Director of Exemption Programs

Director Of Exemption Programs

NYC Department of Finance (DOF) is responsible for administering the tax revenue laws of the city fairly, efficiently, and transparently to instill public confidence and encourage compliance while providing exceptional customer service. The Property Exemptions Administration (PEA) oversees and executes property tax benefits for a diverse array of entities and individuals. PEA's core responsibilities encompass the examination, processing, and management of applications for exemptions and abatements. These benefits extend to commercial and industrial properties, residential multi-family construction, new one- to two-family construction, government entities, and non-profits, as well as renters and homeowners, including members of the clergy, seniors, people with disabilities, and veterans. PEA is committed to ensuring the accessibility of property tax benefits for all eligible constituents. PEA is seeking an experienced and mission-driven leader to join the division as a Director of Exemption Programs. This role will play a critical part in the administration of New York City's property tax benefit programs, overseeing personal exemption programs such as Senior & Disabled Homeowner Exemptions - SCHE / DHE. This Director will lead a team of supervisors and processors, ensuring timely and accurate benefit delivery, policy implementation, and process optimization. The selected individual will also collaborate across teams including Legal, Technology, Compliance, Taxpayer Advocate and External Affairs to drive equitable service delivery and improve customer experience.

Duties and responsibilities include, but not limited to :

• Lead a team of supervisors and staff responsible for processing property tax exemption for Homeowner Exemption Programs (e.g. for seniors and disabled homeowners) applications.
• Oversee daily operations to ensure accuracy, compliance, and timely delivery of property tax benefits.
• Align team operations with applicable laws, internal performance standards, and citywide processing deadlines.
• Interpret legislation and develop internal protocols to support successful program implementation.
• Partner with internal and external partners, and senior leadership to incorporate legal and procedural changes without service disruption.
• Recommend and implement policy and operational enhancements based on internal reviews and stakeholder feedback.
• Identify and implement operational efficiencies through data analysis, automation, and process mapping.
• Ensure strong internal controls are in place to mitigate errors and support compliance and audit readiness.
• Develop documentation that support consistent and accurate application processing.
• Monitor performance metrics and workflow forecasts to proactively manage staffing and resource allocation.
• Collaborate with the Data Analytics team to produce and enhance dashboards and reports for executive decision-making.
• Lead re-verification, quality assurance, and review cycles to ensure ongoing program integrity.
• Serve as a subject matter expert and public-facing liaison for the division interfacing with property owners, managing agents, elected officials, and advocacy organizations.
• Collaborate with the internal Property Division teams including Customer Service, and Compliance, work with Finance Information Technology - Support agency-wide initiatives and working groups focused on customer service and service equity.
• Supervise, mentor, and develop supervisory and frontline staff; support cross-training and succession planning.
• Foster a respectful, inclusive, and solutions-oriented work environment rooted in accountability and professional development.

Minimum Qualifications :

1. A master's degree from an accredited college in economics, finance, accounting, business or public administration, human resources management, management science, operations research, organizational behavior, industrial psychology, statistics, personnel administration, labor relations, psychology, sociology, human resources development, political science, urban studies or a closely related field, and two years of satisfactory full-time professional experience in one or a combination of the following : working with the budget of a large public or private concern in budget administration, accounting, economic or financial administration, or fiscal or economic research; in management or methods analysis, operations research, organizational research or program evaluation; in personnel or public administration, recruitment, position classification, personnel relations, employee benefits, staff development, employment program planning / administration, labor market research, economic planning, social services program planning / evaluation, or fiscal management; or in a related area. 18 months of this experience must have been in an executive, managerial, administrative or supervisory capacity. Supervision must have included supervising staff performing professional work in the areas described above; or 2. A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college and four years of professional experience in the areas described in "1" above, including the 18 months of executive, managerial, administrative or supervisory experience, as described in "1" above.

Preferred Skills :

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.