Director of Housing and Community Services

OVERVIEW OF JOB 

The Director will provide leadership and direction on the city’s Housing and Community Services initiatives and programs, including community engagement, homelessness programs, housing and community development, code enforcement, intervention programming, and animal services. This individual will lead a large, diverse team with multiple functions, requiring strategic leadership, establishing a vision for the department, and ensuring alignment of people to roles. 

PRIMARY DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES  

The listed primary duties and responsibilities are not a comprehensive list of expectations for the job. Duties and responsibilities may change at any time with or without notice. Employees may be assigned other duties.  

• Strategically directs Housing and Community Services functions and programs; ensuring division responsibilities are carried out effectively, efficiently, and timely.   

• Establishes short and long-range departmental priorities, goals, and objectives. 

• Establishes and maintains short and long-range financial plans and strategies including overseeing the budget of the department. 

• In collaboration with the Manager of Community Development, oversees the implementation of the city’s Housing Strategy through program implementation, new funding, collaboration with community organizations, for profit and non-profit developers, and other city departments. 

• Oversees the design and implementation of federally funded housing and community development programs (HUD, CDBG, HOME, ESG). 

• Oversees the city’s code enforcement efforts, including both complaint and proactive enforcement within the division’s priority areas (zoning, fences, trash, parking, weeds, and housing). 

• Collaborates with city departments, service providers, hospitals and clinics, and other governmental jurisdictions, to implement an integrated strategy to address homelessness and behavioral health needs of the community. 

• Oversees a manager of Animal Care responsible for ensuring that animals are sheltered in a humane fashion according to state and city regulations and codes. 

• Manages intervention program efforts, including overseeing the implementation of the Standing Against Violence Everyday (SAVE) and the Aurora Mobile Response Team (AMRT) programs. 

• Identifies and works with transitional neighborhoods to encourage stabilization and improved problem solving. 

• Effectively coordinates the department’s activities with other city departments to ensure a consistent approach towards common goals and the cost-effective delivery of services.    

• Effectively manages department employees including recruiting, hiring, onboarding, training, safety, performance management, discipline, termination and general supervision.  

• Performs other duties as assigned. 

An equivalent combination of education, training, and experience that demonstrates required knowledge, skills, and abilities may be considered. 

Education:   

• Bachelor’s degree in social services, public administration, business administration, community planning, or related field. 

Experience:   

•  8 years of related experience including 5 years of supervisory experience. 

Preferred Qualifications:  

• Master’s degree in a related field. 

• Leadership experience in a large agency supporting housing and community services. 

Knowledge: 

• Advanced knowledge of principles, practices and operating requirements of community and neighborhood services functions, including neighborhood service delivery, federal grant, human services, and community relations programs; code enforcement; and municipal management, budgeting, planning, and regulatory requirements. 

Skills:   

• Strong analytical, project and people management skills, including a thorough understanding of the city of Aurora policies, procedures, and processes to interpret business needs and translate them into operational requirements. 

• Ability to work effectively with media (print & broadcast) as well as comfort level with social media to communicate the work of the department.     

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills and the ability to interact professionally with a diverse group, including elected officials, executive management, staff, and subject matter experts. 

• Strong emotional intelligence and active listening skills with proven ability to collaborate in cross-functional teams. 

Abilities:   

• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with city leaders, elected officials, the media, and citizens. 

• Ability to handle sensitive situations with tact and diplomacy 

• Ability to manage multiple tasks with competing deadlines 

• Leads teams with empathy, ensuring a positive, inclusive, and collaborative work environment 

• Identifies and facilities team-based solutions 

• Communicate effectively both orally and in writing including synthesizing complex information into useful format for decision-makers and tailoring messages to various audiences 

• Gather, correlate and analyze facts and devise solutions to administrative and technical problems 

• Adapts quickly to a changing environment, demands, business needs, and shifting priorities 

WORKING CONDITIONS  

Essential Personnel:  

• When a local announcement of emergency or disaster is declared by the city, all city of Aurora employees may be required to work as essential personnel 

Physical Demands: 

• Sedentary physical work moving no more than 10 pounds at a time 

• Occasional lifting, carrying, walking and standing 

• Constant hand/eye coordination to operate personal computer and office equipment 

• Constant vision for reading, recording and interpreting information 

• Constant speech communication and hearing to maintain communication with others 

Work Environment: 

• Works primarily in an office environment 

Equipment Used: 

• Uses standard office equipment including personal computer and common office software such as email, internet, Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, SharePoint, OneDrive) and databases. 

• This job may require the incumbent to use personal equipment (e.g. vehicle, cell phone, tools, etc.) in the course of their employment.