Contract Specialist II

APPLICANTS MUST BE PERMANENT IN THE CONTRACT SPECIALIST CIVIL SERVICE TITLE, BE PERMANENT IN A COMPARABLE TITLE ELIGIBLE FOR 6.1.9 TITLE CHANGE. OR BE IMMEDIATELY REACHABLE ON EXAM NO. 4038.

The Homelessness Prevention Administration (HPA) was established in 2014 and has since played an essential role in the City's overall eviction and homelessness prevention efforts to combat housing instability to help New Yorkers stay housed. HPA Office of Prevention and Housing Assistance (PHA) is primarily responsible for administration of the CityFHEPS rental subsidy program, the contracted in-community Homebase eviction prevention program and for new developments and an expanding continuum of homelessness prevention programing and contracts. PHA is currently comprised of the following units

• The Rental Assistance Programs (RAP), the HOME Tenant-Based Rental Assistance Program (HOME TBRA), and the Office of Prevention and Community Support (PCS) and its expanding unit for Contracts (Homebase, Phase I,2,3-Cluster/Master Lease, City Council Discretionary Awards and Special Housing Assistance Resource (SHARE).

Under supervision with some latitude for independent initiative and decision making, performs professional work of routine difficulty managing contract for PHA-CAP.

The PHA-CAP is recruiting for two (2) Contract Specialist IIs to function as Contract Specialist IIs, who will:

• Conduct program review of post award contract activities, including initial review and approval of contract start-up, budgets modifications, and close-out, contract monthly invoicing and auditing related activities via the various procurement, contract and financial systems monitoring. Level-I Review and Approval of start-up and close-out, and modification budgets. Level-I review approval of financial contract and procurement actions.

• Act as the liaison between PHA-CAP and contracted partners to ensure they are knowledgeable and have clear understanding in meeting contract deliverables related timely invoicing. Offer guidance and technical assistance by answering questions clarifying billing for allowable cost requirements and submitting for payment in the PASSport contract system.

• Act as liaison between PHA-CAP and Agency's Budget and Finance departments related to routine fiscal actions, including availability of timely required encumbered funds and final approvals of payment to contractors in the PASSport systems.

• Conduct ongoing review and assessment of contractors' contractual requirements and monitor performance via site visits and reporting documents. Share performance reports with supervisor via quality assurance and quality improvement check in conferences.

• Assist with technical assistance and quality assurance activities for PHA-CAP portfolio. Inform development of tools and protocols to provide support. Share recommendations for policies and procedures specific to PHA-CAP as well as in conjunction with other Agency divisions to ensure appropriate structures are in place to support contractual requirements and overarching agency and system goals.

Hours: 9:00 am

• 5:00 pm

Work Location: 4 WTC, NY, NY, 10007

Minimum Qualifications

1.A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university, accredited by regional, national, professional or specialized agencies recognized as accrediting bodies by the U. S. Secretary of Education and by the Council of Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), and six months of full-time, satisfactory professional, technical, or administrative experience in one or more of the following fields: program evaluation, contract negotiation/management, fiscal/financial management, or project management; or

2.A four year high school diploma or its educational equivalent approved by a State's Department of Education or a recognized accrediting organization and four years of full-time, satisfactory professional, technical, or administrative experience in one or more of the following fields: program evaluation, contract negotiation/management, fiscal/financial management, or project management; or

3.Education and or experience equivalent to "1" or "2" above.

Preferred Skills

• Advanced proficiency and knowledge of various systems such as Automated Procurement Tracking (APT), HHS Accelerator, PASSPort, Financial Management System (FMS), Microsoft Excel, Word, Outlook and PowerPoint, MS SQL, Oracle etc.

• Experience working with internal and external partners including contracted providers.

• Strong communication skills and staff training.

55a Program

This position is also open to qualified persons with a disability who are eligible for the 55-a Program. Please indicate at the top of your resume and cover letter that you would like to be considered for the position through the 55-a Program.

Public Service Loan Forgiveness

As a prospective employee of the City of New York, you may be eligible for federal loan forgiveness programs and state repayment assistance programs. For more information, please visit the U.S. Department of Education's website at https://studentaid.gov/pslf/.

Residency Requirement

New York City residency is generally required within 90 days of appointment. However, City Employees in certain titles who have worked for the City for 2 continuous years may also be eligible to reside in Nassau, Suffolk, Putnam, Westchester, Rockland, or Orange County. To determine if the residency requirement applies to you, please discuss with the agency representative at the time of interview.

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.