Director of Community Assistance

June 24, 2024

Lead Change, Build Communities: Become our Director of Community Assistance and make a lasting Impact on Affordable Housing!

If you are interested in joining our team, please complete our brief online application.

About Us:

The Massachusetts Housing Partnership (MHP), a non-profit public agency, works with communities to create innovative policy and financing solutions that provide affordable homes and better lives for the people of Massachusetts. Our mission is to pioneer new development and financing models that make more effective use of public resources, be responsive to local needs, promote racial equity, and achieve greater impact than conventional approaches to affordable housing. MHP focuses on the following areas: Community Assistance, Rental Development and Portfolio Management, Homeownership and Data & Policy.

Current Opportunity:

The Director of Community Assistance will engage in a variety of impactful activities, including managing and fostering the growth of the Community Assistance team, overseeing technical assistance to improve local affordable housing, providing thought leadership on policy development, developing new policies and programs, leading training efforts, ensuring program sustainability, building strong external relationships, and actively participating in community events.

This position is available due to a key transition within our team, offering an exciting leadership opportunity for a new contributor. Our long-time Director, Laura Shufelt, is transitioning into a part-time, program-specific role within the Community Assistance team at MHP, where she will continue to contribute her vast knowledge and experience. MHP is excited for the opportunity to welcome a new leader to drive the future growth of the Community Assistance team.

MHP is committed to fostering diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB) in our workplace. We are seeking someone whose principles align with our dedication to DEIB and who possesses the ability to actively contribute to and further enhance these essential values.

Here are some of the primary ways you will contribute and lead in the role of Director of Community Assistance.

Ensure the effective and impactful delivery of technical assistance by managing the Community Assistance team and its offerings, including fostering professional growth of team members, driving collaborative efforts, and supporting a thriving team culture.
Improve local affordable housing provision through oversight of and active participation in direct and indirect technical assistance to city and town officials, community leaders and organizations, and lenders, with particular attention to: (a) promoting higher density housing ; (b) expanding low- and moderate-income housing options throughout the Commonwealth ; (c) supporting the use of publicly owned and housing-authority owned land to support affordable housing development; and d) helping municipalities to meet their requirements under state laws, such as Chapter 40B and Section 3A.
Provide thought leadership on policy development by representing MHP at public meetings, forums, conferences and other discussions of housing policy and practice.
Contribute to the improvement of the affordable housing ecosystem by developing and implementing new policies, programs, and systems to better address the objectives outlined above through collaboration with the Chief of Public & Community Engagement and/or the Executive Director.
Build local capacity to meet Massachusetts housing needs by leading efforts to deliver MHP’s training programs, in particular the annual Housing Institute.
Ensure sustainability and growth of the Community Assistance programs through management of the team budget, actively seeking program income, and securing external funding for community assistance initiatives.
Foster relationships and develops regular communications with external partners and city and town officials.
Promote strong community ties by regularly attending and actively participating in designated events and community meetings, including those held during evenings and weekends, ensuring strong representation and fostering positive relationships.

Compensation:

The compensation for this role is $150,000 to $165,000. Any final offer will be based on various factors including job-related knowledge, skills, competencies, and experience. The listed range is just one component of MHP's total compensation package for employees.

Benefits our employees value:

MHP understands that benefits are an important consideration when looking for a new role. We are proud to offer our employees a comprehensive benefits package including:

Hybrid and flexible work schedule
Health insurance through the state’s Group Insurance Commission
403b retirement plans and employer match of up to 10% with immediate vesting
Annual 5-week paid time off (PTO) benefit and 13 paid holidays
Fully paid group term life, short-term and long-term disability insurance
Dental insurance through MetLife with 90% of premium covered by MHP
Vision insurance through VSP with 50% of premium covered by MHP
Medical and dependent care Flexible Spending Accounts
Public transportation reimbursement
Tuition reimbursement up to $10,000
Professional development resources and assistance
Generous home office benefit
Membership discount for onsite gym

Hybrid Schedule Policy:

The Director of Community Assistance role is designated as Hybrid which includes both in-office and remote workdays. The person in this position will work out of the Boston office a minimum of two days per week with one day being the designated team day. The position will utilize an MHP laptop which must be transported to and from the MHP office.

MHP’s office is conveniently located minutes from South Station.

Travel:

Frequent in-state travel and evening meetings will be required within Massachusetts. A current driver’s license and/or access to reliable transportation is required in order to attend community meetings as well as local and MHP events throughout the state.

Knowledge, Experience and Skills:

A minimum of 10 years of relevant experience in community and/or affordable housing administration, development, or consulting.
At least 5 years of relevant management and/or supervisory experience, including experience developing and fostering a cohesive team of experienced and independent experts.
In depth understanding and strong working knowledge of Massachusetts’ affordable housing laws and regulations, including Chapter 40B, zoning and land use laws, municipal decision-making processes, fair housing laws, and tools such as Affordable Housing Trusts.
Comfort with and ability to engage in potentially uncomfortable conversations around equity and inclusion as communities are at different levels of readiness and understanding of affordable housing.
Demonstrated ability to review real estate development pro formas and make recommendations.
Bachelor’s degree, preferably master’s degree or equivalent experience, skills and knowledge.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including experience creating and leading in person and virtual presentations.
A current driver's license and/or access to reliable transportation.
Demonstrated commitment to affordable housing.

MHP is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All decisions are based on business needs, job requirements and individual qualifications without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, past or present military service, status as an individual with a disability, or any other legally protected characteristics. MHP is committed to compliance with all fair employment practices regarding citizenship and immigration status. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential job functions.

If you are interested in joining our team, please complete our brief online application.