Senior Associate, Homeownership and Consumer Empowerment

ABOUT THE HOUSING PARTNERSHIP NETWORK

Housing Partnership Network (HPN) is an award-winning membership network of 100 of the nation’s leading affordable housing and community development nonprofits. Together, our mission is to help millions of people gain access to affordable homes and thriving communities that offer economic opportunity and an enhanced quality of life. We firmly believe everyone deserves to live in a vibrant community where housing fosters dignity, opportunity, and well-being. 

Since our founding in 1992, HPN has collectively served over 11 million people; developed, rehabilitated, or preserved about 400,000 affordable homes; and launched 14 successful social enterprises. Our work has been recognized with honors including the MacArthur Award for Creative & Effective Institutions and Wells Fargo NEXT Award for Opportunity Finance. Learn more at www.housingpartnership.net.

OUR COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY AND EQUITY

HPN is committed to creating a diverse and equitable environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. HPN recruits, employs, trains, compensates, and promotes regardless of race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, veteran status and other protected status. We believe that the more inclusive we are, the better our work will be. We aspire to build a diverse team, one that better reflects the people and communities we serve. Applicants who contribute to this diversity are strongly encouraged to apply. 

WE VALUE

Collaboration - We are a true network. We believe in the power and benefits of broad engagement, empowerment and collaboration.

Connection - We actively build relationships that connect people, ideas, and organizations to forge new paths for improving communities.

Inclusion - We recognize our power comes from the collective and cooperative nature of our work, based on an environment that is inclusive of diverse experiences, backgrounds and perspectives.

Respect - We are open, honest, and respectful in all of our interactions which strengthens our relationships, our mission, our work with colleagues and members, and ultimately the lives of the people we all serve.

Transformation - We work with our members to transform our industry by creating systemic solutions to help people who live in our communities to thrive.

ABOUT THE ROLE

The role of Senior Associate of Homeownership will assume an important role assisting the Vice President of Affordable Housing and Consumer Empowerment in the development, implementation and management of initiatives that support members’ efforts to develop and finance homeownership opportunities and reduce the racial homeownership gap. Responsibilities will also include supporting the team’s efforts around asset building, financial capability programs, and homeownership advising. The Senior Associate will manage programs, contracts, and projects and lead peer exchange activities among members to share innovative approaches that provide a wellspring of ideas for supporting new models within the sector.

We are looking for a naturally empathetic, creative, and entrepreneurial person. You must be a highly organized and adept project manager with a strong ability to work collaboratively and efficiently on highly detailed, fast-paced projects under tight deadlines. This position reports to the VP of Affordable Housing & Consumer Empowerment and is based in our Boston office.   

MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Assist VP and the Capital Markets team in identifying models to scale homeownership development and financing, with a focus on reducing the racial homeownership gap.  Specific areas of exploration include opportunities to expand: shared ownership or equity programs, downpayment assistance, and mortgage lending among Community Development Financial Institutions.
• Manage private and federal contracts for services as applicable, including: the completion of grant applications; executing grant agreements and corresponding sub grant agreements with HPN members; training and oversight of members throughout the grant period; completing all reporting associated with the grant.
• Manage fee-for-service programs for housing counseling programs, and work with members and industry peers on opportunities to increase revenue for counseling initiatives. 
• Structure and implement ongoing peer exchange as a vehicle to achieve HPN’s strategic goals and encourage, stimulate, and develop new business ideas.  Specific support of the team’s peer exchange includes: organizing and creating peer exchange content, coordinating meeting logistics, facilitating virtual and in-person meetings, managing online communities of practice, and driving member engagement through ongoing interaction 
• Assist VP with homeownership work through ongoing engagement with HPN members, industry partners and through research to understand needs and best practices and support peer learning across the network, ideation, and innovations within the sector. 
• Maintain an awareness and understanding of major policy initiatives and industry advancements in the areas of homeownership development, mortgage lending, secondary markets, economic mobility and asset building, and housing counseling, and share key updates with HPN staff and members.
• Assist VP and VP of Development to identify and secure new resources to support HPN and member work around homeownership, economic mobility, and counseling efforts, including developing concept notes, identifying and applying for new funding, and fostering funder relationships.
• Assist VP in new project/program development and implementation as applicable, including: monitoring of project plans and schedules to ensure project delivery on a timely basis; planning meetings, preparing deliverables, and communicating project status to internal and external stakeholders. 
• Represent HPN in external partnerships, collaborations and industry organizations.
• Other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree required
• 2-4 years of related experience required
• High level of attention to detail and ability to prioritize duties under tight deadlines
• Highly organized and demonstrated experience in grant or project management/coordination
• Experience in meeting planning and discussion facilitation
• Strong written, oral communication, and interpersonal skills
• Interest in and ability to learn new technology
• Ability to work collaboratively with others in a constantly changing, somewhat unpredictable, fast-paced open office environment. Bonus: this excites you!
• Ability to work creatively with an eagerness to learn.
• Knowledge of and experience with affordable housing finance, mortgage lending, and homeownership development strongly preferred.   Experience with housing counseling asset building programs a plus.

OTHER

• Position is based in Boston, MA
• Some travel required