Real Estate Developer

Summary: CASA’s Real Estate Development Team (RED Team) initiates, oversees, and delivers high-quality apartments for individuals and families in need of safe, stable housing. With 180+ apartments in the pipeline for new development, we need to grow our RED Team with self-starting, resilient and experienced affordable housing professionals. The Real Estate Developer will be an integral part of this team.

Duties and Responsibilities include the following.  Other duties may be assigned. 

• Initiates and evaluates new development opportunities, including analyzing potential project sites and negotiating acquisitions.
• Negotiates and secures financing for acquisition and new construction, analyzing funding options such as Low Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC), federal, state and local government funding opportunities, bank financing, and private foundation grants.
• Advocates for public funding, including writing, reviewing and submitting funding applications, answering questions at public hearings, meeting and communicating with elected officials, etc.
• Advocates for approvals, entitlements and policy changes necessary to complete real estate development activities including annexation, rezoning, variances, bond funding, housing legislation, etc. Accomplishes the above through developing strategy, hiring consultants as needed and representing CASA to obtain.
• Prepares forward-looking financial projections for real estate portfolio and makes recommendations for retention or disposition of existing assets.
• Oversees and ensures timely and accurate completion of the full range of tasks related to the planning, implementation, and development of affordable housing projects.
• Creates and implements development and financing plans, schedules and proformas, and continuously analyzes and reconciles budgets and schedules as development progresses.
• Reviews all legal documents required for asset acquisitions and dispositions, loan closings, and legal contracts. Coordinates loan closings. Comprehends and complies with federal, state and local regulations, and program compliance.
• Initiates, plans, and oversees procurement process for selecting consultants and contractors and oversees work of consultants, contractors and, vendors.
• Monitors progress of projects under development for cash requirements, budget variances, and completion status. Gathers data and provides oversight for accountants preparing cost certifications for new projects.
• Undertakes responsibility for administrative duties as needed including document preparation, filing and storage, compliance, reporting, and other duties as needed.
• Communicates and coordinates with Property Management Department staff to ensure funding compliance requirements are met.
• Communicates, coordinates and collaborates with cross-departmental teams including Fund Development and Programs & Partnerships staff to plan and deliver a spectrum of funding sources to support the varied needs of permanent supportive housing (operating support, supportive services funding, etc.)
• Acts as a representative for CASA before public agencies and community organizations, takes a leadership role in CASA's advocacy activity, and participates in community engagement and policy creation affecting affordable housing.
• Supports chief financial officer, chief executive officer, and chief operating officer as needed.

Supervisory Responsibilities: This position has no direct reports.

 Qualifications:

• Excellent problem-solving skills, resiliency, curiosity and creativity
• Strong attention to and retention of detail and strong organizational skills.
• Strong leadership skills; ability to inspire a team to achieve collective goals
• Ability to work independently, meet deadlines, and manage outcomes in a mission driven organization.
• Must foster relationships with elected officials, financial partners, professional advisors, and contractors.
• Knowledge of housing and community development policy and best practices.
• Knowledge/experience with permanent supportive housing models, trauma-informed housing best practices, supportive service delivery preferred.

Language Ability:

Excellent verbal, written, financial analysis, and project management skills. Ability to communicate with public officials and regulatory agency staff representing CASA’s interest in a professional and persuasive manner.

Math Ability:

Ability to work with mathematical concepts such as probability and statistical inference, and fundamentals of plane and solid geometry and trigonometry. Ability to apply concepts such as fractions, percentages, ratios, and proportions to practical situations. 

Reasoning Ability:

Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions. Ability to interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions in mathematical or diagram form and deal with several abstract and concrete variables.

Computer Skills:

To perform this job successfully, an individual should have knowledge of Microsoft Office components and be familiar with other communications and database applications. 

Education/Experience:

• Bachelor's degree (B.A./B.S.) from four-year college or university; and four to six years related experience and/or training
• Direct experience developing affordable multi-family housing, both new construction and renovation; experience undertaking development using LIHTC preferred
• Direct experience securing financing for affordable multi-family housing projects of at least $1 million

Certificates and Licenses:

Valid driver’s license

Knowledge, Skills and Other Abilities: 

• Technical knowledge of and significant and varied experience with standard affordable housing tools, policies, laws, and financing practices by which affordable housing is developed, which includes Housing First principles, ADA compliance, zoning and land use controls, HOME, CDBG, LIHTC, Section 3, Davis Bacon, Uniform Relocation Act, NEPA Environmental Review, non-traditional loan structures, and real estate loan documents.
• Interest in and passion for affordable housing.

Physical Demands:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, use hands, reach with hands and arms, and talk or hear. The employee is frequently required to walk.  The employee is occasionally required to stand, climb or balance, stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl, and taste or smell. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 10 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include peripheral vision.

Work Environment:

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally exposed to outdoor weather conditions.

The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.