Deputy Commissioner for Real Estate

Minimum Qualifications

A bachelor’s degree and at least 10 years of progressively responsible experience in the implementation and/or administration of a significant governmental program or private business enterprise. This experience should include the negotiation or development of commercial and industrial real property transactions, responsibility for lease and/or construction agreements, and the planning, development, and coordination of policies and procedures for the purpose of achieving short- or long-range goals.

Preferred Qualifications

• Exceptional management skills and ability to make strategic decisions pertaining to staff and procedures across a complex set of business functions.
• Ability to delegate authority and responsibility while maintaining appropriate levels of operational control.
• Effective communication and responsiveness with advanced written and oral communication skills, and a high degree of responsiveness.
• Critical decision-making skills with the ability to process information and commit to a definite course of action.
• Ability to be creative, adaptable, resourceful, and politically astute.
  
  

Duties Description

The New York State Office of General Services (OGS) provides essential support services for state government operations. We are a diversified organization that delivers a broad spectrum of services to state agencies, local governments, and the public, including building management and maintenance services for 49 major office complexes and buildings statewide, including the state Capitol; managing leases of privately held real estate used for state purposes; architectural, engineering, and construction management services, hosting cultural programs at our facilities, and more.

OGS facilitates the work of New York State agencies, the Legislature, and the Judiciary and supports local governments, eligible nonprofits, school districts, and public authorities. The agency provides services by developing and managing efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally sustainable programs and activities. Critical services are delivered by partnering with New York State businesses and presenting them with significant economic opportunities through their participation in state contracts administered by OGS for commodities, services, and technology.

The Division of Real Estate (DRE) manages the OGS’ real estate portfolio. That portfolio is vast, including 20 million square feet of the State’s improved real property comprising more than 50 major buildings and twice as many ancillary structures, over 470 leases, 9 parking garages and 31 surface lots, management of 17,000 parking permits, 2 power plants, hundreds of mechanical and high voltage electrical spaces, and an expanse of grounds and landscaping. OGS-managed properties serve approximately 30,000 tenants per year and thousands of visitors. The Division also undertakes over 200 preventative maintenance and capital projects per year to keep facilities safe and functional for their intended purposes, as well as projects to integrate clean energy sources, energy-efficiency systems, and carbon reduction measures into the State’s assets.

The Division is comprised of four bureaus:

Real Property & Facilities Management: Manages the facilities and operations for more than 50 major buildings and over 100 ancillary structures, comprising over 20 million square feet of real estate and over $7B in assets. Oversees the OGS owned property portfolio and manages the office space requirements and strategic space planning needs of executive agencies.

Leasing Services: Oversees the OGS lease portfolio and manages its statewide broker contract. Locates and negotiates property agreements for use by State agencies; long and short-term revenue leasing of State-owned properties, and reporting and forecasting future needs for lease operations. Supports all statewide requests for OGS agency client needs, including office, warehouse, industrial, and parking.

State Asset & Land Management: Manages the State’s real estate interests, disposes of State real property, maintains state land records, and balances private and public trust interests in lands underwater.

Administrative Services: Supports the core functions of the division through coordination with other OGS divisions, including resources and data analysis, procurement, and staffing.

OGS is committed to developing a strategic, data-driven approach to stewarding real estate assets for New York State. This strategic approach to managing the State’s portfolio of infrastructure assets requires effective, forward-thinking, and dynamic leadership. It also requires exceptional, thoughtful management of the Division of Real Estate and its people.

Under the direction of the Executive Deputy Commissioner, the Deputy Commissioner for Real Estate is responsible for leading the Division of Real Estate and its four major bureaus, setting OGS’ real estate strategy, and overseeing the OGS-managed real property asset portfolio. The Deputy Commissioner is a key member of the agency’s senior leadership team. Leading a large division of over 600 staff members, they closely oversee functions and services that are both central to OGS’s core mission and critical to the functioning of State government. This role also serves as an advisor and partner to the Commissioner and OGS senior executives on matters related to the real property portfolio and an advisor to leaders of other executive agencies on effective use and management of State space and assets in pursuit of their agencies’ missions.

Specific duties of this role will include, but not be limited to, the following:

Leadership and Management

• Provide visionary leadership to a diverse team of leaders, managers, and staff across the Division of Real Estate, fostering a collaborative, customer-focused, and high-performance culture;
• Manage and oversee operations across the Division’s bureaus including setting and communicating strategic direction, establishing service level targets and benchmarks, and setting annual performance goals;
• Set clear performance expectations, conduct regular evaluations, and provide constructive feedback to ensure team effectiveness and accountability;
• Align staffing and divisional goals with the OGS strategic plan, vision, and legislative mandates
• Lead and mentor subordinate leaders and team members, offering guidance and professional development opportunities to enhance their skills and career growth;
• Oversee annual planning for each of the division’s bureaus and its annual budget and spending plan, including personal and non-personal service requirements; and
• Lead staffing and selection for critical leadership positions within the Division.
  
  

Division Operations

• Develop and implement an integrated strategy to manage the State’s real estate and leasing portfolio in a holistic, data-driven, customer-focused, efficient, and cost-effective manner;
• Oversee development of a comprehensive inventory of all OGS-managed real property assets and advance plans to consolidate real estate transactional functions and optimize space utilization;
• Monitor and track the execution of key initiatives and projects, including those related space utilization and planning, facility maintenance, capital construction, major lease transactions, and energy projects;
• Use data, analytics, and performance measurement to determine program and initiative success and promote a data-driven culture within the Division;
• Provide policy and technical advice to the Commissioner and members of the OGS Cabinet on matters involving the administration of OGS-managed properties and assets;
• Collaborate closely with leaders of other OGS Divisions, including the Divisions of Design and Construction and Resiliency and Sustainability, to implement infrastructure and sustainability projects for OGS-managed assets;
• Develop systems and policies to ensure that information on initiatives, projects, and operations are clearly and continuously communicated to OGS senior leaders and executives, as well as to clients and stakeholders;
• Nurture close working partnerships with other executive agencies and State entities to help advance real estate projects and agency goals;
• Represent the OGS commissioner externally on matters related to the real estate portfolio, including in meetings with interagency counterparts, the Governor’s Office, heads or deputies of other State departments and agencies, members of the legislature, and federal, State, and local leaders; and
• Represent OGS in high level meetings with State control agencies such as the Division of the Budget, Department of Civil Service and the Office of the State Comptroller to discuss matters concerning state-owned and leased properties
  
  

Additional Comments

NOTE ON TELECOMMUTING: Employees are required to apply and obtain approval through management to telecommute according to the agency’s Telecommuting Program Guidelines.