Property Inspection & Scoping

GENERAL SUMMARY:

The Property Inspection & Scoping Manager works closely with internal stakeholders and external contractors to ensure that all necessary steps have been taken before construction start up for all rehabilitation sales programs for the Detroit Land Bank Authority. The Property Inspection & Scoping Manager will partner closely with the Assistant Director and Pre-Construction Manager to preliminary assess properties before they are approved for renovation programs, conduct thorough field assessments to evaluate the condition of properties and track the completion/satisfactory of pre-construction activities.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:

The Property Inspection & Scoping Manager plays an integral role in overseeing the building inspection team responsible for handling the skilled and specialized inspections of residential structures owned by the Detroit Land Bank Authority (DLBA); duties include onboarding and training building inspectors; managing workflow including assignment, completion, and quality control; identifying process improvements; In addition to supervisory functions, the Property Inspection & Scoping Manager will play an essential role in completing Property Scope of Work reports and Property Condition Reports (PCR), as part of the listing process; and other duties as directed by departmental leadership.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Manage and lead Inspection team members, contractors, and related vendors.

• Manage the Inspection processes.

Property Assessment:

• Conduct initial assessments of properties to evaluate their current condition and suitability for renovation projects.

• Assess the structural integrity and identify any obvious issues or areas that require special attention during the renovation process.

Pre-Construction Field Assessments:

• Conduct on-site field assessments related to pre-construction activities, analyzing the existing conditions and understanding the necessary improvements.

• Review work orders and specifications to align assessments with project requirements and objectives.

Floor Plan Drawing and Documentation: 

• Create accurate and detailed floor plans of existing properties, documenting key features, room layouts, and dimensions to facilitate the renovation design phase.

• Document current conditions of properties, capturing essential information for project planning and development.

Scope Recommendations and Drafting:

• Provide insights and recommendations regarding the necessary renovations, improvements, and modifications to meet project goals.

• Utilizing software to create custom and standard scopes of work

Quality and Compliance:

• Ensure that property assessments align with industry standards, local building codes, and compliance requirements.

• Maintain a focus on quality, accuracy, and completeness in all assessments and documentation.

Communication and Collaboration:

• Collaborate with architects, designers, engineers, and other project team members to ensure a comprehensive understanding of renovation needs.

• Communicate findings and assessment results effectively to relevant stakeholders, both orally and through written reports.

Problem Solving and Recommendations:

• Identify potential challenges, structural issues, or risks during property assessments and propose solutions and recommendations for consideration.

• Provide expertise and guidance to support decision-making in the pre-construction phase.

Take-offs:

• Blueprint Analysis: Review construction plans, blueprints, and specifications to understand project requirements.

• Quantification: Perform detailed take-offs to determine quantities of materials needed for projects, including but not limited to concrete, steel, lumber, drywall, piping, and other construction materials.

Planning and Analysis Inspections (required to be completed two full workdays every week):

• Conduct pre-sale inspections of DLBA residential properties for the purpose of completing a detailed property scope of work. Components to be inspected as part of the property scope include, but are not limited to foundation, floor walls, joists, stairs, roof, lintels, doors, windows, masonry, plumbing, eavestroughs, electrical system, HVAC system, and garages to the extent available and possible for accurate completion of the property scope of work.

• Complete inspection reports in a timely manner, in the required format, and/or any other functions to facilitate the upload of the Property Condition Reports (PCR) to the DLBA Property Listings.

• Complete inspections of residential structures, those owned by the DLBA and vacant privately owned structures, with orders to demolish (ODM).

• Visit DLBA-owned residential structures, accessory structures, and fences to post cease & desist notices, Home Posters, and other related public notices.

• Complete coordinated inspections of properties of interest to the DLBA including but not limited to potential donations and acquisitions.

• Take photographs of properties in a sequential and complete manner to document deficiencies and structure condition.

• Utilize the DLBA’s organizational photo management platform for the storage and organization of property photographs.

• Accurately advise on the extent of needed repairs.

• Accurately advise on the required city permits.

• Provide onboarding and training to building inspectors, including process and safety protocol.

• Audit inspections for completion and accuracy.

• Manage and triage inspection workflow to support the auction listing schedule.

• Identify opportunities for efficiency and process improvements.

• Act as primary contact for building inspection team, assisting with problem resolution, including but not limited to access and structural issues.

• Inspect DLBA owned structures upon request from departmental leadership for reasons including but not limited to change in property condition and occupancy status.

• Participate in sales events when requested.

• Conduct reviews of DLBA properties for other purposes, including the assessment of maintenance services required, the confirmation of work completed, and other reasons.

• Other duties as assigned.

Travel and Office Reporting:

• 80% travel within Detroit Neighborhoods

• Required to report to the office a min. of 2 days a week

QUALIFICATIONS: (knowledge, experience, skills, abilities)

• Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration, Architecture, Engineering or related field, or equivalent experience required (see below).

• At least five (5) years of recent Real Estate Experience in development, renovations, inspections and/or construction required.

• At least three (3) years managing inspectors or team lead experience

• A valid driver’s license.

• Strong technical knowledge in areas such as cost estimating, project scheduling, and bidding processes.

• A solid understanding of the construction industry.

• Job site safety requirements, contract management, planning and scheduling, budgets, building products, and relevant technology.

• A high level of fluency reading plans, specifications, and related project documents.

• Strong sales, negotiation and communication skills

• Strong organizational and time-management skills

• Ability to work independently combined with excellence interpersonal and customer service skills

• Ability to accurately estimate the property's value by looking it over and comparing it with similar properties in the market

• Ability to multi-task, make decisions and problem solve

• Pleasant and trustworthy

• Key competencies are leadership, initiative, communication, empathy, teamwork, managing for results, and coaching & mentoring.

• Technical Skills: ProCore, On-Screen Take-off, Home Designer Pro, Home Developer Pro, Sketchup, Building Connected, CoConstruct, Smartsheet, MS Office Suite.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to sit, walk, climb stairs, stand, bend; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; and talk; or hear. Employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 15 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include distance and up-close vision, speak clearly enough to be able to be understood by others and identify and understand the speech of another person. The employee is required to travel to properties within the city of Detroit (75%) throughout the year, in all conditions. May work evenings and weekends. The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions