Assistant Director-Abatement Field Operations

Job Description

NYCHA is establishing two distinct units within the Lead Hazard Control Department’s abatement function: the Abatement Admin Unit and the Abatement Field Operations Unit. The Abatement Field Operations Unit will be responsible for the day-to-day field execution, supervision, quality control, and operational coordination of lead abatement and related environmental hazard work performed across NYCHA developments.

Reporting to the Lead Hazard Control Deputy Director, the Assistant Director for Abatement Field Operations will be responsible for managing all field-based abatement operations, including oversight of NYCHA staff, contractors, skilled trades, field supervisors, inspectors, and vendors engaged in lead-based paint abatement and related construction activities. The Assistant Director will ensure that field work is completed safely, efficiently, and in compliance with applicable federal, state, and local requirements, including the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Lead Safe Housing Rule, HUD Guidelines for the Evaluation and Control of Lead-Based Paint Hazards in Housing, Local Law 1, the Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act, and applicable NYCHA policies and procedures.

The Assistant Director will direct large-scale field abatement activities occurring simultaneously across multiple developments and apartments citywide. This includes coordinating daily field deployment, monitoring contractor performance, resolving operational issues in the field, ensuring proper worksite controls, coordinating with development staff, supporting temporary resident relocation activities as needed, and verifying that abatement work progresses according to approved scopes, schedules, specifications, and safety requirements.
The Assistant Director will work closely with the Abatement Admin Unit, which will support administrative functions such as procurement tracking, documentation, scheduling support, reporting, vendor paperwork, contract administration, and other office-based coordination. The Assistant Director for Field Operations will serve as the primary operational lead for field execution and will ensure that work performed in apartments, common areas, and development spaces meets regulatory, contractual, safety, and quality standards.

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:

1. Manage the daily field operations of the Abatement Field Operations Unit, including supervision of field supervisors, inspectors, skilled trades, contractors, and vendor personnel performing abatement-related work.
2. Oversee and coordinate lead-based paint abatement, environmental hazard remediation, and related construction activities across multiple NYCHA developments, ensuring work is completed safely, timely, and in accordance with approved scopes of work.
3. Direct field staff and contractors assigned to apartment-based and development-wide abatement projects, including work involving resident-occupied units, vacant units, common areas, and other NYCHA spaces.
4. Monitor contractor performance in the field, including staffing levels, productivity, work quality, adherence to schedules, compliance with safety protocols, and conformance with contract requirements.
5. Conduct and coordinate field inspections, site visits, progress meetings, and quality assurance reviews to ensure abatement work complies with applicable laws, regulations, NYCHA standards, HUD requirements, and lead-safe work practices.
6. Coordinate with development management, property management staff, relocation staff, residents, contractors, and internal NYCHA departments to minimize disruption to residents and support the timely completion of field work.
7. Ensure that proper containment, worksite preparation, clearance coordination, waste handling, safety procedures, and lead-safe work practices are implemented and maintained at all active abatement sites.
8. Resolve field-related operational issues, including access challenges, contractor delays, resident coordination issues, staffing concerns, site conditions, emergency conditions, and conflicts affecting project delivery.
9. Support temporary relocation and resident coordination efforts related to abatement work, working closely with the appropriate NYCHA units to ensure residents are informed, protected, and returned in accordance with applicable procedures.
10. Review field reports, inspection findings, daily work logs, contractor updates, punch lists, and progress documentation to confirm that work is being properly tracked and completed.
11. Provide technical guidance and operational direction to field staff on abatement procedures, construction sequencing, safety requirements, lead-safe work practices, and field problem-solving.
12. Coordinate with the Abatement Admin Unit to ensure field information is accurately communicated for scheduling, report