Job Opportunity: Municipal Liaison/Policy Advisor
Municipal Liaison/Policy Advisor
Jersey City Redevelopment Agency (JCRA)
Employment Type: Unclassified
Schedule: Full-Time
Location: Jersey City, NJ (on-site)
Salary: Starting salary range $70,000-$85,000, commensurate with qualifications and experience. Comprehensive benefits package including pension, medical, dental, prescription, FSA, life insurance, and more.
Deadline: Resumes should be submitted no later than September 18, 2026
About the Role
The Jersey City Redevelopment Agency (JCRA) is an autonomous agency established by the City of Jersey City (City) pursuant to the Local Housing and Redevelopment Law. The JCRA is responsible for overseeing and executing significant and complex redevelopment projects in the City, one of the most active development markets in the New York metropolitan region. The JCRA manages a large portfolio of redevelopment projects in designated redevelopment areas within the City, negotiates redevelopment agreements and related agreements, and has the responsibility to ensure that stakeholders deliver on the obligations and community benefits in these agreements. The JCRA is at the center of the City’s most consequential projects — including Bayfront, Canal Crossing, and Holland Gardens.
The JCRA is actively recruiting for a Municipal Liaison/Policy Advisor (“Advisor”) who will serve as an advisor to the JCRA and work with the JCRA and the City in furtherance of redevelopment projects, economic development initiatives, and related activities throughout the City.
The Advisor will have a critical and intensive role in helping the JCRA work with the City to effectuate redevelopment projects from inception to completion of construction. Working closely with the JCRA Executive Director, the Deputy Mayor for Housing & Economic Development, the Director of the Housing, Economic Development and Commerce Department (HEDC), JCRA General Counsel, City Corporation Counsel and various City departments, the Advisor will support the policy initiatives, redevelopment projects, and strategic decision-making needed to advance redevelopment projects.
What We’re Looking For
The ideal candidate will have exceptional analytical and writing skills with strong attention to detail, be highly organized, and be motivated by the public mission of the JCRA. This is a high-exposure, fast-paced role that blends project management, policy analysis, and strategic support. The Advisor will need to be comfortable working with a wide range of stakeholders to advance redevelopment projects.
JCRA is open to a wide range of candidates with different backgrounds, with precise title and compensation set depending on experience and qualifications.
Key Responsibilities
Project & Initiative Management
- Track and help drive progress across the JCRA’s portfolio of redevelopment projects ensuring deadlines, deliverables, and project plans stay on schedule.
- Coordinate across the JCRA, City, and outside partners to move complex, multi-stakeholder workstreams forward.
- Build and maintain trackers, and status reporting; flag risks early and propose solutions.
Policy Analysis & Advising
- Assist in research and drafting clear, well-reasoned policy memoranda on housing, redevelopment, and economic development issues including memos and briefing materials.
- Assist in analyzing specific policy issues, synthesizing law, data, best practices from peer cities, and stakeholder input.
- Help the JCRA to implement policy goals.
Strategic & Executive Support
- Prepare speeches, talking points, remarks, presentations, and correspondence for JCRA and City leadership.
- Build meeting agendas, briefing books, and read-aheads; attend meetings, capture decisions and follow-ups; and drive them to completion.
- Liaise with a wide range of governmental and non-governmental actors.
- Serve as a reliable, discreet, and proactive right hand on a wide range of time-sensitive priorities as they arise.
Qualifications
JCRA is looking for someone intelligent, resourceful, and genuinely excited about redevelopment, housing and economic development policy. Specific requirements include:
- Education: A bachelor’s degree is required. An advanced degree — J.D., MPP, MPA, MUP, MCRP, or similar — is welcome but not required, and recent graduates are encouraged to apply.
- Writing: Exceptional oral and written communication skills.
- Analysis: Strong analytical and research skills, with the judgment to distill complex issues into clear recommendations.
- Project management: Highly organized and able to manage multiple workstreams and deadlines at once without dropping details.
- Temperament: Comfortable in a fast-paced, high-stakes political and governmental environment; adaptable, low-ego, and discreet with sensitive information.
Preferred Experience
The following are valued but not required:
- Familiarity with New Jersey redevelopment, housing, and/or land use policy, or with urban policy and planning more broadly.
- Prior experience in government, a policy organization, a campaign, a legislative office, or a mission-driven redevelopment, housing, or economic development organization.
- Coursework or experience in public policy, urban planning, law, real estate, or economics.
- Comfort working with data and translating it into clear narrative and visuals.
Compensation & Level
The starting salary range for this position is $70,000-$85,000, commensurate with experience. The role may be filled at the Associate or Senior Associate level depending on the selected candidate’s background, with title and salary set accordingly. The JCRA offers a competitive benefits package.
How to Apply
To apply, please submit a resume via email to:
Christopher Fiore, Acting Executive Director
Jersey City Redevelopment Agency
w/copy to:
Shoshana Schiff, General Counsel for the Jersey City Redevelopment Agency
McManimon, Scotland & Baumann