Hmmm.

I was surprised to find in my Inbox the other morning a job posting for the Director of Boston’s Department of Neighborhood Development.

I believe this position is currently held by Charlotte Golar Richie. She does a dynamite job.

I didn’t realize she was leaving.

Hopefully, she’s doing so to prepare for a run for Mayor of Boston. She’s that good.

Anyway, if you know anyone who might be interested in this … here’s the job posting:

From: Canavan, Pat
Subject: Boston search for Director, Department of Neighborhood Development

Hi, Friends: attached is a job description for the Director, Department of Neighborhood Development. DND is our CDBG department, has a terrific staff, and works on issues near and dear to Mayor Menino. Please think about people you know who may be interested in this. The Director of DND also serves as the Cabinet Chief for Housing and is part of the Mayor’s leadership team.

This is a great position for an up and coming person or for someone who may have broad neighborhood housing/economic development through a national intermediary and would like to set roots down in Boston— less travel. We’re especially interested in ethnic/linguistic minorities and people of color.

Many thanks for your thoughts. If you have questions or want to discuss this further, email me or call at 617-635-2857.

City of Boston
Job Description
Director, Department of Neighborhood Development/Cabinet Chief for Housing

The Department of Neighborhood Development (DND) is the City of Boston’s community development agency, funded primarily through federal resources including Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds.

The mission of the Department of Neighborhood Development is to make Boston the most livable city in the nation by working with communities to build strong neighborhoods through the strategic investment of public resources.

The Director of DND also serves as the Mayor’s Cabinet Chief for Housing, one of fourteen senior level positions of authority and responsibility in city government. The Director supervises a professional staff of approximately 200, which includes 140 unionized employees.

Responsibilities of the Director include oversight of programs and management of several divisions within the Department, including affordable housing development; assistance to potential and existing home owners including home buying assistance, foreclosure prevention and counseling, repair programs for existing homeowners; management and disposition of City-owned properties; and neighborhood business development. The Director frequently interacts and negotiates with advocacy and neighborhood organizations, businesses, and state and federal government partners, representing the City’s interests.

The ideal candidate will have a clear vision of the potential for neighborhood stabilization and revitalization and the technical and team building skills to inspire City, private sector, and neighborhood players to share in that vision; will have an understanding of key federal and state resources and an ability to secure additional resources from private and philanthropic sources; will have a demonstrable track record of innovation, collaboration, and strong personnel and fiscal management.

Qualifications: Preferred candidates will have advanced degrees from accredited colleges or universities, with backgrounds in Urban Policy/ Planning, Economics, Political Science, or Public/Business Administration.

Ethnic/ linguistic minorities are encouraged to apply. The City of Boston is an Equal Opportunity/ Affirmative Action employer.

Salary Range: $100,000 - $145,000 depending on qualifications and experience.

Send resumes to: pat.canavan@cityofboston.gov