Sustainability Program Manager

New York State Homes and Community Renewal (HCR) is the State’s affordable housing agency, with a mission to build, preserve, and protect affordable housing and increase homeownership throughout New York State.

A Civil Service exam is not required for this position. Candidates must meet the minimum qualifications outlined below to be considered.

NYS Homes and Community Renewal (HCR) is committed to fostering a culture of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility. Our work would not be possible without the diverse backgrounds, experiences, ideas, and abilities of our employees. HCR is committed to developing a workforce which represents the diverse population of New York State. HCR embraces a diverse and inclusive work environment by encouraging all individuals, including those with disabilities, to apply to open positions at the agency.

The Office of Housing Preservation manages HCR programs that maintain and enhance the state’s portfolio of existing affordable housing. We enforce the Rent Laws in New York City for over 900,000 housing units, while providing federal and state rental assistance to assist more than 45,000 families across the state. We also monitor 130,000 low income housing units financed with federal and state resources, and provide grant funding to help homeowners and tenants save energy.

The Statewide Asset Management Unit is responsible for the asset management and compliance monitoring of the Agency’s existing affordable housing portfolio. This portfolio has been financed under various Federal and State housing programs including the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit; Housing Trust Fund; HOME.

Position Summary

Provide programmatic support for various decarbonization and energy efficiency programs within NYS Homes and Community Renewal’s Office of Housing Preservation. This position will work in the Sustainability Unit’s Decarbonization Team, reporting to the Director of Sustainability Programs, to support the Clean Energy Initiative Program, Climate Friendly Homes Fund Programs, and future decarbonization programs to successfully align the State’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA) goals under the direction of the VP of Sustainability. Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Under the direction of the Director of Sustainability, manage the operations of HCR Direct Injection programs, including working with the Upstate and Downstate Sustainability Specialists and Sustainability Program Associate to ensure successful and efficient program production, program reporting, and budget management.
• Support development and management of HCR’s Decarbonization Programs under the Climate Friendly Homes Fund, including working with the Solar Program Associate for effective program production.
• Assist with the evaluation and reporting of the HCR’s Decarbonization Programs.
• Assist in the management of a team of consultants that provide project-level oversight for projects in the Decarbonization Team’s portfolio.
• Provide program policy and technical expertise in the design of future decarbonization and energy efficiency programs (heat pumps, building envelope performance, weatherization, etc.).
• Coordinate with other teams within HCR, such as the Office of Finance and Development, Asset Management Unit, and Design, Construction, and Environmental Unit, to successfully deploy and manage programs within the Decarbonization portfolio.
• Provide oversight and support in the regular maintenance of HCR’s Sustainability Guidelines.
• Provide oversight and support in the development and regular maintenance of the team’s Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) manuals.
• Directly supervise at least two staff who work on day-to-day operations of the agency’s various Decarbonization Programs.

This position requires occasional travel. Amount of travel varies throughout the year. This job description is not intended to be all inclusive and the employee will be expected to perform other reasonably related duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications and Desired Skills

• Bachelor’s degree, or equivalent work experience, and a minimum of three to five years of experience working in a professional office setting in public sector, housing, sustainability consulting, or architecture/engineering. A master’s degree can substitute one year of experience.
• Education and professional experience in affordable housing development, architecture/engineering, or sustainable development preferred.

Essential Skills:

1. Experience in program management
2. Experience with drafting reports, internal and external memos, and white papers
3. Experience supervising a team of at least two people
4. Experience with building electrification strategies and technologies, particularly for housing
5. A familiarity with and understanding of the State’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act goals, specifically related to Housing
6. Familiarity with regulated affordable housing, either with design or implementation, financing, or development.

Candidates must possess the following qualities and strengths:

1. Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing with attention to detail and professionalism in all communications with staff and the public.
2. Ability to work independently and manage various responsibilities simultaneously.
3. Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
4. Work effectively in and with diverse communities.