Deputy Commissioner for the Office of External Affairs

About the Agency:

The New York City Department of Housing Preservation Development (HPD) promotes quality and affordability in the city's housing, and diversity and strength in the city’s neighborhoods because every New Yorker deserves a safe, affordable place to live in a neighborhood they love.

• We maintain building and resident safety and health
• We create opportunities for New Yorkers through housing affordability
• We engage New Yorkers to build and sustain neighborhood strength and diversity.

HPD is entrusted with fulfilling these objectives through the goals and strategies of “Housing Our Neighbors: A Blueprint for Housing and Homelessness,” Mayor Adams’ comprehensive housing framework. To support this important work, the administration has committed $5 billion in new capital funding, bringing the 10-year planned investment in housing to $22 billion the largest in the city’s history. This investment, coupled with a commitment to reduce administrative and regulatory barriers, is a multi-pronged strategy to tackle New York City’s complex housing crisis, by addressing homelessness and housing instability, promoting economic stability and mobility, increasing homeownership opportunities, improving health and safety, and increasing opportunities for equitable growth.

Your Team:

The Office of External Affairs advances and promotes the agency's priorities in support of HPD's mission. It is comprised of two divisions: the Division of Government Affairs and the Division of Communications.

The Division of Government Affairs works with City, State, and federal elected officials, as well as agencies, policy makers, advocates, and other stakeholders to assess, craft, and secure legislative changes needed to implement HPD’s goals of creating and preserving affordable housing and protecting the quality and safety of the City’s housing stock.

The Division of Communications crafts, shapes, and distributes content in various media sources to promote the agency's programs, efforts, and mission to the public sphere.

Your Impact:

As the Deputy Commissioner for External Affairs, you will oversee the work of the Government Affairs and Communications teams with the objective of developing and implementing approaches to effectively advance and promote the work of the agency externally.

Your Role:

In this role, you will be responsible for leading external affairs and communications efforts, collaborating with elected officials, agencies, policy makers, advocates, and other stakeholders, and representing the Commissioner at various events and meetings. As a senior official within the agency, you will be responsible for making sure your office and senior leadership work together to execute the Commissioner’s, Deputy Mayor’s, and Mayor’s initiatives and policy objectives. In close coordination with external agency partners, you will also be responsible for facilitating improved communication, coordination, and collaboration within your team, among other teams at the agency, and with external stakeholders.

Your Responsibilities:

In coordination with leadership from the Office of External Affairs:

• Develop and execute robust external affairs and communications strategies for the agency, including for public events, brand building, press relations, digital media, issue-based campaigns, and legislator and general stakeholder relationship management.
• Manage creative production and message consistency of the launch of any advertising, traditional media coverage, web content, and social media efforts.
• Oversee all public relations activities and formal communications materials generated by the agency, including press releases.
• Ensure the Commissioner is fully prepared for meetings, speaking engagements, and other public appearances and/or represent the Commissioner at external meetings and events as required, fostering positive relationships with key stakeholders.
• Manage New York City’s affordable housing legislative agenda at the city, state, and federal levels. Identify hearings and bills that relate and impact the agency’s ability to deliver on our agenda.
• Collaborate with policy makers, advocates, and planners to assess and craft housing policies for managing the agency’s external positioning on any relevant non-housing legislation or policies.
• Ensure the agency is adequately prepared for public hearings and respond to inquiries from the general public and elected officials to execute on successfully advancing those goals
• Build and sustain strong team culture based on equity, inclusivity collaboration, and responsiveness.

Preferred skills:

• Master’s degree in public administration, Urban Planning, Public Policy, Law, Business Administration, or a related field.
• A minimum of 10 years of experience in external affairs, communications, government relations, or related areas, preferably in the public sector, with a minimum of 7 years in a leadership role.
• Strong understanding of housing policy, government processes, and stakeholder engagement.
• Strong collaborator across multiple diverse teams, with excellent communication and interpersonal skills, and the ability to build relationships, help develop junior team members, and work effectively with diverse stakeholders internally and externally.
• Proven ability to lead teams, manage projects, and drive results in a fast-paced environment.
• Excellent organizational skills, including excellent attention to detail and ability to be responsive and prioritize many competing projects and interests on tight deadlines.
• Excellent management and leadership skills, including demonstrated experience managing diverse teams, with a deep commitment to equity and inclusion.
• Proven experience in formulating and executing strategic plans to achieve organizational goals.