Real Property Project Manager at City of New York in Valhalla, NY

JOB DESCRIPTION The NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) enriches the environment and protects public health for all New Yorkers by providing 1.1 billion gallons of high quality drinking water, managing wastewater and stormwater, and reducing air, noise, and hazardous materials pollution. DEP is the largest combined municipal water and wastewater utility in the country, with nearly 6,000 employees. DEP's water supply system is comprised of 19 reservoirs and 3 controlled lakes throughout the system’s 2,000 square mile watershed that extends 125 miles north and west of the City. The Bureau of Water Supply seeks to hire a City Planner III for a position with The Upstate Real Property Services (UPRS). Watershed Lands and Community Planning Division within the Watershed Protection Programs Directorate, located in Valhalla, New York. This position will assist in selecting eligible properties for potential acquisition, work directly with landowners, realtors, attorneys, and town officials during the appraisal and contract process, and coordinate closely with other DEP staff during the contract and closing process. The position does not have to meet sales quotas and does not work on commission. The position includes field work for potential land acquisitions and property dispositions, as well as site inspections on City owned lands or conservation easements to determine the extent of encroachments or easement violations, or to monitor work performed under demolition contracts. As needed, the position may conduct research of land records and DEP archives, and work with landowners, attorneys and other DEP staff on resolving real property issues. The position may also involve contract administration related to real property services. Under direction of the Upstate Real Property Services (UPRS) Section Chief, the City Planner III will assist in selecting eligible properties for potential acquisition, work directly with landowners, realtors, attorneys, and town officials during the appraisal and contract process, and coordinate closely with other DEP staff during the contract and closing process. The position does not have to meet sales quotas and does not work on commission. The position includes field work for potential land acquisitions and property dispositions, as well as site inspections on City owned lands or conservation easements to determine the extent of encroachments or easement violations, or to monitor work performed under demolition contracts. As needed, the position may conduct research of land records and DEP archives, and work with landowners, attorneys and other DEP staff on resolving real property issues. Specific duties include: - Work with landowners, attorneys, and agents to develop new acquisition projects including fee simple and conservation easement, field inspections, negotiating the configuration of parcels or easements to be acquired or disposed of by the City, ordering and reviewing of appraisals, and assisting with drafting of purchase contracts. - Perform site inspections and prepare reports on encroachments, incidents of trespass or easement violations, or progress of demolitions on City owned lands. - Manage vendor contracts for real property services including the drafting or revising of scopes of work, reviewing deliverables for accuracy and contract compliance, and reviewing and processing vendor invoices. - Coordinate with other DEP staff to ensure all administrative, programmatic and policy requirements are met for the City’s Land Acquisition Program and potentially to support the City Land Stewardship Program. - Update project information in the Watershed Lands information System (WaLIS) - Attend regularly scheduled real estate review meetings to present, discuss and review proposed real estate acquisition projects with staff from DEP and land acquisition partners. - Travel, including driving to DEP facilities located throughout the New York City watershed. (This is a brief description of what you might do in this position and does not include all the duties of this position.) Special Working Conditions: Site visits to properties located throughout the NYC watershed, primarily East of the Hudson River are performed in all seasons and can include steep and remote properties with varying degrees of access difficulty. Position requires sufficient strength, agility and mobility to hike mountainous terrain safely and use hiking equipment such as snowshoes and trek poles when needed. 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. Preferred Skills: - Project management, and the ability to prioritize and manage multiple projects simultaneously. - Read and interpret surveys and deeds. - Contract management and budget oversight analysis. - Ability to work independently and cohesively as a part of multi disciplinary team. - Excellent written and oral communication skills. - Capacity to work with landowners ,attorneys ,municipal leaders, co-workers, surveyors, clerks and others to advance DEP and Upstate Real Property Services missions. - Ability to conduct field work in all seasons, including navigating difficult terrain and using GPS units, digital cameras, and related field equipment. - Knowledge and proficient use of Adobe software and all Microsoft Office programs. - Ability to learn and use WaLIS, PASSPort, and potentially, ArcGis Hours and Shift: 35 Hours per week. Day/Shift Work Location: 465 Columbus Avenue Valhalla, NY 10595 CITY PLANNER - 22122 QUALIFICATIONS 1. A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university and two years of satisfactory full-time experience in city planning; or 2. A satisfactory combination of education and/or experience that is equivalent to “1"" above. Graduate education in city planning, urban planning, urban design, architecture, landscape architecture, transportation engineering, public administration, economic development or related fields may be substituted for experience on the basis of 30 graduate semester credits from an accredited college for one year of experience. However, all candidates must have a baccalaureate degree. Special Qualification Requirements Assignment Level III To be eligible for placement in Assignment Level III, individuals must have, after meeting the minimum requirements, one additional year of professional experience as described in "2" above. Assignment Level IV To be eligible for placement in Assignment Level IV, individuals must have, after meeting the minimum requirements, two additional years of professional experience as described in "2" above. 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.