Director of Housing Advancement

Company Description

Cornerstone Alliance is an economic development organization dedicated to fostering business retention, expansion, and attraction in Berrien County, Michigan. Since 1987, the organization has partnered with both private and public sectors to support initiatives that enhance regional economic competitiveness. With a focus on Michigan’s Great Southwest, Cornerstone Alliance provides resources and strategies to drive investment, support entrepreneurial ventures, and grow local businesses. The team at Cornerstone Alliance is committed to guiding businesses with expert assistance to create a thriving economic landscape in the area.

Role Description

Cornerstone Alliance is the lead non-profit economic development organization for Berrien County, Michigan. The Director of Housing Advancement leads and operationalizes Cornerstone Alliance’s Countywide Housing Resource, serving as the organization’s primary housing strategist, relationship-builder, and implementation facilitator.

This role exists to move housing initiatives from concept to execution by reducing friction between municipalities, developers, funders, and community partners. The Director does not act as a regulator, policy author, or developer, but instead functions as a trusted, neutral capacity-builder who translates complexity into action. Working closely with the Senior Vice President (SVP), the Director advances housing outcomes aligned with workforce development, economic competitiveness, and quality-of-place goals across Berrien County.

While the SVP provides strategic direction and external leadership, the Director of Housing Advancement is responsible for advancing initiatives through coordination, follow-through, and execution within complex political, regulatory, and market environments.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Municipal Support & Capacity Building

• Serve as a trusted advisor to municipalities with limited staff capacity on housing-related matters.
• Support municipalities in understanding housing options related to zoning, density, housing types, and policy considerations without drafting ordinances or replacing professional consultants.
• Facilitate education and working sessions for elected officials, planning commissions, and municipal staff.
• Build trust and momentum in politically sensitive or NIMBY-prone environments.
• Help communities articulate clear housing goals, priorities, and readiness to developers and partners.

Developer Engagement & Ecosystem Development

• Build, manage, and grow a countywide housing developer pipeline.
• Proactively recruit and support developers aligned with local context, starting with local and emerging developers and expanding outward as needed.
• Support “stage-up” developers by connecting them to partnerships, resources, and readiness pathways.
• Improve developer–municipality fit to reduce project failure and misalignment.
• Increase competition and response quality for housing RFPs.
• Act as a connector—not a broker—between developers, municipalities, funders, and partners.

Housing Strategy, Policy, & Best Practices

• Advise municipalities and partners on housing-related best practices and policy considerations using data and peer examples.
• Translate the real-world impacts of housing policy decisions for non-technical audiences.
• Identify systemic barriers to housing development and propose practical, context-sensitive solutions.
• Support conversations related to STR policy, equity-focused housing, ADA-forward and age-friendly design, and housing-related fee structures.

Early Stage Technical & Implementation Support

• Guide early-stage housing feasibility conversations to reduce risk and misalignment.
• Help communities and developers understand infrastructure capacity, sequencing, and cost drivers (without acting as an engineer).
• Translate housing market data, stock conditions, and product gaps into decision-ready insights.
• Connect projects to appropriate local, state, and federal funding tools and incentives.

Education, Outreach, & Market Positioning

• Coordinate housing education and peer-learning opportunities using industry experts and case studies.
• Support countywide housing marketing and opportunity materials aligned with zoning and infrastructure realities.
• Help establish shared language and expectations across municipalities, developers, and partners.

Program Management, Tracking & Reporting

• Track housing initiatives, relationships, and outcomes across the county.
• Ensure follow-through, accountability, and documentation of progress.
• Prepare and present regular updates to Cornerstone Alliance leadership, Board committees, funders, and partners.
• Collaborate internally to align housing advancement with economic development, community development, sites & assets, and investor priorities.

Community Development & Placemaking Collaboration

• Work closely with the Community Development Department to assist with any projects that require extra attention and support.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Master’s degree in Public Administration, Urban & Regional Planning, Housing, Economic Development, or a closely related field required.
• 5–10 years of progressively responsible experience in housing, community development, economic development, or public-sector real estate development.
• Direct experience working within or alongside municipal, state, and regional government environments.
• Demonstrated experience administering and managing local, state, and federal grant programs.
• Proven ability to manage multiple complex initiatives simultaneously while maintaining attention to detail and accountability.

CORE COMPETENCIES & ATTRIBUTES

• Policy & Program Expertise: Strong background in researching, interpreting, and translating housing, land use, and economic development policy into actionable guidance for municipalities and partners.
• Grant & Incentive Fluency: Experience overseeing public-sector funding programs, preparing briefings and recommendations, and ensuring compliance with reporting and performance requirements.
• Data-Informed Decision Making: Ability to analyze program data, housing market information, and community inputs to inform strategy, feasibility discussions, and policy conversations.
• Trusted Technical Advisor: Comfortable providing technical assistance to municipalities, developers, and community organizations without overstepping regulatory or professional boundaries.
• Relationship Builder: High emotional intelligence and credibility with elected officials, planning bodies, developers, and community stakeholders.
• Clear Communicator: Skilled writer and presenter capable of producing executive-level memos, public-facing materials, and facilitation-ready presentations.
• Execution-Oriented: Strong follow-through with the ability to move initiatives from concept to approval and implementation.
• Politically & Culturally Astute: Able to navigate sensitive environments, competing interests, and public processes with professionalism and discretion.

PREFERED EXPERIENCE & SKILLS

• Experience managing or advising mixed-use, workforce, and infill housing projects from proposal through approval.
• Familiarity with brownfield redevelopment, Opportunity Zones, Smart Zones, and related incentive tools.
• Experience supporting housing and community development planning efforts (e.g., Housing Plans, Fair Housing Equity Plans, Action Plans).
• Background producing policy briefs, board materials, RFPs, contracts, and executive correspondence.
• Strong comfort level working across urban, rural, and mixed municipal contexts.
• Demonstrated commitment to placemaking, equitable development, and long-term community revitalization.