The Brooklyn Queens Expressway (BQE) is a vital part of New York City’s transportation system and economy. The New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) is undertaking a long-term fix of BQE Central, the City-owned portion of the BQE, from Atlantic Avenue to Sands Street in Brooklyn, with a focus on safety, resiliency, and community priorities.
The Associate Deputy Commissioner of the BQE Central Project will lead NYC DOT’s BQE Central project and report directly to the NYC DOT Chief Strategy Officer (CSO) and collaborate closely with the Chief of Staff to the CSO, BQE Central Program Engineer, and other NYC DOT leadership. The selected candidate will also engage and coordinate various aspects of the BQE Central project with FHWA, NYSDOT and other local, state and federal stakeholders.
The selected candidate will also oversee a new BQE Special Project Office (SPO). The SPO, typical for multi-billion-dollar mega projects such as the Tappan Zee Bridge, East Side Access, and Moynihan Train Hall, will manage design and construction planning, federal environmental review processes and other regulatory requirements, Design-Build procurement, and construction. The Associate Deputy Commissioner will collaborate with the CSO and NYC DOT leadership as well as the BQE Joint Venture (BQE JV) to establish and lead the SPO. Currently, the BQE JV is comprised by consultants dedicated to advancing the BQE Central Project alongside the NYC DOT staff assigned to this project. The new SPO will be a combination of full-time NYC DOT and BQE JV staff dedicated to delivering the BQE Central project in timely and cost-effective manner.
As the project moves from environmental review into construction planning, the Associate Deputy Commissioner will lead the SPO’s transition into the Bridges Division and will ultimately report to the Deputy Commissioner of Bridges.
Duties will include:
Project Management
- Establish and lead the BQE SPO, in coordination with the Chief Strategy Officer, Chief of Staff to the Chief Strategy Officer, BQE Central Program Engineer, and other NYC DOT leadership, as well as the BQE JV Program Manager.
- Support the structure, development, negotiation, and implementation of:
o Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)-related documents, including but not limited to: environmental review documentation, civil and structural drawings, and traffic modeling;
o Required city and state policy and legal processes (e.g. ULURP, park alienation);
o Procurement and contracts, potentially via design build or design-bid-build; and
o Capital budget, payments and change order processes.
o Program Controls for cost and schedule
o As directed, oversee and lead construction and construction management contracts

- Lead the BQE SPO in adopting innovative methods, processes, and standards to expedite effective project delivery throughout the project, mitigating risks, minimizing cost, and maximizing delivery performance and outcomes while meeting all required Standards. Conduct and participate in all requisite project management meetings.
- Oversee project performance, ensuring BQE JV staff complete short- and long-term tasks, in line with the values of the project, to stay on-schedule and maintain comprehensive project documentation.
- Work directly with senior NYC DOT leadership and program staff, and City Hall to create strategy, manage project deliverables, and maintain critical deadlines.
- Lead meetings with external partners and maintain productive interagency collaboration at the City, State, and Federal level to provide updates, receive feedback in applicable documents and regulatory processes, and ensure that the necessary parties are included in all aspects of this project.
- Oversee the preparation of presentations and key performance indicator reports to track progress and identify issues to NYC DOT and City Hall leadership on a consistent and timely manner.
- Prepare and conduct presentations for City executives, elected officials, and community groups, including participating in all public and stakeholder meetings related to EIS.
- Participate in development and management of relationships with key stakeholders, including local, federal and state partners, to ensure a successful project.
- Develop and implement a strategic Program Plan by dividing the construction contracts into manageable and practical scope and sizes that would appeal the contracting community.

Administration
- Ensure project teams meet all deliverables and commitments and that all functions are executed in compliance with relevant laws, regulation, policies, and procedures.
- Perform general administration functions and maintain adequate headcount by recruiting and retaining diverse workforce in the SPO
- Perform other high-level duties pertaining to the BQE Central project, as directed by the CSO
- Monitor and track the Capital Plan for the BQE Central and ensure that various contracts are adequately funded throughout its contract term.
- Actively Participate in preparing applications for various federal and state grants for funding BQE Central contracts.
- As directed, manage all design, construction and construction related contracts that are led by the SPO for the BQE Central project from procurement through the close-out phase.

1. Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college and 4 years of satisfactory experience of a nature to qualify for the duties and responsibilities of the position, at least 18 months of which must have been in an administrative, managerial, consultative or executive capacity or supervising personnel performing activities related to the duties of the position; or

2. A combination of education and/or experience equivalent to "1" above. However, all candidates must have the 18 months of administrative, managerial, executive, consultative or supervisory experience described in "1" above.

Preference will be given to candidate who posses: A Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university and at least fifteen (15) years of full-time satisfactory experience in management of design and construction phases of capital infrastructure projects, some of which must have a project value of at least $100 M. At least five (5) years of this satisfactory experience must have been in a managerial or consultative capacity in an organization that was directly responsible for the management of infrastructure design and construction projects. Although not required, a Master’s degree from an accredited college or university in the field of civil, structural, mechanical or electrical engineering, architecture, or in construction management could be substituted with one year of satisfactory experience. Although not required, a license as a Professional Engineer or Registered Architect from New York State or a state that has reciprocity with New York State may be substituted for four years of satisfactory experience. Total combined credit for substitution of satisfactory experience for Master’s degree and/or professional licenses cannot exceed five years. The preferred candidate is an experienced project manager capable of working collaboratively with a diverse array of stakeholders to develop all aspects of a complex mega-project. The candidate will be working within a fast-paced environment and must be able to multi-task and quickly respond to issues as they arise. In addition, a successful candidate will have: - Experience supervising a large and diverse staff of engineering, professional, administrative, and clerical employees and ability to oversee the work of private consultants. - The ability to anticipate challenges and opportunities, evaluate response options, and take appropriate action - A high level of organization and attention to detail - Strong written and oral communication skills - Demonstrated experience building and maintaining strong relationships and open communication with external stakeholders - Knowledge of governmental legislative and administrative procedures preferred - Experience managing large infrastructure capital design and construction projects - Must be able to work with a wide variety of units and divisions, initiating coordination and inspiring collaboration to secure cooperation in meeting targets and deadlines for project completion. - Familiarity with internal contract administrative processes while dealing with Legal Affairs, ACCO, Budget, Fiscal Affairs, Engineering Audit, etc. to ensure timely completion of tasks that require their participation. - A New York State Professional Engineering license is preferred.

As a prospective employee of the City of New York, you may be eligible for federal loan forgiveness programs and state repayment assistance programs. For more information, please visit the U.S. Department of Education’s website at https://studentaid.gov/pslf/.

New York City residency is generally required within 90 days of appointment. However, City Employees in certain titles who have worked for the City for 2 continuous years may also be eligible to reside in Nassau, Suffolk, Putnam, Westchester, Rockland, or Orange County. To determine if the residency requirement applies to you, please discuss with the agency representative at the time of interview.

The City of New York is an inclusive equal opportunity employer committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based upon any legally protected status or protected characteristic, including but not limited to an individual's sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender identity, or pregnancy.

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Associate Deputy Commissioner, BQE Central Project