Director of Housing Preservation

Jersey City Mayor James Solomon is actively recruiting for a Director of Housing Preservation, a critical leadership role within the City’s housing team. The Director of Housing Preservation is the point person for housing enforcement in the City, leading a team of roughly 25 staff in the Housing Preservation division who have a direct impact on housing stability, affordability, and safety for tens of thousands of Jersey City residents. Jersey City is one of New Jersey’s largest cities and one of the most densely populated municipalities in the country, with a diverse, growing population that depends on robust tenant protections and vigorous housing code enforcement.

Reporting to the Director of the City’s Department­­ of Housing, Economic Development, and Commerce –and working closely with the Mayor’s Office and the City’s Law Department–this position oversees enforcement of Jersey City’s rent control ordinance including the adjudication of disputes over rent levels, other allegations of housing violations, short-term rental regulation, the identification and acquisition of vacant and abandoned properties, lead paint inspection and remediation, among other responsibilities. In addition to overseeing the Division, the Director will be a key advisor on housing-related policy issues for the Mayor, and frequently represent the Administration before the City Council and various other stakeholders.

What We’re Looking For

The ideal candidate will have the following qualities:

• Commitment to tenant rights and faithful administration of the law, combined with the analytical rigor to make defensible, legally grounded decisions in contested adjudications.
• Proven ability to manage and motivate a team in a government or similarly structured environment, including navigating civil service rules, union agreements, and personnel challenges.
• Substantive knowledge of housing law, including rent stabilization frameworks, housing code enforcement, landlord-tenant law, and property registration requirements. Specific familiarity with New Jersey’s statutory and regulatory framework is helpful but not required.
• Strong organizational and analytical skills—the ability to manage multiple complex workstreams, establish and monitor performance metrics, and make data-driven decisions.
• Clear, persuasive written and oral communication skills, including the ability to write legally defensible adjudicatory determinations and present complex regulatory issues to the City Council, external stakeholders, and the general public.
• Exceptional professional integrity and judgement.
• Comfort operating in a resource-constrained environment with a large, diverse mandate; entrepreneurial instincts for leveraging available authorities, partnerships, and grant opportunities to expand the division’s impact.

Core Responsibilities

Rent Control Administration and Enforcement

• Administer and enforce Ordinance Chapter 260 governing rent-controlled properties, including maintaining a current registry of all 1–4-unit and 5+-unit residential properties.
• Make legally defensible determinations as to which properties are exempt from rent control, applying applicable state and local law and case precedent.
• Manage a docket of petitions from tenants and landlords, including allegations of illegal rent overcharges and failures to maintain required services; conduct hearings and issue written determinations.
• Ensure the integrity and accuracy of the City’s rent registry as a public resource and enforcement tool.

Short-Term Rental Regulation

• Administer and enforce Ordinance Chapter 255 governing short-term rental (STR) properties, including eligibility determinations, licensing, and compliance monitoring.
• Investigate unauthorized STR operations; issue summonses, fines, and cease-and-desist orders to non-compliant operators.
• Coordinate with platforms, property owners, and City legal staff to ensure effective and consistent enforcement of the STR regulatory framework, including the rent control linkage provisions under Ordinance 25-125.

Vacant and Abandoned Properties

• Maintain and regularly update the City’s registry of vacant and abandoned properties in compliance with applicable state and local law.
• Conduct or oversee field inspections to assess property condition, vacancy status, and rehabilitation potential.
• Collaborate with the Jersey City Redevelopment Agency (JCRA), the Division of Tax, the Department of Law, and the Mayor’s Office to support the City’s property acquisition strategy, including referrals under the Abandoned Properties Rehabilitation Act, tax foreclosure monitoring, and potential land banking designations.
• Maintain a comprehensive record of all properties in foreclosure and coordinate with lenders, courts, and the city law department as appropriate.

Lead Paint Remediation Program

• Oversee and enforce the City’s lead remediation program in compliance with N.J.A.C. 5:28A, which requires inspection of all pre-1978 properties to determine Lead Safe status.
• Manage the inspection pipeline, track compliance, and escalate enforcement where owners fail to meet obligations.
• Coordinate with the Hudson County Health Department and state agencies, and pursue available federal and state grant funding to support remediation activities for income-qualified households.

Division Leadership and Operations

• Provide day-to-day leadership and direction to division staff, including inspectors, administrative personnel, and hearing officers; manage hiring, performance evaluations, disciplinary matters, and professional development within a civil service environment.
• Develop and manage the division’s budget, including tracking and maximizing fee and fine revenues, managing expenditure categories, and presenting budget proposals and performance reports to departmental leadership.
• Identify and pursue operational improvements, including technology upgrades, workflow efficiencies, and enhanced public-facing services.
• Serve as a subject-matter resource and liaison to the City Council, the Mayor’s Office, and external stakeholders including tenant advocacy organizations, property owner groups, and community groups.

Minimum Qualifications

Education: Bachelor’s degree in Urban Planning, Public Policy, Law, Finance, Management, or a related field required. Graduate or professional degree (J.D., M.P.A., M.U.P., M.P.P.) strongly preferred.

Experience: Minimum of five (5) years of progressively responsible experience in housing regulation, tenant protection, housing code enforcement, land use, urban planning, or closely related municipal or nonprofit practice, of which at least two (2) years involved supervisory or management responsibility. Substantial equivalent experience at the senior level of private-sector real estate practice or policy advocacy will be considered.

Civil Service Notice: This is a Civil Service position. The selected candidate must ultimately qualify for and pass the applicable Civil Service title examination as a condition of continued employment.

COMPENSATION

Salary: $103,000 – $145,000 per year

Benefits

Comprehensive benefits package, including health, dental, vision, and participation in a defined benefit retirement system.
Application Requirements

To apply, please submit your resume to Mayor Solomon’s transition team at [email protected]. In your email, please include your name and “Director of Housing Preservation” in the subject line.

The City of Jersey City is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to building a diverse workforce. Candidates of all backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

Equal Opportunity Employment

The City of Jersey City is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to a diverse and inclusive workforce and value the varied experiences and perspectives of our employees. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status.