Director / Senior Director of Development Implementation

The Chicago Housing Authority is seeking a Director OR Senior Director of Development Implementation. This role ensures CHA’s real estate development activities are delivered efficiently, effectively, and with maximum positive impact in line with CHA’s mission to expand affordable housing options and enhance operational efficiency. This leader oversees a team of development managers and staff leading the department’s new construction, preservation, recapitalization, and underwriting efforts and guides the full lifecycle of CHA’s development pipeline from early planning, resident and community engagement, financial structuring, underwriting through closing, construction oversight, lease-up, and permanent conversion or stabilization. The role requires a proven people leader with deep expertise in affordable housing and real estate development, a strong track record of guiding resident and community centered planning and design process and closing complex, large-scale projects, and the ability to coach and elevate staff. This person must also manage a variety of stakeholders across government, finance, development partners, and community, while overseeing multiple deal types and project structures.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Oversee a team responsible for the day-to-day execution of development projects across the full development cycle, including planning, underwriting, financing, closing, construction, lease-up, and permanent conversion or stabilization.
• Direct and support the team’s work on new construction, preservation, recapitalization and homeownership projects receiving CHA capital, land, or operating subsidy, adapting oversight to the unique technical, regulatory, and financial requirements of each type.
• Oversee a portfolio of varying deal structures including third party-developed, self and co-developed using a wide range of funding sources and other CHA led development initiatives leveraging funding sources such as Low-Income Housing Tax Credits, Tax Increment Financing, Historic Tax Credits, construction loans, permanent financing and others.
• Provide strategic oversight and innovation of financial structure, underwriting and deal term negotiation for CHA developments including financial models, sources, budgets, proformas, cash flow, and capital planning for active and pipeline projects to ensure alignment with agency priorities.
• Lead and support the Department’s efforts on resident and community engaged site planning for large development sites and generating a project pipeline to ensure that the department is consistently executing new development projects while planning for future opportunities.
• Manage relationships and coordination with internal departments, development partners, government agency partners, lenders, equity investors, contractors, elected officials, resident leaders, and community stakeholders to inform progress, resolve issues, negotiate terms, in all the aspects necessary to advance developments to closing and completion.
• Provide high quality coaching, mentoring, and professional development to the development team, helping staff build stronger technical skills, practical knowledge, and confidence in managing the development process and schedule and deal execution.
• Ensure compliance with applicable federal, state, and local housing policies, subsidy program requirements, and regulatory obligations across projects, and support necessary reporting and documentation.
• Work with department leadership to set, execute, and monitor annual departmental priorities.
• Lead and/or participate in efforts to create innovative funding and development strategies, implement process improvement efforts to streamline workflow, improve project tracking, and strengthen team capacity to grow CHA’s housing development pipeline.
Perform other duties as assigned, consistent with departmental goals and agency mission.

QUALIFICATIONS

Bachelor’s degree in Real Estate, Finance, Economics, Urban Planning, Public Administration, Construction Management, Architecture, or a related field required. Master’s degree preferred. Extensive experience required in affordable housing and/or real estate development, including demonstrated track record closing complex, large deals and managing projects from early planning through construction and stabilization. Demonstrated experience with mixed ‑ finance or complex funding structures, LIHTC or other subsidy programs, or similar complex housing financing and compliance frameworks. Deep understanding of development financing, underwriting, subsidy programs, regulatory compliance, and project delivery requirements in affordable housing. Strong leadership and people management skills, including coaching, mentoring, and developing staff with varying levels of technical expertise. Demonstrated success working with diverse stakeholders in government, finance, development, and community settings. Strong skills in negotiation, conflict resolution, and consensus building. Excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills. Ability to communicate complex technical information clearly to a range of audiences. Ability to proactively identify issues and escalate with strong judgement and discretion. Capacity to manage multiple projects simultaneously in a fast ‑ paced environment. Demonstrated proficiency in leading diverse teams and groups, experience with change management is desirable. Proficiency with project and portfolio management tools, financial models. Computer proficiency required: Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook skills. Ability to maintain confidentiality of privileged information. A wide degree of creativity and latitude is expected.

Additional qualifications:

Please note this position may be classified at Director or Senior Director level depending on candidate’s years of professional experience, supervisory experience, technical background, and demonstrated capacity to manage the full lifecycle of complex development deals.

Director: Minimum of 9 years of relevant professional experience. Minimum of 6 years of progressively responsible supervisory or people ‑ management experience.

Senior Director: Minimum of 12 years of relevant professional experience. Minimum of 8 years of progressively responsible supervisory or people ‑ management experience. Ability to perform duties with minimal supervision.

BENEFITS AT-A-GLANCE

• Vacation, Sick and Personal, competitive PTO package
• Medical (HMO, PPO, and No employee cost High-Deductible PPO) Dental, Vision, and Life Insurance
• Short-Term and Long-Term Disability Insurance
• Long-Term Care Insurance
• Pet Insurance
• Parking Transit
• Prepaid Legal Services
• Brightstar 529 College Savings Plan
• Identity Theft Protection
• Hospital Indemnity Insurance
• Voluntary Critical Illness Insurance
• Deferred Compensation Plan: Empower 457/401(a) with a 3% employer match
• Pension Plan: CHA makes contributions on behalf of the employee, along with the employee's 3% contribution; 100% vesting occurs after 6 years of continuous employment or opt-out of CHA's Retirement Plan and continues to participate in the Municipal Employees Annuity and Benefit Fund of Chicago
• Hybrid work schedule (position specific) This position may be eligible for remote work following a successful completion of a 90-day probationary period according to CHA’s established policies and procedures.
  

"Applications will be accepted for 30 days from the date of posting. However, the position may be closed at any point if a sufficient number of qualified applications are received.”

Salary Range:

Director - $125,000 - $135,000

Senior Director - $135,000 - $145,000

Grade: S10

FLSA: Exempt

Union: None