning;
* Perform other related tasks.
Minimum Qualifications
1. A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university and two years of satisfactory full-time experience in city planning; or
2. A satisfactory combination of education and/or experience that is equivalent to 1 above. Graduate
education in city planning, urban planning, urban design, architecture, landscape architecture, transportation engineering, public administration, economic development or related fields may be substituted for experience on the basis of 30 graduate semester credits from an accredited college for one year of experience. However, all candidates must have a baccalaureate degree.
Special Qualification Requirements
Assignment Level III
To be eligible for placement in Assignment Level III, individuals must have, after meeting the minimum requirements, one additional year of professional experience as described in 2 above.
Assignment Level IV
To be eligible for placement in Assignment Level IV, individuals must have, after meeting the minimum requirements, two additional years of professional experience as described in 2 above.
Preferred Skills
* Ability to work effectively in a team structure to complete tasks in a timely fashion under minimal supervision manage multiple projects simultaneously - Demonstrated ability to analyze multiple streams of complex data (economic, land use, demographics) and synthesize results into clear, coherent reports and presentations for discussion and consideration by team, division, and agency management - Demonstrated ability to self-manage and capacity to take initiative, as well as superior project management skills, including the ability to complete tasks in a timely fashion - Strong research and analytical skills, including identifying patterns and management of processes - Experience managing projects and studies ability to lead meetings effectively and inclusively - Experience with editing, technical writing, and ability to collaborate and communicate with designers, planners, and technicians with different backgrounds and preferences, processes, and styles - Excellent presentation and written communication skills experience speaking publicly and making effective presentations - Demonstrated leadership skills, initiative and ability to communicate ideas effectively - Ability to work effectively as part of a team, as well as with other divisions and city agencies, and an ability to organize and lead meetings effectively and inclusively - Ability to attend evening and weekend meetings - Experience in community coordination and outreach, including managing public meetings and advisory committees - A working knowledge of current policies and trends in resiliency and planning for climate change - Proficiency with Geographic Information Systems, Microsoft Excel, Adobe Creative Suite, and analysis of quantitative information - A working knowledge of current policies and trends in resiliency and planning for climate change
55a Program
This position is also open to qualified persons with a disability who are eligible for the 55-a Program. Please indicate at the top of your resume and cover letter that you would like to be considered for the position through the 55-a Program.
Public Service Loan Forgiveness
As a prospective employee of the City of New York, you may be eligible for federal loan forgiveness programs and state repayment assistance programs. For more information, please visit the U.S. Department of Education's website at
Residency Requirement
New York City residency is generally required within 90 days of appointment. However, City Employees in certain titles who have worked for the City for 2 continuous years may also be eligible to reside in Nassau, Suffolk, Putnam, Westchester, Rockland, or Orange County. To determine if the residency requirement applies to you, please discuss with the agency representative at the time of interview.
Additional Information
The City of New York is an inclusive equal opportunity employer committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based upon any legally protected status or protected characteristic, including but not limited to an individual's sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender identity, or pregnancy.