AVP, Construction Compliance

New York State Homes and Community Renewal (HCR) is the State’s affordable housing agency, with a mission to build, preserve, and protect affordable housing and increase homeownership throughout New York State. This position is with HCR’s Affordable Housing Corporation (AHC). Candidates must meet the minimum qualifications outlined below to be considered.

Responsibilities

• Lead DECO’s construction compliance strategy across the agency’s development and construction portfolio.
• In partnership with senior leadership, establish annual priorities, performance goals, and operational objectives aligned with agency growth, expanded bonding activity, and increased construction expenditures.
• Advise executive leadership on construction compliance risks, emerging trends, resource needs, and long-term strategies that strengthen MWBE, SDVOB, and EEO outcomes.
• Ensure DECO remains positioned as a strategic partner supporting production goals while maintaining regulatory accountability.
• Serve as DECO’s senior construction compliance partner to leadership across agency program areas.
• Build collaborative relationships with internal leadership to integrate MWBE, SDVOB, and EEO priorities into project planning, underwriting, construction execution, and program design.
• Partner with the Vice President / Director of DECO in executive-level coordination with Empire State Development (ESD), Office of General Services (OGS), and other state partners regarding participation priorities, policy matters, and construction compliance strategy.
• Represent HCR in statewide working groups, strategic meetings, conferences, public speaking engagements, and stakeholder forums.
• Directly oversee Directors, Assistant Directors, and senior compliance leadership responsible for construction compliance operations.
• Establish clear decision-making authority, escalation pathways, accountability standards, and coordinated leadership coverage across onboarding, monitoring, waivers, reporting, enforcement, and engagement functions.
• Promote a high-performance culture focused on responsiveness, consistency, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Oversee operational performance across intake, project monitoring, waiver processing, utilization review, expenditure oversight, and regulatory reporting functions.
• Identify and resolve structural bottlenecks impacting throughput, project timelines, or service delivery.
• Monitor key performance indicators including backlog volume, onboarding timeliness, waiver turnaround time, utilization outcomes, and staffing performance.
• Lead corrective action strategies for systemic risks and serve as a key executive point of contact for high-profile, time-sensitive, or escalated projects requiring senior attention.
• Ensure continuity planning and redundancy in critical oversight functions.
• Provide executive oversight of MWBE and SDVOB waiver processes across construction programs, including review of high-risk, high-dollar, or precedent-setting requests.
• Oversee enforcement recommendations involving vendor non-compliance, including liquidated damages where applicable.
• Ensure waiver and enforcement practices remain consistent, defensible, and aligned with statutory and regulatory requirements.
• Serve as final escalation authority for complex compliance disputes or unresolved project issues.
• Partner with the Director of Data Management to establish dashboards, reporting tools, and performance metrics for construction compliance operations.
• Oversee preparation of quarterly expenditure reports, annual goal plan inputs, utilization summaries, workforce reporting, executive briefings, and other strategic materials.
• Prepare and deliver presentations to the HCR Board, executive leadership, and external stakeholders regarding construction compliance performance, risks, and opportunities.
• Serve as a backup presenter for the Vice President / Director of DECO and translate complex compliance data into clear executive-level recommendations.
• Lead construction compliance policy implementation across agency programs in coordination with internal policy teams, legal counsel, and executive leadership.
• Identify policy gaps, recurring escalations, and operational friction points, and develop recommendations that improve clarity while maintaining regulatory integrity.
• Support budget planning and resource allocation for construction compliance operations.
• Lead implementation of new technology tools, workflow systems, dashboards, and modernization initiatives that improve speed, transparency, consistency, and accountability.
• Ensure the department adapts effectively to regulatory changes, market shifts, and agency growth.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in public administration, business administration, construction management, engineering, architecture, urban planning, finance, law, or a related field.
  • Substitutions: four years of specialized experience or associate’s degree and two years of specialized experience may substitute for bachelor’s degree.
  • J.D. or master’s degree may substitute for one year of specialized experience; Ph.D. may substitute for two years of specialized experience.
• 6 years of progressively responsible professional experience in construction compliance, construction management, regulatory compliance, housing finance, procurement, supplier diversity, or a related field.
• At least 3 years of supervisory or management experience, including responsibility for directing staff, managing workloads, and overseeing operational functions.
• Experience managing complex projects involving multiple stakeholders, competing priorities, and regulatory requirements.
• Demonstrated experience interpreting and implementing policies, procedures, or regulatory compliance programs.
• Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills, with the ability to work effectively across organizational levels and with external stakeholders.
• Demonstrated success building, developing, and leading high-performing teams, including experience managing managers or multi-level organizations.
• Strong knowledge of MWBE (Article 15-A), SDVOB (Article 3), EEO requirements, utilization monitoring, and public-sector compliance programs.
• Experience leading organizational change, operational improvements, technology implementation, or other large-scale modernization initiatives.
• Exceptional organizational skills, with the ability to manage multiple complex priorities while maintaining accuracy, responsiveness, and attention to detail.
• Demonstrated ability to build collaborative relationships across internal and external stakeholders and effectively manage complex, cross-functional initiatives.
• Excellent executive communication, presentation, and stakeholder management skills.
• Demonstrated ability to represent the organization in executive meetings, public forums, and interagency collaborations.

Benefits

• Extensive benefits package including paid leave, excellent health, dental, vision, and retirement benefits with the New York State & Local Employees’ Retirement System.
• Promotional opportunity for dedicated professionals.
• Work life balance benefits including a 37.5-hour work week and paid time off (vacation, sick, personal days, and Federal Holidays).
• Opportunity for compressed scheduling.
• 12 weeks of Paid Parental Leave.
• Paid Family Leave.
• Opportunity for compressed/flextime scheduling.
• Eligibility to participate in the Federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF).
• Cash in for Wellness program: option to buy or renew a health club membership or enroll in a weight loss/smoking cessation program using sick leave accruals.
• Tuition reimbursement program for job-related and non-job-related courses.
• Vacation Leave Buy-Back program: exchange previously earned and accrued vacation time for cash compensation (subject to approval).
• Access to Plum Benefits: savings on movie tickets, theme parks, hotels, tours, Broadway shows, and more.
• Optical reimbursement program: up to $650 per year per family for optical, hearing aid, and podiatric expenses not covered by insurance (carryover allowed up to $1,300).

About the Organization

Under the leadership of Governor Kathy Hochul and Commissioner RuthAnne Visnauskas, HCR is a vibrant, innovative agency that integrates and leverages New York State’s housing resources. We have offices in New York City, Albany, Buffalo, and Syracuse, and employ a diverse workforce of professionals who are hard-working and committed to serving low- and moderate-income families. Our mission encompasses single and multifamily housing finance, home improvement, rent regulation, housing subsidies, and community development. We partner regularly with a variety of public and private stakeholders. We seek to provide a workplace environment that is productive, flexible, accountable, ethical, and caring. Our employees are empowered to make a difference where they live and work.