THE POSITION The County of San Mateo is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Director of the Department of Housing.

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1 Director of the Department of Housing (Open and Promotional) $12,260 - $15,324 /Month FINAL DATE FOR FILING: July 30, THE POSITION The County of San Mateo is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Director of the Department of Housing. Reporting to the County Manager, the Director plans, directs and oversees the functions and activities of the Department of Housing, which includes two divisions, Housing and Community Development and the Housing Authority. The mission of the Department of Housing is to serve as a catalyst for increasing access to affordable housing, supporting community development, and forging partnerships that increase the supply of housing, so that housing exists for people of all income levels and generations in San Mateo County. The Director provides vision, leadership and direction to staff and outside agencies in achieving this mission. In addition, the Director coordinates activities with other County departments, outside agencies and advisory bodies to provide this housing, and provides highly responsible and complex administrative support to the County Manager, Board of Supervisors and advisory groups. The two divisions of the department, Housing and Community Development and the Housing Authority, manage a number of programs, including: Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG) and HOME Programs, providing funding for affordable housing and associated community development, and addressing community needs for homelessness prevention and assistance Affordable Housing Fund A $30 million fund created by the county for the development and preservation of affordable housing Rental assistance programs through the Housing Authority s MTW (Moving To Work) program (Housing Choice Vouchers and special programs for veterans, homeless, foster youth and other special populations) Homeless housing programs through the Permanent Supportive Housing Program Housing Rehabilitation Loan Program, providing low-interest loans to rehabilitate properties of low- income families First-Time Homebuyers Program, providing assistance to eligible first-time homebuyers Innovative housing programs funded by the County for such projects as: the Farm

2 Workers Housing Program, Home Sharing Program, Landlord/Tenant Information and Referral and Housing Locator Services Interdepartmental collaboration to develop innovative housing programs together with the Health Department, the Health Plan and the Human Services Agency Locally-Owned Housing, including rental units in Daly City and Colma The duties of the Director of Housing may include, but are not limited to, the following: Plan, organize, direct and evaluate all functions and activities of the Department of Housing and the Housing Authority of San Mateo County Develop, articulate and propagate a vision for housing development in the County Secure community support through education and outreach for housing initiatives Consult with the Board of Supervisors, other County staff and the public regarding pertinent County-wide policy issues and participate in the development and evaluation of legislation necessary to support these policies Develop, and facilitate community outreach and education activities related to housing issues in the County Develop partnerships and build coalitions with the cities, builders, developers, nonprofit organizations, funders and others Identify and establish on-going funding sources through work with developers and others for housing initiatives Link housing and transportation by supporting high density, transit-oriented housing Coordinate with the Planning Department to minimize the negative impact of land use regulations Act as liaison between the County Manager, Board of Supervisors and the community to carry out the vision of enhance housing opportunity Direct, coordinate, and implement Department goals, objectives, policies, procedures and priorities that balance both mandated services and community needs Direct the preparation of the Department budget; administer and monitor the budget to ensure the accomplishment of Department objectives within budget restrictions THE DEPARTMENT There are 56 staff members in the department, 45 of whom work in the Housing Authority. The annual budget for the department is approximately $83 million. RECENT MAJOR ACHIEVEMENTS Created Agricultural Workforce Housing Program to rehabilitate mobile units or replace with new manufactured housing units Created Affordable Housing Fund Program and allocated $18.2million for renovation/expansion of 330 shelter beds and for creation of 442 new affordable rental

3 housing units Obtained 69 additional VASH vouchers to a total of 144 vouchers for homeless veterans Completed construction of Half Moon Bay Senior Campus consisting of 200 new units of affordable senior housing plus a new senior center and adult day health center OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES FOR THE DIRECTOR The Director is challenged to think creatively and collaboratively in addressing the County s severe shortage of affordable housing. The County has created a $30 million affordable housing fund ($18 million over the past two years plus an additional $12 million over the next two years) to address this issue. Innovative programs are being designed together with the Housing Authority and other county departments The Housing Authority is one of only 39 agencies in the nation with MTW status. This enables the Housing Authority to experiment with creative application of its annual HUD funding commitments through the program s block grant provision and to change HUD rules and regulations to re-create rental subsidy programs that better meet local conditions and needs As a catalyst for the creation of new housing, the Director must create partnerships and build coalitions with the cities, builders, developers, nonprofit organizations, funders, state agencies and others With many land use regulations a barrier to building new housing, the new Director must work with various partners to remove/minimize obstacles THE IDEAL CANDIDATE As an advocate and catalyst for the creation of housing, the new Director will be a charismatic leader and progressive visionary. As a leader, the new Director will create an environment of trust and partnership in building diverse coalitions with all stakeholders. As a visionary, he/she will be an innovator and entrepreneur with creative yet practical solutions to long-term housing needs and a passionate champion for housing development. More specifically, the ideal Director will be: An experienced manager with a sound understanding of the complexities of housing, land use and financing issues An approachable and politically astute leader with a management style that quickly fosters trust, loyalty, respect, commitment and partnership A strategic thinker and planner whose vision is balanced with realism Eloquent and persuasive, as an ambassador for housing development A consensus builder with superior negotiation skills Action and results-oriented

4 Astute in resolving highly controversial issues in a participatory and effective manner THE COUNTY San Mateo County is located in the heart of the San Francisco Peninsula and offers a wide range of recreational pursuits, economic opportunities and numerous attractions. The 700,000 residents of the County enjoy the benefits of rural open space, temperate climate and clean air, as well as metropolitan San Francisco within easy reach. San Mateo County government provides a full range of services with a workforce of over 5,500 employees in 23 agencies and departments, and a budget of $1.3 billion. Examples Of Duties: QUALIFICATIONS The successful candidate will have six years of progressively responsible administrative experience in housing development and rehabilitation, planning or a related field, at least two years of which involved directing, planning, organizing and coordinating housing programs. An educational background equivalent to a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with major course work in planning, finance, business administration, public policy, public administration, or a related discipline is preferred. APPLICATION/EXAMINATION To apply for this outstanding career opportunity, the following materials must be submitted in PDF format using the County s online application system: 1. Resume 2. Detailed cover letter that discusses the following topics (in this order): o Describe the biggest challenge impacting affordable and workforce housing in San Mateo County. Explain what you would do as the Director of the Department of Housing to successfully deal with the challenge. o Describe your greatest success that demonstrates your executive leadership skills. Explain what you did and the impact on the organization. If you are currently on the County's website, you may click the Apply button above. If you are not on the County's website, please go to to apply. (Resumes ed to the office will not be accepted. All application materials must be submitted via the County's online application system.) RECRUITMENT SCHEDULE

5 Open Recruitment: Friday, July 3, 2015 Close Recruitment: Thursday, July 30, 2015 at 11:59 p.m. Resume Screening: August 4, 2015 Panel Initial Interviews: August 19 and 20, 2015 Final Interview/Selection: Week of August 24, 2015 For inquiries, please contact Chet Overstreet, Personnel Analyst, at or The County of San Mateo does not require job applicants to disclose conviction history information until after the applicant successfully completes all examination phases for the recruitment. All passing applicants will receive instructions by only from Human Resources staff to complete and submit a conviction history questionnaire online within a specified deadline of two business days. Failure to do so within the timeframe will disqualify you from the rest of the process. Please visit this link at to find out more information about the conviction history questionnaire so that you can prepare accordingly. Note: Positions in criminal justice agencies currently required by law to pass background checks are exempted from this bill, and applicants may be required to submit conviction information at the time of application. Job Number: B San Mateo County is an Equal Opportunity Employer. San Mateo County is an Equal Opportunity Employer