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Community Development Specialist 1

Category: Classified
Pay Grade: C21
Job Code: 06118

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform the essential job functions satisfactorily.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the primary job functions herein described. Since every duty associated with this position may not be described herein, employees may be required to perform duties not specifically spelled out in the job description, but which may be reasonably considered to be incidental in the performing of their duties just as though they were actually written out in this job description.

JOB SUMMARY

This is moderately complex technical, administrative and paraprofessional work assisting professional community development specialists and community development planner staff in the research, administration and implementation of various program components in community development, housing, neighborhood enhancement and community planning activities. Duties include researching technical information, tracking funds/projects, preparing reports, compiling data on assigned subjects, administering specialized housing assistance programs and application of appropriate analytical methods to that data. The work involves administration of programs/projects and may involve assistance in the plan development step of a program or project as well as implementing short-term and long-term plans.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS (examples, not all inclusive)

• Evaluates case files and makes loan underwriting decisions to ensure sound credit risk for housing assistance and regulatory compliance;
• Conducts research and prepares studies relating to such items as community facilities, population, housing or neighborhood revitalization;
• Reviews ownership and encumbrance reports, title commitments, settlement statements appraisals and title policies and resolves title problems as necessary;
• Prepares preliminary drafts and edits materials related to the area of assignment;
• Develops loan foreclosure prevention plans, working with loan servicer, owners, and customer;
• Approves payments for work completed under contract agreements;
• Remains abreast of current underwriting criteria and changes in loan processing used in the private sector;
• Assists in the arbitration of disputes arising between owners and contractors involving workmanship or contractual terms;
• Trains, counsels, and monitors, and coordinates with contracted loan originators and project sponsors;
• Conducts annual compliance monitoring and inspections of properties under various loan programs;
• Performs program marketing to include outreach, advertising and presentations to community groups;
• Performs other related job duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS

Education and Experience:

Five (5) years of technical, administrative or paraprofessional experience in affordable housing, grant administration, real estate finance, mortgage lending, construction management or community development work experience or a Bachelor’s degree with major course work in social services, business, finance, housing administration, public administration, urban planning, government, law, engineering, design, economics geography, statistics or a related field plus one (1) year experience as described; or an equivalent combination of education, training and/or experience.

Special Qualifications (May be required depending on area of assignment):

• Florida Driver’s License or Florida Commercial Driver’s License and endorsement, if any.
• Assignment to work a variety of work schedules including compulsory work periods in special, emergency, and/or disaster situations.
• Other highly desirable knowledge, skills, abilities, and credentials required for a specific position.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Knowledge of the principles, practices, and methods of community development planning;
• Knowledge of real property development including realty, mortgaging, insurance, title searches, property descriptions, permitting and assessments;
• Knowledge of housing requirements of low to moderate income families and of public and private agencies rendering social, economic or other assistance;
• Knowledge of real estate practices, procedures and laws;
• Knowledge of research techniques and data gathering;
• Knowledge of housing, building and energy codes and land development regulations;
• Knowledge of basic personal computer skills, including use of standard word processor and database programs;
• Ability to present ideas and findings clearly and concisely in written, oral and graphic form;
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with other department representatives, outside agencies, and the public;
• Ability to prepare and interpret plans and specifications.

PHYSICAL/MENTAL DEMANDS

The work is light work which requires exerting up to 20 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 10 pounds of force to move objects.  Additionally, the following physical abilities are required:

• Balancing: Maintaining body equilibrium to prevent falling while walking, standing or crouching on narrow, slippery, or erratically moving surfaces. The amount of balancing exceeds that needed for ordinary locomotion and maintenance of body equilibrium.
• Climbing: Ascending or descending ladders, stairs, scaffolding, ramps, poles and the like, using feet and legs and/or hands and arms. Body agility is emphasized.
• Crawling: Moving about on hands and knees or hands and feet.
• Crouching: Bending the body downward and forward by bending leg and spine.
• Feeling: Perceiving attributes of objects, such as size, shape, temperature or texture by touching with skin, particularly that of fingertips.
• Fingering: Picking, pinching, typing, or otherwise working, primarily with fingers rather than with the whole hand as in handling.
• Hearing: Perceiving the nature of sounds at normal speaking levels with or without correction. Ability to receive detailed information through oral communication, and to make the discrimination in sound.
• Kneeling: Bending legs at knee to come to a rest on knee or knees.
• Grasping: Applying pressure to an object with the fingers and palm.
• Handling: Picking, holding, or otherwise working, primarily with the whole hand.
• Lifting: Raising objects from a lower to a higher position or moving objects horizontally from position-to-position. Occurs to a considerable degree and requires substantial use of upper extremities and back muscles.
• Mental acuity: Ability to make rational decisions through sound logic and deductive processes.
• Pulling: Using upper extremities to exert force in order to draw, haul or tug objects in a sustained motion.
• Pushing: Using upper extremities to press against something with steady force in order to thrust forward, downward or outward.
• Reaching: Extending hand(s) and arm(s) in any direction.
• Repetitive motion: Substantial movements (motions) of the wrist, hands, and/or fingers.
• Speaking: Expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word including the ability to convey detailed or important spoken instructions to other workers accurately and concisely.
• Standing: Particularly for sustained periods of time.
• Stooping: Bending body downward and forward by bending spine at the waist. Occurs to a considerable degree and requires full motion of the lower extremities and back muscles.
• Talking: Expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word including those activities in which they must convey detailed or important spoken instructions to other workers accurately, loudly, or quickly.
• Visual acuity: Have close visual acuity such as color differentiation, depth perception, and adequate field vision.
• Walking: Moving about on foot to accomplish tasks, particularly for long distances or moving from one work site to another.

WORKING CONDITIONS

Work is performed in a relatively safe, secure, and stable work environment.