Executive Director

Overview

The Regional Housing Network of Massachusetts, Inc. (RHN), is an association of regional organizations that, together, provides housing services to all 351 cities and towns in Massachusetts.  Since the 1970’s, these organizations have been administering the federal Section 8 program, now referred to as the Housing Choice Voucher Program under contract to the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development. 

RHN members pioneered administration of the voucher program on a regional basis, beginning with the very first allocation of Section 8 vouchers. Addressing the need for additional services to assist households experiencing difficulty with housing, the association launched the Housing Consumer Education Centers with support of the legislature and every governor since the early 1990’s.  The number of people served each year across the Commonwealth is in the tens of thousands.

Because of the RHN’s statewide coverage, and its successes in helping people to find decent housing that they could afford and in assisting families to avoid homelessness, the member organizations became the delivery vehicle for the very successful RAFT program (Residential Assistance for Families in Transition).  That in turn led to the network’s role in the HomeBASE program.

The Regional Housing Network, and its ten member organizations, are proud of their history. The membership shares a vision, building upon the good work of our departing staff members. The stage has been set for the network and its members to make future contributions to the development and implementation of new, data-driven initiatives to reduce homelessness through prevention, a housing first approach, and creation of new options for decent, affordable housing while also continuing to manage the DHCD rental assistance programs effectively.

RHN is seeking a dynamic Executive Director capable of leading a team of member organization Executive Directors and CEO’s.

This is a full time position, requiring at least 40 hours per week of effort. This is an exempt position. The Regional Housing Network’s office is co-located with the Citizens Housing and Planning Association at One Beacon Street, Boston.

The salary range for this position is $90,000 to $110,000 per year plus benefits.

Position Summary:

• The Executive Director is an experienced, dynamic leader of a network of ten not-for-profit organizations that provide a wide variety of housing and housing related services in all 351 cities and towns in Massachusetts.
• The Executive Director reports to a board of directors consisting of the chief executives of all ten members of the network.
• The Executive Director is a strong leader, coalition builder, and excellent communicator, networker, advocate, and strategic thinker.
• The Executive Director demonstrates strong commitments to mission and to connecting with, advancing, and leading the network’s members.

Essential Functions

• Ensure that RHN has a long range strategy that achieves its mission.
• Lead the development of new initiatives that implement the mission strategy and increases the impact, strength, and effectiveness of the network.
• Foster and support a culture of teamwork, engaging the board of directors at the governance level and appropriate staff people from the member organizations across a wide array of mutual initiatives.
• Provide overall leadership to the network, developing funding resources, program collaborations, and a wide variety of initiatives appropriate to the mission and needs of the network and its members.
• Represent the network, developing effective relationships with stakeholders, funders, public officials, and building coalitions with allied groups.
• Serve as the public face of the RHN, leading and managing advocacy on behalf of network members.
• Maintain and enhance productive partnerships with state and federal agencies.
• Network effectively and productively with other professional and social service groups in the Commonwealth.
• Keep the board fully informed and engaged.

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Strong, positive organizational leadership, consensus-building, and networking skills.
• Knowledge (from experience) of the workings of State and Federal Legislative and Administrative entities.
• Understanding of, and ability to identify, trends in local, state, and federal government affordable housing policies together with the skill to develop, revise, and implement strategies accordingly.
• Ability to coach and mentor staff and “volunteers” selected from members’ staffs, and to develop high performance teams that are able to carry out the strategic plans developed by the executive director and approved by the board.
• Past success working with a board of directors, including the ability to cultivate relationships with existing board members.
• Strong marketing, public relations, and fundraising experience.
• Strong written and oral communication skills, demonstrated by a history of persuasive and passionate communication and evidence of interpersonal and multi-disciplinary project skills.
• Passion, idealism, integrity, positive attitude, mission-driven, and self-directed.
• Action oriented, entrepreneurial, adaptable, and innovative approach to planning and implementation.
• Ability to work effectively in collaboration with diverse groups of people.

Qualifications

• Experience in non-profit leadership (minimum of five years).
• Advanced degree preferred and may include MBA, Masters in Community Development (or related field), or JD.

Competencies

• Leadership Presence: Takes charge of a situation, has others follow his/her leadership, and has an influential presence.

• Vision: Sees beyond the present, anticipates future results, and accurately predicts trends in the affordable housing and related fields. Appropriately verbalizes/shares the vision and leads others in that direction.

• Strategic Skills: Analyzes existence and influence of internal and external forces on the success of the organization.  Gathers and analyzes factual data necessary to create plans which reflect these forces and factors to ensure organization growth and success.

• Results Oriented: Directs behavior to emphasize the achievement of organizational goals and core values.

• Informing and Communication Skills: Selects appropriate amount and content of information required by others to achieve desired goals. Considers audience, chooses appropriate medium; communicates information in a clear manner.

• Ethics, Integrity, Respect: Makes decisions and conducts self consistently with organizational principles. Offers respect to all in the work environment, adheres to high personal standards of acceptance, reliability, openness and consistence of action with words.

• Approachability and Listening: is accessible; creates an open communication environment. Supports speakers at meetings in such a way that effective communication takes place.

• Personal Accountability: Accepts responsibility for own actions, including failure. Embraces experience as learning opportunities and not chances to blame.

RHN Member Organizations

• Berkshire Housing Development Corporation
• Berkshire County Regional Housing Authority
• Community Teamwork, Inc. (CTI)
• Franklin County Regional Housing and Redevelopment Authority
• Housing Assistance Corporation (HAC)
• Metro Housing Boston
• NeighborWorks Housing Solutions
• RCAP Solutions
• South Middlesex Opportunity Council, Inc.
• Way Finders, Inc.