Purpose of Division:
The National Initiatives Division of NeighborWorks America is responsible for developing, testing, and managing innovative national programs and services designed to support approximately 250 NeighborWorks network organizations located in communities across the United States. The overall objective of the work is to sustain a network of excellence that creates opportunities for people to live in affordable homes, improve their lives and strengthen their communities so that every community in North America is a community of opportunity.
The National Real Estate Programs Department is one of four departments that make up the National Initiatives Division at NeighborWorks America. The Division is responsible for developing, testing, and managing innovative national strategies and services in support of network organizations. Areas of focus for the National Real Estate Programs Department include real estate development, asset management/portfolio strengthening, property management, resident services, business strengthening, and capital access. Approximately 150 NeighborWorks America network organizations own and/or manage over 204,000 affordable rental homes. Over the last five years, the NeighborWorks network has constructed 20,500 rental homes, rehabilitated an additional 17,000, and have constructed over 6,300 for-sale homes.
“Due to pandemic circumstances and our commitment to provide the highest care for our community, NeighborWorks America requires all new employees to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 before being hired. Candidates should be prepared to submit proof of COVID-19 vaccination upon hire or discuss accommodations in line with COVID-19 safety protocols.”
Position Summary:
- Ensures alignment of NeighborWorks America’s financial and technical resources with the needs and priorities of the NeighborWorks America network nonprofit organizations that actively develop single-family real estate and develop and/or operate multifamily rental housing.
- Drives diverse programmatic design and manages partnerships positioned to improve the capabilities of NeighborWorks America’s network organizations that develop and/or manage real estate, positioning them to sustain and strengthen performance.
- Promotes opportunities and engagements that support awareness of financial drivers, market risks, growth opportunities, and operating efficiencies with a focus on overall resilience, adaptability, and sustainability.
Essential Duties/Responsibilities:
1. Manage the development, deployment, and ongoing evaluation of programs that support business sustainability and growth for NeighborWorks America network organizations with real estate lines of business.
2. Leverage internal and external data to inform strategic decision-making and to identify trends in affordable housing development practices that foster innovation and timely responses to crisis.
3. Oversee technical assistance support for specific enterprise-strengthening programs, including national, regional, district and on-site trainings for the NeighborWorks Network and trainings to support growth in real estate knowledge across NeighborWorks America’s staff.
4. Provide thought leadership and direction in engagements where real estate intersects with access to capital, portfolio management, resident services, climate resilience, and other programmatic efforts led by NeighborWorks America.
5. Develop and maintain relationships with an array of stakeholders, including institutions, industry groups, intermediaries, Government Sponsored Enterprises (GSEs), foundations, and leading like-minded practitioners to elevate NeighborWorks America’s real estate development and preservation efforts to develop best practices and to support affordable housing related advancements.
6. Manage the Real Estate Advisory Committee (REAC), a committee comprised of approximately 16 network real estate staff members, predominantly CEOs/Executive Directors. This committee is designed to foster connection, solutions oriented problem-solving, and peer to peer information sharing.
7. Leverage engagement with select internal stakeholders who provide thought leadership and real estate subject matter expertise.
8. Develop grant plans that are designed to advance real estate development and preservation practices in coordination with the National Initiatives Operations team and the Field Operations division.
9. Work closely with the Vice President of Real Estate to optimize strategic decision-making during the annual budget process and throughout the fiscal year by prioritizing, advocating, and responsibly managing available operating funds.
10. Ensure timely payment and efficient contracting of any required external vendors in collaboration with Procurement and Finance.
11. Serve as an affordable housing development subject matter expert for NeighborWorks America that provides strategic advice to senior leadership. This may include participating in meetings with key external stakeholders and/or providing support for budget documents, discussions, and presentations.
12. Work collaboratively with Marketing Communications to facilitate the creation of materials, such as articles, blogs, newsletter and to support external speaking engagements.
13. Other duties as assigned.
Nature of Work Contacts:
The Sr. Director of Real Estate will interact with a diverse group of internal and external stakeholders to achieve NeighborWorks America’s strategic goals, programmatic effectiveness, and information-based execution.
Key internal stakeholders, include, but are not limited to: National Real Estate Program’s Sr. Director of Asset management/Resident Services with a focus on property/portfolio performance; NeighborWorks America Field Operations regional staff with a focus on effective grant strategies and network engagement; Corporate Strategy & Impact with a focus on leveraging data to inform/guide, and the Organizational Assessment Division with a focus on organizational health.
Key external stakeholders, include, but not limited to: Partners and funders positioned to help facilitate the achievement strategic goals and enhance visibility of NeighborWorks real estate development initiatives; NeighborWorks America network real estate development teams and grantees, financial institutions/funders (including the capital corporations (NeighborWorks Capital and Community Housing Capital)) positioned to support the expansion of access to capital to the network, vendors/consultants as required, to execute and deliver on programmatic priorities.
Fiscal Responsibilities:
The Sr. Director of Real Estate will be responsible for managing budgets, overseeing grant development, and executing any necessary consultant/vendor contracts with Procurement.
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