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Community Development Specialist 2

Category: Classified/Excluded
Pay Grade: C23
Job Code: 06122

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 complex technical, administrative and paraprofessional work implementing housing and community development programs and activities.  Employees work independently in administering an aspect of housing finance, and construction management. Employees in this class may perform financial loan underwriting, construction monitoring, project planning and management tasks, or assist in preparing reports and grant applications. Duties include the supervision of rehabilitation projects, development and utilization of financial underwriting procedures, project monitoring and payment authorization. Employees in this class are expected to handle all phases of assigned responsibilities in finance, housing rehabilitation, grants development, program marketing, and project development; sometimes training, leading and monitoring others. Work results are reviewed for technical adequacy and professional standards and any questions of an important technical or administrative nature are discussed with a superior before action is taken. Assignments are made orally or in writing and work is reviewed through observation of results obtained, conferences and periodic reports or evaluations.

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;
• Prepares bid specifications and cost estimates for labor and materials for construction work;
• Conducts bid openings, reviews bid proposals, assists owners in the selection of contractors and oversees construction in progress to ensure program 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;
• Negotiates and prepares change orders to contracts, counsels clients regarding construction activities and maintenance and use of mechanical items or appliances and prepares and maintains documentation of case processing activities;
• 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;
• Directs technical or support personnel on planning or functional projects;
• Performs other related job duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS

Education and Experience:

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 two (2) years of paraprofessional and professional experience in affordable housing, grant administration, real estate finance, mortgage lending, construction management or community development work 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 a personal computer and database programs;
• Skill in the use of personal computers in accomplishing daily tasks;
• Ability to present ideas and findings clearly and concisely in written, oral and graphic form;
• Ability to counsel, establish and maintain effective working relationships with other department representatives, outside agencies, and the general public;
• Ability to prepare and interpret plans and specifications.

PHYSICAL/MENTAL DEMANDS

This 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.
• 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.
• Grasping: Applying pressure to an object with the fingers and palm.
• Handling: Picking, holding, or otherwise working, primarily with the whole hand.
• 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.
• Mental acuity: Ability to make rational decisions through sound logic and deductive processes.
• 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 typically performed in a dynamic environment that requires sensitivity to changing goals, priorities, and needs.