Join the City of Chattanooga Team
Chattanooga, a vibrant and growing community of over 190,000 residents within a metropolitan area of nearly 600,000 is known as the "Scenic City" for a reason. Nestled along the Tennessee River and surrounded by the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, we are a hub of outdoor adventure and innovation. Home to the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC) and Chattanooga State Community College, our city blends a rich industrial history with a tech-forward future-famously powered by the nation's first community-wide "Gig" fiber-optic network. The City of Chattanooga was also recently designated as a "National Park City," the first of its kind in the United States.
Our Organization
As a City, we are powered by a dedicated workforce of approximately 2,600 employees committed to excellence in public service and making Chattanooga the best community in the country. Our team ensures our city thrives through a wide range of municipal services, including:
Why Choose Chattanooga?
The City of Chattanooga's workforce is the heartbeat of our community. We don''t just offer jobs; we offer careers with purpose: making Chattanooga the best city in America. We are committed to being the premier employer of choice in Southeast Tennessee by providing:
In Chattanooga, "work-life balance" means you can finish your shift and be at a trailhead or on the water before the sun sets.
Our mission is to work together to build a safe, vibrant, and sustainable city for all Chattanoogans. To do that, it takes a team of skilled and passionate individuals. So, if you'd like to call Chattanooga home - or maybe you already do! - and want to further your career through meaningful work that makes a true impact where you live, we'd love to talk to you.
Salary: $51,487- $62,201 annually (GS.9) Grant Funded
Work Hours: Monday - Friday, 8:00 A.M. - 4:30 P.M. (EST)
Work Location: 101 East 11th Street, Chattanooga, TN
FLSA Status: This is an Exempt position.
Department: Economic Development
CLASSIFICATION SUMMARY:
Incumbents in this classification perform administrative activities as required by the housing and community development funding received by the City through the Housing and Community Investment Division (HCI) from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and other federal and state agencies including, but not limited to, CDBG, HOME, and McKinney-Vento (HEARTH) Act . Work involves an understanding of complex regulations, policies, and procedures; communication with grantor agencies, including preparation of reports to grantor agencies; provision of technical and administrative support to sub-grantees, including other city departments; and tracking and maintenance of compliance documentation. Work is performed under limited supervision.
SERIES LEVEL:
The Community Development Specialist is the first level of a three level community development series.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:
(The following duties ARE NOT intended to serve as a comprehensive list of all duties performed by all employees in this classification, only a representative summary of the primary duties and responsibilities. Incumbent(s) may not be required to perform all duties listed and may be required to perform additional, position-specific duties.)
The Community Development Specialist position will engage in a variety of functions aimed at improving the lives of low-to moderate income households through increased access to housing, community services, and economic opportunities and forging partnerships to address these needs.
A portion of the job duties will be more programmatic in nature and will require the Specialist to provide a variety of program support services including developing program objectives, preparing Notices of Funding Availability (NOFAs), evaluating project proposals, understanding and applying HUD and other program regulations, assisting in managing the Division's role in facilitating projects, programs and activities resulting in increased access to affordable housing, community services, and economic opportunities, preparing contract documents, monitoring the progress of funding recipients, and providing technical assistance to and working with entities on related issues.
Other job duties will be more policy oriented and will require the Specialist to provide a variety of policy and partnership support to the Division, inter-governmental partners, private partners, and nonprofit and for-profit partners. The Community Development Specialist s duties may include, but are not limited to:
Assisting in coordinating the funding cycles of various funding sources including but not limited to the HUD Community Planning and Development (CPD) awards (Block Grant (CDBG), HOME Investment Partnerships Act (HOME) and Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG)).
Preparing documents associated with HUD's Community Development & Planning Programs, such as Consolidated Plans, The Annual Plan, Consolidated Annual Performance Evaluation Report (CAPER), and more.
Assisting the HCI Manager in the process of awarding funds.
Preparing funding recommendations, memos, resolutions and other materials that will go to City Council.
Managing the City's relationship with, and providing technical assistance to non-profit and for-profit organizations funded or seeking funding from the HCI Division to facilitate development processes while ensuring compliance with applicable City, State and Federal requirements.
Negotiating contract terms with outside vendors, consultants or organizations and monitoring and evaluating fiscal and legal liability of the same.
Managing the assets of the Division's loans and grants portfolio, and providing analysis and recommendations in response to requests to subordinate, refinance, or restructure existing loans.
Developing and administering housing and community development programs which support affordable new construction, acquisition of existing affordable housing, rehabilitation, and first-time home ownership.
Managing a portfolio of grantees to ensure compliance with local, State and Federal regulations, including environmental reviews and prevailing wage requirements.
Providing support and oversight to planning and developing housing projects sponsored or co-sponsored by the City of Chattanooga.
Monitoring the performance of grantees and writing performance reports as needed.
Facilitating payments due to partner entities for funded activities, per contractual agreements.
Conducting due diligence reviews on applications for community development and public services, housing grants and loans and coordinating Council approval on final staff recommendation.
Interpreting, explaining, and directing the enforcement of all applicable standards, codes and regulations.
Preparing detailed written reports, policies, procedures and contracts.
Assist clients (non-profit entities, for-profit entities, governmental entities, and City departments), , with planning for proposed activities for funding
Provide technical assistance for clients that receive HCI funding, including program administration, development of policy and procedure manuals, preparation of environmental reviews, and annual reporting requirements
Participate in staff meetings and relative training sessions
Travel to meet with clients for required meetings, public hearings, staff training, etc.
Developing plans, objectives and implementation strategies for outreach, technical assistance, and partnership initiatives.
Acting as representative of HCI in collaborations with community stakeholders and inter-departmental work within the area.
Researching, analyzing, and summarizing data on relative key initiatives in partnership with HCI's interagency and private partners, nonprofit and for-profit.
Assisting with the development of Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) priorities, guidelines and processes.
Monitoring the progress of relative collaborations and initiatives in which the HCI is participating, and engaging in problem-solving as needed when challenges arise.
Evaluating new funding programs and opportunities for the City and its partners to access these new programs.
Investigating and developing new opportunities for HCI to provide support and assistance to City housing and community development advocates
Developing plans, objectives and implementation strategies for outreach, technical assistance, and partnership initiatives.
Acting as representative of HCI in collaborations with community stakeholders and inter-departmental work within the community.
Researching, analyzing, and summarizing data on key housing and community initiatives in partnership with HCI''s interagency and private partners, nonprofit and for-profit.
Assisting with the development of Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) priorities, guidelines and processes.
Researching, analyzing, and helping develop affordable housing policy solutions addressing City needs.
Monitoring the progress of relative collaborations and initiatives in which the HCI is participating, and engaging in problem-solving as needed when challenges arise.
Evaluating new funding programs and opportunities for the City and its partners to access these new programs.
Investigating and developing new opportunities for HCI to provide support and assistance to City, supportive services providers, housing developers, housing advocates, and others in facilitating the creation of housing and addressing community needs.
Must meet regular attendance requirements.
Must be able to maintain good interpersonal relationships with staff, co-workers, managers, and citizens.
Must accomplish the essential functions of the job, with or without reasonable accommodations, in a timely manner.
Performs other duties as assigned.
DEPARTMENT SPECIFIC DUTIES (if any):
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
Bachelor''s degree in Public Administration, Planning or a related field and two (2) years experience in a housing or social service-related field involving governmental programs or any combination of equivalent experience and education.
LICENSING AND CERTIFICATIONS:
Valid Driver''s License
KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS:
Knowledge of grant management principles - highly desired is management of HUD CPD grants including CDBG, HOME, and McKinney-Vento (HEARTH) Act; Housing preservation and production principles; Applicable Federal, State and local laws, ordinances, codes, rules and regulations; Public relations principles; Financial accounting principles; Report preparation methods; Program management principles.
Desired applicable skills: Strong interest in public sector or public administration; Strong, effective communication skills, both verbal and written; Proficiency in Google Suite, Word and Excel; Strong organizational skills; ability to carry out an assignment within the context of benchmarks and deliverables; Ability to work independently and on team projects; Self-motivation with the ability to identify client needs and offer solutions; Time management skills for organizing multiple deadlines and multiple clients; Ability to conduct oneself professionally and to collaborate with clients on program planning, management, budgeting, etc. Meeting facilitation and presentation skills; Ability to relate positively to local government employees and elected officials
PHYSICAL DEMANDS:
Positions in this class typically require reaching, fingering, grasping, talking, hearing, seeing and repetitive motions.
WORK ENVIRONMENT:
Light Work: Exerting up to 20 pounds of force occasionally and/or up to 10 pounds of force frequently and/or a negligible amount of force constantly to move objects. If the use of arm and/or leg controls requires exertion of forces greater than that for Sedentary Work and the worker sits most of the time, the job is rated for Light Work.
SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:
Safety Sensitive: N
Department of Transportation - CDL: N
Child Sensitive: N
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION:
This position requires pre-employment screening(s) that include: background check
The City of Chattanooga, Tennessee is an Equal Opportunity Employer. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the City will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities and encourages both prospective and current employees to discuss potential accommodations with the employer.
JES 3.13.25
KJF 260463