New York City Housing Authority
Background:
The New York
City Housing Authority (“NYCHA”) is the largest and oldest public housing
authority in the United States. It provides decent and affordable housing in a
safe and secure living environment for low- and moderate-income residents
throughout the five boroughs. To fulfill this mission, NYCHA must preserve its
aging housing stock through timely maintenance and modernization of its
developments. NYCHA also administers a citywide Section 8 Leased Housing
Program in rental apartments. Simultaneously, it works to enhance the quality
of life in its developments by offering its residents opportunities to
participate in a multitude of community, educational and recreational programs,
as well as job readiness and training initiatives.
NYCHA's
Conventional Public Housing Program has 178,882 apartments in 2,602 residential
buildings (334 developments) throughout the City. NYCHA has 11,686 employees serving a total of
633,177 New Yorkers in its Public Housing and Section 8 Programs. Based upon
the 2008 New York City Housing and Vacancy Survey (HVS) and the most recent
population estimate for New York City (July 2009) respectively, NYCHA Public
Housing represents 8.5 percent of the City's rental apartments and is home to
4.8 percent of the City’s population.
The Position:
The New York City Housing Authority is seeking a highly skilled
financial manager to serve as its next Chief Financial Officer (“CFO”). Reporting directly to NYCHA’s General Manager
and a member of the agency’s senior management team, the CFO will be
responsible for oversight and management of the agency’s $3.2 billion operating
and capital budgets. In addition, he or
she will oversee the agency’s risk management and energy management
programs. He or she will have broad
latitude for independent judgment, action and decision making and will provide
all financial support for NYCHA. He or
she will provide strategic guidance as the principal manager of the agency’s
financial portfolio.
Primary Responsibilities:
The CFO’s primary responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
- Financial and Operations Strategy
- Direct and guide
the activities of the Finance Department, comprised of approximately 280
direct and indirect reports;
- Oversee all of
NYCHA’s accounts and reporting functions, providing department with the
necessary guidance and ensuring compliance with relevant regulations
and/or guidelines;
- Manage cash flow
and forecasting, developing reliable projections that help establish
minimum thresholds to meet the agency’s operating needs and that help
develop strategies to enhance the agency’s case positions;
- Manage and monitor
the investment activity of NYCHA’s $1 billion portfolio;
- Develop new and
innovative financing mechanisms and identify opportunities to generate
additional income for the Authority;
- Assess the agency’s
organizational performance against annual and long-term budgetary goals,
improving the overall financial performance of NYCHA’s properties; and
- Oversee long-term
budgetary plans, ensuring they are in alignment with the Agency’s
long-term strategic plan.
- Risk Management
- Manage NYCHA’s
self-insured programs, identifying and evaluating initiatives to reduce
the agency’s loss exposures and hazards.
- Energy Management
- Oversee the
Agency’s energy efficiency operations and sustainability initiatives.
Key
Competencies:
- Leadership and
Capacity Building: a proven leader
with senior level experience in a broad variety of financial and
management areas with the ability to lead a diverse and dynamic set of
team members on an individual and corporate level. This includes the ability to cultivate
entrepreneurship and ownership while enforcing accountability, and
maintaining high levels of work ethic and standards.
- Problem Solver and
Entrepreneurial: a creative
thinker, especially with experience in developing innovative financing
vehicles that help meet operational needs while generating a source of
revenue for the agency.
- Strategic
Visionary: the ability to fit the
smaller pieces into the bigger picture, thinking strategically about
future trends and consequences and incorporating them into the Agency’s
larger plan.
- Excellent
Communication Skills: demonstrated
ability to communicate clearly, both written and verbal, while maintaining
an acute discernment of audience.
Qualifications:
- Baccalaureate degree from an accredited
college.
- A minimum of 8 years of satisfactory
professional experience in a related field.
- An understanding of public sector financial
practices and U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
regulations is a plus.
- Experience with the Oracle Financial Management
system is a plus.
NYCHA is an Equal
Opportunity Employer with a commitment to a diverse workforce. For more
information about the New York City Housing Authority, please visit their
website at www.nyc.gov/nycha
To Apply:
The New York City Housing Authority has retained the services of Harris Rand
Lusk to conduct this search. Inquiries, nominations, and applications may be
directed in confidence to:
Jack Lusk, Managing Partner
or
Anne McCarthy, Senior Director
Harris Rand Lusk
261 Madison Avenue, 11th Floor
New York, NY
10016
amccarthy@harrisrand.com
