Senior Policy and Program Analyst

Characteristics of the Class :

Are you ready to apply Make sure you understand all the responsibilities and tasks associated with this role before proceeding.

Under supervision of the Director for Policy & Innovation performs a wide variety of high-level policy, legislative and programmatic tasks and responsibilities.

• The incumbent will oversee the tracking and analysis of policy, regulations and legislation at all levels of government to support the safe and efficient production of affordable and supportive housing;
• use policy and strategic visioning practices to preserve existing and where possible expand access to and acquisition of deeply affordable housing;
• build and expand the information base of new and existing policies related to deeply affordable housing production and preservation;
• assist with applications for competitive grants of varying complexity; support the development and implementation of long-term planning resources;
• analyze and report on impacts of various local and state policies, legislations and regulations on affordable and supportive housing production, preservation, fair housing, planning and community development, sustainability and housing stability;

performs related duties as required or needed, including the collaborative supervision of a team of professional staff.

Examples of Essential Functions :

Researches and conducts policy and legislative analysis; oversees development of and / or drafts policy reports and memoranda, legislative reports, and develops recommendations regarding proposed HACLA programs and initiatives related to affordable and supportive housing production, preservation, and tenant protections, while using a wide range of publicly available and proprietary data (e.

g., U.S. Census, ACS, and program specific data).

Evaluates the impact of proposed or adopted legislation, policies, regulations, programs, and / or projects in areas such as public housing, affordable housing production, preservation, sustainability, planning, and the impacts on the feasibility of development and operation of such housing;

and formulates, advises and / or makes recommendations regarding these matters.

Writes complex documents such as policy papers, case statements, scopes of work, technical reports, board reports, quarterly and annual reports, one-pagers, summaries as well as communication materials.

May support narrative development for grant submittal and administrative reporting, press releases and marketing materials.

• Develops and maintains work production and flow, meeting established deadlines, making determinations regarding work assignments and adjusting priorities as necessary.
• Reviews and assesses recommendations submitted by external and internal stakeholders that could affect ongoing department interests, policies, and programs to determine compatibility.
• Oversees the gathering of housing-related data and information, on such subjects as innovative proposals, court decisions, and the impact of programs in other areas, from various sources to perform analyses and draw conclusions.
• Oversees the utilization of software such as ArcGIS, mapping, and geospatial analytical software to collect and analyze data, draw charts and graphs of housing and related data to make comparisons, show trends, make projections, and explain results.
• Oversees and manages the designs and / or performs surveys involved with interviewing agencies, developers, stakeholders (e.

g., clients, community organizations, and nonprofits), owners of rental property, and others.

• Leads independent projects and may oversee staff in performance of research and statistical analysis on a variety of data such as HACLA program results, policy impacts, survey results, housing and census data, permits and property records to make projections and / or identify correlations or trends.
• Directs and guides the preparation of Requests for Proposals which include an explanation of the services or product desired and the criteria which will be used in evaluating proposals to secure the services of a contractor for research, consultations, or other services;

supervises the progress of executed service contracts to ensure compliance and meeting of established timetables, operating within budgeted, and obtaining the specified results.

• Works constructively to establish and maintain effective relationships with a wide range of people and position levels as well as public and private organizations in a manner that reflects well upon the Housing Authority and accomplishes work in an effective and efficient manner, acts as liaison with other departments, outside agencies, residents and other key stakeholders.
• May represent HACLA at meetings and / or make verbal presentations to and participates in discussions with a variety of stakeholders including but not limited to affordable housing developers and operators, citizen advisory boards, community groups, members of the public, and elected officials and their staff about topics related to affordable housing and community development;

such presentations may include complex and / or technical and statistical information that must be conveyed in an appropriate, clear, and understandable manner.

• Support the development and implementation of long-term planning resources such as the Agency Plan and 25-Year Vision Plan Build HOPE.
• Perform related duties as required.

Knowledge, Abilities, and Skills :

Knowledge of :

• Land use, planning, and zoning tools to incentivize housing development, especially for lower income households.
• State, Federal, and local policy, legislation, regulations, standards, and procedures used to measure affordable and supportive housing production, preservation, and housing stability.
• Techniques and principles of oral, written and visual documentation development for communication and storytelling, and both verbal and written communication.
• Principles, practices, procedures, and methods of complex program management and budget preparation and control.
• Principles and practices of organization, operation, policies and objectives to carry out the function and scope of assigned programs and projects.
• Principles and practices of geographic information system software (e.g. ArcGIS) and geospatial analysis including development of maps, graphs, statistics and cartograms that show historical changes and current data shifts.

Ability to :

• Understand, interpret, apply and support application of Federal, State and local policies, procedures, laws / by-laws, and regulations.
• Analyze policies and practices regarding homelessness prevention and supportive housing operations to maximize benefits of supportive housing production.
• Analyze program effectiveness and efficiency regarding homelessness prevention and supportive housing operations to maximize benefits of supportive housing production.
• Analyze impacts of changes in government policies at the local, state and federal levels on housing policy trends, including production and operating feasibility, increasing or impacting funding sources for public housing and affordable housing, etc.
• Manage multiple complex efforts successfully and establish and oversee systems for tracking and reporting data. This includes successfully executing multiple, simultaneous projects on time with quality results.
• Write, edit, and proof clear, structural, articulate and persuasive documents and reports.
• Conduct research, analyze programs, identify trends, patterns, issues and solutions with superior attention to detail, and make recommendations in support of department goals.
• Collect, combine and visualize various types of geospatial data.
• Gather, organize, analyze and assemble significant amounts of data, maintain records and proper documentation and prepare clear written reports with great accuracy.
• Establish and maintain effective and cooperative working relationships with colleagues, superiors, government agencies, and other key stakeholders.

Which includes persuasively establishing new relationships and effectively expanding existing partnerships with a diverse array of people of all backgrounds with varying degrees of experience.

• Work confidentially and with discretion whether independently under minimal supervision or as part of a fast-paced and dynamic team.
• Undertake complex, specialized, and sensitive issues with discretion and skillful resolution.

Skills :

• Project management, writing, organizational, communication, and demonstrated interpersonal skills.
• Skillfully utilize project management and operational principles and practices, including delegation, time management, staff / volunteer oversight, and implementation of project plans in an individual and team lead capacity.
• Inspire, train, motivate, challenge and supervise staff and teams, including organizing, prioritizing and scheduling work assignments.
• Communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing. Prepare and deliver effective presentations in a public setting.
• Successfully utilize specialized software (e.g. ArcGIS) to prepare and deliver effective analysis.

Minimum Qualifications :

Any combination of education and experience that would likely provide the required knowledge and abilities are qualifying.

A typical way to obtain the knowledge and abilities would be :

Education : Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university in the desired focus areas as outlined below.

AND-

Experience : Minimum five (5) years of progressively responsible professional experience in planning, financing, policy development and / or analysis of low-income or moderate-income affordable housing

Education and Experience : A master's degree in economics, urban planning, business administration, or public policy / administration and three (3) years of professional experience in planning, financing policy development and / or analysis of low-income or moderate-income affordable housing.

Preferred Qualifications :

Preference will be given to candidates that demonstrate a deep understanding of affordable housing policy and can demonstrate fluency in scripting language and / or quantitative data analysis programs such as STATA, SAS, Python, SQL databases, and / or R.

Preference will also be given to candidates with experience in geospatial analysis and / or data visualization tools like Tableau, Python or R visualization libraries.

Special Requirements : Possession of, or ability to obtain, an appropriate, valid California driver’s license. Employees must maintain a driving record, which meets the insurability requirement of the Housing Authority’s carrier.

J-18808-Ljbffr