ADMINISTRATOR, HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICE (&30)

Official job specification

The text below is the official specification published by the New Jersey Civil Service Commission. The plain-language summary and analysis above are derived from it by NJ Civil Service Navigator. Source: the official specification page at NJ CSC.

Definition

Under the direction of a higher level manager, serves as Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer, manages and directs the work programs and staff of the Historic Preservation Office. These programs include project review under state and federal law, grants administration, survey and planning, New Jersey and National Register nominations, Local Government Certification, the Federal Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit program certification, technical preservation assistance, and preservation education; analyzes complex technical problems related to a variety of historic preservation and archaeological scenarios based upon current scientific research in the fields of archaeology and /or historic preservation; directs the collection, organization, and maintenance of cultural resource data, does related work as required.

Examples of work

• Plans, organizes, and manages the state historic preservation programs including statewide cultural resource surveys, historic preservation grants, the New Jersey State and National Register programs, New Jersey Register encroachments, federal project reviews, the Federal Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit program certifications and technical preservation services, preservation education, exhibitions, and Local Government Certification in accordance with the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, New Jersey Register of Historic Places Act, and other applicable state and federal laws.
• Develops a long-term State Plan for Cultural Resource Management in accordance with Federal Preservation policies and Departmental planning and environmental goals; manages implementation of the Plan.
• Manages and coordinates preparation and implementation of the Annual Workplan and application to the Department of the Interior for matching historic preservation funds.
• Develops the internal organization of the office and organizes appropriate work programs, priorities, schedules, and procedures.
• Reviews work performance evaluations prepared by supervisory staff, and prepares interim and annual employee work performance evaluations in accordance with established guidelines.
• Manages the work operations and/or functional programs of the Historic Preservation Office and has responsibility for effectively recommending the hiring, firing, promoting, demoting and/or disciplining of employees.
• Directs the subgranting of Federal historic preservation funds including the solicitation, review, award, and monitoring of projects in accordance with state/federal professional and fiscal guidelines.
• Directs the New Jersey State and National Register programs including selection and evaluation of properties, field inspection, and preparation and review of nomination forms; approves properties for inclusion on the New Jersey State Register and nominates properties to the National Register.
• Directs preservation education, and public participation programs of the Office including drafting and/or editing articles, press releases, booklets and brochures; organizes and participates in preservation conferences, meetings, workshops and public hearings; addresses professional and lay groups on Historic Preservation and Historic Site programs, and related cultural resource management issues.
• Directs the review and preparation of consultation comments to federal agencies on the effect of their proposed projects on cultural resources including staff recommendations for scientific study of historic properties to identify and evaluate properties for eligibility for the National Register and make recommendations of avoidance or mitigation of adverse effects on resources pursuant to Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, and approves consultation comments and related agreements between federal agencies and the federal Advisory Council on Historic Preservation.
• Directs the review of encroachments to New Jersey Register listed properties, with the advice of the Historic Sites Council; recommends to the Assistant Commissioner for Natural and Historic Resources authorization of state, county, and municipal projects which affect New Jersey Register listed properties.
• Reads and understands architectural/engineering plans and specifications in order to make recommendations, or approve recommendations made by subordinate staff, on their compliance with state and federal historic preservation laws, regulations, guidelines, or requirements.
• Advises Departmental agencies, the Commissioner (State Historic Preservation Officer), the Assistant Commissioner for Natural and Historic Resources (Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer), the Director, Division of Parks and Forestry, Director, Division of Forestry, Director, Division of Fish and Wildlife, and Administrator, Green Acres program regarding preservation planning for cultural resources under their jurisdiction including state-owned historic sites.
• Manages compliance monitoring of interagency agreements including Memoranda of Agreement and Programmatic Agreements.
• Directs the review and preparation of consultation comments to Departmental agencies such as the Division of Land Use Regulation and Green Acres, as to the effect on cultural resources of projects proposed in permit or grant applications submitted to the Department of Environmental Protection.
• Directs the Federal Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit program; approves State Historic Preservation Officer certification of significance, certification of rehabilitation, certification of local preservation statutes, and certification of locally designated historic districts.
• Makes determinations and directs staff in making determinations that take into account details of diversified factors that include historic preservation, social, economic, safety, and environmental aspects.
• Directs subordinate employees in or, for more complex cases, personally directs the resolution of conflicts between state and federal procedures when no precedent for such resolution has been established.
• Directs program of technical historic preservation assistance to federal agencies, local governments, and other organizations.
• Manages staff cultural resources recovery activities involving scientific archaeological planning, identification, evaluation and mitigation investigations.
• Manages analysis of technical historic preservation, historic site and cultural resources management programs. Keeps current on latest scientific and professional advancements in the fields of archaeology, architectural historic, history and/or related fields and applies such knowledge in the work unit, as appropriate.
• Directs the conduct of public meetings/hearings and workshops informing constituents about state and federal laws, regulations, including but not limited to project reviews, nominations, and programs.
• Manages the conduct of conferences with state, county, and local officials, representatives of the federal government, other states, private interests, and applicants on complaints, applications, and other pertinent matters.
• Develops state policy for certification of local government preservation programs for eligibility for pass-through historic preservation funds and participation in the National Register program pursuant to the 1980 Amendments of the National Historic Preservation Act; manage its implementation.
• Prepares annual budgets and reports for the Director, Division of Parks; responsible for expenditure of appropriated funds for the office.
• Manages the Historic Preservation Office's implementation of Department procedures and rules regarding requests received under the Open Public Records Act.
• Prepares and manages the preparation of clear, technically sound, accurate, and comprehensive reports and correspondence involving office programs, recommendations, and related historic preservation issues.
• Reviews and comments on proposed new state and federal legislation and/or amendments to existing legislation, rules, and regulations pertaining to the interest and jurisdiction of the Historic Preservation Office.
• Directs the organization, maintenance, and retrieval of special records on cultural resources including the New Jersey State and National Registers nomination forms, the New Jersey Historic Sites Inventory, project-specific cultural resource surveys, and related maps, photographs, negatives, and slides.
• Organizes and directs staffing of meetings for the New Jersey Historic Sites Council.
• Serves as an ex-officio member of the New Jersey Historical Commission pursuant to the New Jersey Historical Commission Act.
• Serves as the Commissioner's representative on the Board of the New Jersey Historic Trust.
• Directs the identification and mapping of historic and archaeological resources utilizing available Geographic Information Systems.
• Prepares and directs the preparation of extensive correspondence in the course of official duties.
• Directs the establishment and maintenance of essential records and files.
• Will be required to learn to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and information systems used by the agency, office, or related units.

Education

Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Bachelor's degree in American Studies, Anthropology, Archeology, Architecture, Landscape Architecture, Architectural History, Historic Preservation or History.

Experience

Five (5) years of experience in historic site surveying, historic preservation planning or any combination of the following; the detailed investigation of historic structures; preparation of historic structures research reports and/or the preparation or review of plans and specifications for preservation projects; research writing, or related activity with an historic organization, agency or research and/or writing in American architectural history and/or restoration architecture; and/or writing in American architectural history and/or restoration architecture; and/or archeological research, administration, management and/or the study of archeological resources; two (2) year of which shall have been in a supervisory capacity.

License

Appointee will be required to possess a driver's license valid in New Jersey only if the operation of a vehicle, rather than employee mobility, is necessary to perform the essential duties of the position.

Knowledge, skills and abilities

• Knowledge of principles, methods, and techniques of supervision and management.
• Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures used to evaluate program activities.
• Knowledge of the Federal Historic Preservation Programs, including the National Register program, the Grants program, the Federal Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit program, and project review procedures.
• Knowledge of the Municipal Land Use Law.
• Knowledge of the New Jersey Register of Historic Places Act, National Historic Preservation Act, Highlands Preservation Act, Green Acres, Freshwater Wetlands Protection Act, Waterfront Development Act, Coastal Area Facilities Review Act, Pinelands Preservation Act and their associated rules.
• Knowledge of the Open Public Records Act.
• Knowledge of the theories, principles, objectives, standards, skills and techniques involved in historic preservation, including archaeological research, and cultural resource management.
• Knowledge of American history, archeology or architecture.
• Knowledge of principles, methods, procedures, and purpose of field investigations and evaluation of the impact of alterations to historic properties.
• Knowledge of methods used to evaluate Environmental Impact Statements. Ability to administer all programs and functions of the Historic Preservation office.
• Ability to interpret federal, state and local legislation, regulations and policies regarding historic preservation and cultural resource management.
• Ability to evaluate critically, properties in accordance with established criteria for eligibility for the New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places.
• Ability to read and interpret blueprints, architectural/engineering plans, drawings, and specifications.
• Ability to evaluate the effect of projects on historic and cultural resources and suggest ways of avoiding or minimizing adverse effects on those resources.
• Ability to direct and plan historical and scientific research, field investigation/surveys and preparation of scholarly reports on New Jersey's historic and archaeological cultural resources.
• Ability to conceptualize and direct surveys and studies, and develop long and short term preservation plans relating to identification, evaluation, protection, and restoration of historic and cultural properties.
• Ability to understand and write regulations of a complex and technical nature.
• Ability to develop working relationships and coordination with federal, state and local agencies, private organizations and citizen groups concerned with or responsible for historic preservation, restoration, and cultural resource management.
• Ability to publically speak and conduct public meetings/hearings informing constituents about topics including but not limited to state and federal laws, regulations, project reviews, nominations and programs.
• Ability to utilize officially sanctioned methods for dispute resolution.
• Ability to discuss and explain the effects of a diversity of project types on historic properties and appropriate treatments for historic properties consistent with federal standards and guidelines.
• Ability to identify and map historic properties utilizing available Geographic Information Systems.
• Ability to prepare and present clear, comprehensive, and accurate reports on office programs and related issues containing findings, conclusions, and recommendations based on data assembled.
• Ability to prepare extensive correspondence in the course of official duties.
• Ability to prepare budgets and supervise expenditures.
• Ability to draft contracts or interagency agreements involving historic preservation grants, mitigation measures or other preservation-related issues.
• Ability to assign, instruct, and supervise the work of office staff.
• Ability to prepare reports and correspondence.
• Ability to establish and manage the maintenance and retrieval of essential records and files.
• Ability to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and information systems and software used by the agency, office, or related units.
• Ability to read, write, speak, understand, or communicate in English sufficiently to perform the duties of this position. American Sign Language or Braille may also be considered as acceptable forms of communication.
• Persons with mental or physical disabilities are eligible as long as they can perform essential functions of the job with or without reasonable accommodation. If the accommodation cannot be made because it would cause the employer undue hardship, such persons may not be eligible.

Note

The examples of work for this title are for illustrative purposes only. A particular position using this title may not perform all duties listed in this job specification. Conversely, all duties performed on the job may not be listed.

Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Bachelor's degree including or supplemented by twenty-one (21) semester hour credits of professional planning subjects such as land use planning, historic city planning, planning project design, or planning law and administration may be substituted for the above education requirement.

Possession of a valid certificate as a Registered Architect issued by the New Jersey Board of Registered Architects may be substituted for the required education.

Possession of a valid license as a Professional Planner issued by the New Jersey State Board of Professional Planners may be substituted for the required education.

A Master's degree in an area of study listed above will fulfill the educational requirements for the title.

Applicants holding a Master's degree in History or Architectural History will be required to have a specialization in American History or American Architecture, respectively.

A Master's degree in American Studies, Anthropology, Archeology, Architecture, Landscape Architecture, Architectural History, Historic Preservation or History may be substituted for one (1) year of non-supervisory experience.