BASIC JOB FUNCTION
NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSING SERVICES of CHICAGO (NHS) is a nationally respected non-profit organization working to rebuild low- to moderate-income neighborhoods in the city of Chicago which are experiencing deterioration and disinvestments. NHS cultivates community reinvestment through a partnership of residents, business, and government. NHS’ mission is to rekindle hope in a neighborhood’s future, to restore conventional and local investment in the community, and to create empowered, self-reliant homeowners.
We are currently seeking a CONSTRUCTION COORDINATOR to provide construction and housing rehabilitation project management services for NHS Lending and Grants Services while managing the collateral interest of the organization.
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Liaising with clients/residents, neighborhood staff, Grants team, Client Services team and City inspectors may be all part of a day’s work.
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This role will facilitate the administration of home improvement grant programs and other construction management services in target areas as well as City wide programs in the City of Chicago.
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The Construction Services Coordinator will be responsible for coordinating and assigning eligible projects to their designated NHS Construction Specialists, scheduling in-home inspections for clients, and managing the progress reporting of projects in their region.
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Responsibilities will include preparing program documentation for clients and contractors as required, including but not limited to; documents for the City of Chicago, Cook County, and the State of Illinois to ensure Neighborhood Housing Services (NHS) follows compliance and regulatory guidelines.
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Perform tasks associated with the rehab process, including but not limited to, reviewing prevailing wage submissions from contractors, preparing reports, and managing client and contractor database.
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Work with the City, Communications, and neighborhood staff to market home improvement loans and grant programs and our construction services.
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Assist Director with recruiting primarily local contractors and provide technical assistance as needed to eligible general contractors encouraging them to apply for their MBE/WBE status and System for Award Management (SAM) number.
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Monitor contractors by tracking the size and total number of projects, timeliness of completing projects, quality of workmanship and client feedback. Solicit client feedback through survey administration.
PRINCIPAL JOB DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES
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Coordinate outreach for home improvement grant programs internally with the City of Chicago, Communication, Grants, Neighborhood, and Client Services teams and externally with community partners.
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Serve as contact person for applicants, contractors, and other vendors for assigned grant programs to the region.
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Work with the Director of Construction Services to educate applicants and contractors on NHS/NLS programs and services.
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Provide technical support for general contractors with respect to participating in NHS home improvement and redevelopment programs.
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Work with Business Process Improvement Manager, Grant Supervisor, and IT to set-up and manage client database systems, scheduling application, and reporting dashboards.
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Communicate with clients, developers, architects, and engineers as needed regarding program requirements and securing necessary program documentation.
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Assign Construction Specialists to jobs City Wide balancing capacity, timelines, complexity, completion rate, and location.
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Maintain the existing construction database, including assignments, loan programs, and dollar amounts, number of unit’s size and property location to maximize efficiency of construction staff.
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Manage the process flow, assignment, and pipeline reporting of home improvement work orders to your designated Construction Specialists serving your region.
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Track progress of construction projects by monitoring updates in the Salesforce and ECM platforms from the Construction Specialists and communicate progress, delays, problems, etc. to Director.
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Monitor project files for quality to ensure they meet the guidelines for its respective program.
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Aid and support to the Director by managing the pool of contractors, recruiting women contractors and contractors of color which includes but not limited to, document preparation, coordination of services with governmental agencies, program evaluation, client surveys, etc.
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Reporting on progress and challenges to Director and COO
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In coordination with the Director of Construction Services, create a system and survey for contractor quality control & client satisfaction.
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Work with Director and COO to develop a rating and recommendation system for contractors and other vendors.
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Maintain files of contractor applications and client evaluations.
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Be an additional point of contact for clients and escalate complaints as needed to Director.
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In coordination with the Director and other NHS staff, prepare reports for various internal and external contractual reporting requirements.
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With Construction Services Specialist, track and analyze contractor assignments to determine their capacity.
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Perform other duties as assigned by the Director.
POSITION REQUIREMENTS:
Education
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Bachelor’s degree required, in a related field a plus.
Job Experience
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2+ years related experience in similar work environment, client services, program or grant management, or quality control.
Special Knowledge and Skills
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Detail-oriented; good math aptitude; ability to work independently and meet deadlines consistently.
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Ability to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing.
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Demonstrated customer service skills.
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Demonstrated technology application or database management skills.
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Analytical - Synthesizes complex or diverse information.
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Problem solving – Identifies and resolves problems in a timely manner works well in group problem solving situations.
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Customer Service – Manages difficult or emotional customer situations. Responds promptly to customer needs and solicits customer requests for services & assistance while meeting commitments.
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Oral Communication - Bilingual (English & Spanish) is a plus, Demonstrates group presentation skills.
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Written Communication – Writes clearly & informatively.
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Technical Skills – High proficiency with Microsoft suite of tools, Salesforce knowledge a HUGE plus, Commitment to continuous learning of new application and process
PHYSICAL DEMANDS
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is:
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regularly required to talk or hear.
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frequently required to stand; walk; sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms.
The employee may occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.
WORK ENVIRONMENT
The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate and is of a typical office environment.
IMMUNIZATION POLICY
NHS Chicago has a COVID vaccination policy that requires testing to work in our office environments actively and safely. As a condition of employment, all employees must either be immunized by vaccination against COVID-19 (unless granted a medical or religious exemption) and/or test weekly if unvaccinated. This policy is designed to protect the health of our workforce and to serve as a public health measure and ambassador within our community.
REMOTE WORK POLICY
The Construction Department staff work on a 3/2 schedule requiring a minimum of 2 days in-office, in addition to any in-office time as necessary for important meetings, team meetings, all staff meetings, audits, site visits by funders, agency events, etc., including twice monthly in-person team meetings.