Housing Program Specialist

These are Time Limited positions with the North Carolina Office of Recovery and Resiliency (NCORR). The positions are EPA, which means they are exempt from the rules and regulations of the NC Office of Human Resources Act (GS126), except for Articles 6 and 7 of that Chapter, due to state statutory and/or funding requirements. The positions are full time (40 hours per week) and will be for a limited duration of time. Although the length of time that the positions will be active cannot be determined, the position does have the potential to extend up to 3 years (36 months).

The North Carolina Office of Recovery and Resiliency (NCORR) is excited to announce that we are seeking qualified candidates to fill two Housing Program Specialist positions: 65032016 and 65032017.  These are full-time positions (40 hours per week) with State Benefits.

About the North Carolina Office of Recovery and Resiliency (NCORR): The North Carolina Office of Recovery and Resiliency (NCORR), Division of the Department of Public Safety is a new Office, responsible for executing multi-year recovery and resiliency projects related to damage sustained in qualifying major disasters, including Hurricane Matthew, Hurricane Florence, and the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19). The work focuses on supporting survivors and communities impacted by Hurricanes Matthew and Florence, COVID-19, and their recovery.

The Office will be actively engaged in projects in at least the following areas: Single-Family Homeowner Rehabilitation/Repair; Housing Repair Reimbursement; Single Family Homeowner Reconstruction; Homeowner Buyout; Mobile Home Repair; Mobile Home Replacement; Homeowner Assistance; Small Rental Repair; Public Housing Authority Assistance; Resilient Infrastructure; Construction Trades and Training; Code Enforcement Support; Planning; COVID-19 response including rental assistance; Multifamily new development; and other Action Plan defined programs on rebuild.nc.gov. NCORR is responsible for the management and distribution of over $1 billion in recovery funding.

Most projects will be funded by the Community Development Block Grant for Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR), Community Development Block Grant-Mitigation (CDBG-MIT); and Community Development Block Grant-Coronavirus (CDBG-CV). The office will be headquartered in Durham County. Staff will be directly engaged in helping North Carolinians recover from Hurricanes Matthew and Florence and COVID-19, building stronger communities, and making our state more resilient for future disasters. Staff will work as a team, planning and implementing programs to help survivors return to or remain in safe and sustainable housing through a variety of state and federally supported programs.

Primary Purpose of Position:

• Assist in establishing program manuals and standard operating procedures for the Homeowner Recovery Program; ensures compliance with Federal rules, Federal Register, case decisions, related laws and HUD findings. Specifically, update and maintain procedures for Appeals and Exceptions as defined by the applicable program manual.
• Assist in performing compliance functions ensuring contracts are meeting policy requirements for applicant awards including, but not limited to understanding program policy and reviewing contractor procedures.
• Recommend system of record modifications to ensure compliance and maximize System of Record efficacy.
• Perform quality assurance and quality control review for contractor-generated awards ensuring program standards and procedures have been met.
• Provide review, monitoring, and ensure compliance for Level I Appeals process.
• Will assist in the design and implementation of the Appeals process; conduct Level II Appeals; consult and coordinate questions with staff, legal and others; contribute to final decisions, which does include contractor steps for compliance; notify the contractor of the appeal.
• Collaboration with supervisor and contractors regarding process and compliance issues as they arise.
• Administrative tasks as needed to include, however not limited to, outreach to applicants, sending or receiving correspondence, and development of spreadsheets.

The Knowledge, Skills and Abilities listed below, along with the Minimum Education and Experience requirements, are REQUIRED to qualify for this position.  We will not review attachments in lieu of Experience and Education listed on the application. Click on this LINK for additional information.

Qualified applicants must document on the application that they possess ALL of the following:

• Knowledge of the principles and practices of Community Development Block Grant-Disaster.  Recovery (CDBG-DR) Single Family and related programs, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and housing disaster recovery laws and rules.
• Time management and organizational skills.
• Experience in professional writing.
• Experience in quality assurance and quality control.

Management Preferences:

• Ability to research Federal Regulations and assist in the generation of standard operating procedures.
• Ability to handle with tact, consistency and sound judgment the diversity of public contacts demanded in consultative services and enforcement.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective work relationships with a diverse range of stakeholders including public officials, strategic partners, citizen groups and other administrative partners.
• Ability to effectively compose a variety of document types ranging from outside correspondence to reports and proposals.
• Ability to compile and analyze reports utilizing various software programs that include Excel.
• Ability to identify and evaluate issues and trends; incorporate into solution based feedback.
• Ability to communicate clearly and resourcefully.

Minimum Education and Experience Requirements:  Bachelor’s degree from an appropriately accredited institution and two (2) years of experience related to the area of assignment; or an equivalent combination of training and experience.