PROGRAM MANAGER

JOB ANNOUNCEMENT

Program Manager

DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING

Policy, Planning, and Implementation

Number of Positions: 1

Starting Salary: $ $91,788

Applications for this position will be accepted until 11:59pm CDT on 11/05/2026

The Department of Housing's mission is to expand housing access and choice and to ensure every Chicagoan has access to quality homes that are affordable, safe, and healthy. The Department pursues this mission in many ways, including investing in affordable housing developments, supporting low-income homeowners, and reinvesting in disinvested communities.

The Bureau of Policy, Planning, and Implementation (PPI) contributes to this mission by helping DOH be responsive to the changing legal, fiscal, and political environments in which it operates, and by empowering DOH to proactively influence those environments. We do this through advancing DOH's legislative priorities and research agenda, engaging community to inform the department's work, establishing and running new DOH programs, supporting program teams with process improvement initiatives and technical assistance, and fostering a culture of data-driven, outcomes-based program design. The bureau is divided into two divisions, Policy & Planning, and Implementation & Evaluation.

Under the direction of the Assistant Commissioner for Implementation and Evaluation, this position will support the implementation of the Department's homelessness prevention initiatives, including coordinating expenditures from the City's HOME-ARP grant. The Program Manager will also take on other key tasks related to the Implementation and Evaluation team's priorities, which may include piloting of new programs and/or managing process improvement, data/evaluation, and reporting efforts.

This is a temporary position funded by the HOME-ARP grant. Funding exists to support this position for the duration of three years and extension of employment is possible but not guaranteed.

Essential Duties

* Manages the strategic planning, policy development, and implementation of HOME-ARP funded DOH initiatives, related homelessness prevention work and other Implementation and Evaluation initiatives

* Monitors the performance and ongoing development and training of Program staff and conducts performance evaluations of supervisory staff

* Develop policies and procedures for implementation, administration of HOME-ARP funds and other special funding allocations

* Oversee contract management and tracking for city vendor(s) contracted to provide administration support to DOH homelessness prevention programs.

* Manage data collection and monitoring of DOH programs in cooperation with relevant departmental bureaus and other City departments and agencies, including budgets, obligations, and spend-down.

* Lead effort to centralize and rationalize storage of policies, procedures, documents, and data related to the administration of DOH programs.

* Provide technical assistance and administration support for vendors, external partners, and delegate agencies as needed

* Establish targets and benchmarks for monitoring homelessness prevention programming throughput and effectiveness.

* Develop and maintain working relationships with city departments partnering with DOH on HOME-ARP funding, homelessness prevention, and other PPI initiatives-such as the Mayor's Office, DFSS, CDPH, DPD, and DOL-as needed.

* Other duties as assigned

NOTE: This position will require some night/weekend hours and travel within the city to attend meetings, represent DOH, and engage with communities and delegate agencies.

Location:121 N Lasalle Street 10th Floor

Hours: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM

THIS POSITION IS EXEMPT FROM CAREER SERVICE

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Education, Training, and Experience:

* Nine (9) years of work experience in the planning, implementation, or administration of programs or projects, OR

* Graduation from an accredited college with an Associate's degree, in a field related to the responsibilities of the position, plus seven (7) years of experience in the planning, implementation or administration of programs or projects OR

* Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Bachelor's degree, in a field related to the responsibilities of the position, plus five (5) years of work experience in the planning, implementation or administration of programs or projects, OR

* Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Master's degree or higher, in a field related to the responsibilities of the position, plus four (4) years of experience in the planning, implementation or administration of programs or projects

SELECTION REQUIREMENTS

This position requires applicants to complete an interview, which includes a writing exercise as part of the selection process. Candidates who demonstrate the qualifications best suited to fulfill the responsibilities of the position, based on the writing exercise and interview, will be selected.

Knowledge and Skills:

* Familiarity with U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) programs, such as the Community Development Block Grant and HOME Investment Partnership

* Familiarity with Department of Housing Programs and Delegate Agency relationships, principles and practices of program planning, development and implementation

* Strong oral and written communication skills, including speaking to groups, making presentations, drafting memos, etc.

* Knowledge and understanding of issues affecting urban communities (i.e., affordable housing, foreclosure, etc.)

* Ability to meet deadlines while managing numerous priorities simultaneously

* Ability to prepare and analyze reports

* Strong proficiency in using Microsoft Office software (including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint)

* Ability to establish effective working relationships

Abilities:

* *ACTIVE LEARNING - Understand the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making

* *ACTIVE LISTENING - Give full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, ask questions as appropriate, and not interrupt at inappropriate times

* *CRITICAL THINKING - Use logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems

* *COMPLEX PROBLEM SOLVING - Identify complex problems and review related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions

* *MANAGEMENT OF PERSONNEL RESOURCES - Motivate, develop, and direct people as they work and identify the best people for the job

* *JUDGEMENT AND DECISION MAKING - Consider the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one

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APPLICATION EVALUATION: Initial evaluation will be based on the information provided on the application and the documents submitted. Department of Human Resources staff will review applications after the final posting date. Staff will follow all required employment/hiring plan provisions, federal, state, and local laws, and collective bargaining agreements when applicable. Staff will apply hiring preferences as required by the municipal code. Placement on an eligibility list is not an offer or guarantee of an interview nor employment with the City of Chicago

COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY: To further our commitment to hiring applicants with diverse experience, the City of Chicago has adopted ordinances 2-74-020 and 2-74-075. The ordinances provide a preference to applicants who meet the minimum qualifications and who are veterans of the Armed Forces of the United States, residents of Socio-Economically Disadvantaged Areas (SEDA), and/or Chicago Public School (CPS) high school graduates. These hiring preferences do not apply to bidders. For positions covered by a collective bargaining agreement, bidders will be considered before external candidates. The learn more about our hiring processes, please click here.

ALL REFERENCES TO POLITICAL SPONSORSHIP OR RECOMMENDATION MUST BE OMITTED FROM ALL APPLICATION MATERIALS SUBMITTED FOR CITY EMPLOYMENT.

The City of Chicago in an Equal Employment Opportunity, Military Friendly, and Fair Chance Employer.

City of Chicago

Brandon Johnson, Mayor