National Housing Trust (NHT) has been dedicated to creating and preserving affordable housing for over 30 years. Our mission is to create and preserve affordable homes to provide opportunity, advance racial equity, reduce economic disparities, and strengthen community resilience through practice and policy.
NHT has a staff of 34 across five program areas – policy innovation, lending, real estate development, community outreach and impact, and energy solutions. Our hallmark is our cross-functional, integrated approach to innovating, demonstrating, and amplifying solutions to the affordable housing crisis in the U.S.
POSITION
The Public Policy & Advisory Services Manager is an exciting opportunity for an entrepreneurial self-starter with experience in affordable housing. The Public Policy & Advisory Services Manager will work as a member of the Policy Team to advance policy solutions at the local, state, and federal levels that are informed by the real-work experiences of affordable housing providers and residents. NHT has a legacy of innovating, demonstrating, and amplifying bold ideas for affordable housing, and this position offers opportunities to be involved in various Policy Team initiatives. NHT’s core policy priorities are advancing equitable climate benefits in affordable housing, modernizing the housing credit program, and protecting residents and expanding the housing supply, including promoting racial equity in housing outcomes.
In addition to this work, the Public Policy & Advisory Services Manager will spend time quarterbacking NHT’s growing fee-for-service advisory work, which provides advisory services to cities, states, and other organizations seeking to create and preserve affordable housing and the systems that support it. In collaboration with the Senior Director of State and Local Policy, the Public Policy & Advisory Services Manager develop an organization-wide strategy for this emerging line of business that increases the number of contracts awarded, the revenue generated, and the variety of contracts completed, while drawing on the expertise and staff capacity of all five of NHT’s business lines.
Under the supervision of the Senior Director of State & Local Policy, the Public Policy & Advisory Services Manager will split their time between two primary responsibilities:
- advance policy solutions that create and preserve healthy, stable, efficient, and affordable homes. The Public Policy & Advisory Services Manager will:
- develop and advocate for affordable housing and energy efficiency policy and program recommendations;
- educate stakeholders about the challenges and benefits of improving the efficiency and health of affordable housing;
- conduct research to inform policy solutions;
- build and maintain relationships with partner organizations and work in partnership with coalitions to advance common goals;
- compellingly communicate NHT’s policy positions to decision-makers;
- complete various writing deliverables such as policy memos, fact sheets, newsletter articles, sign-on letters, and testimony;
- raise awareness of and educate on threats to long-term affordability of housing;
- meet with legislative staff, Congress, Executive Branch, and government agency staff to educate and advocate for federal resources for affordable housing and to protect the Low Income Housing Tax Credit;
- track policy proposals and implementation relevant to affordable housing;
- present on affordable housing policies, programs, and trends and national and local conferences and meetings.
- run point on NHT’s emerging fee-for-service advisory work, identifying and securing fee-for-service consulting opportunities that align with NHT’s mission to preserve and improve affordable multifamily homes to support quality, healthy neighborhoods with a range of housing options so that families of all income levels have an opportunity to thrive. The Public Policy & Advisory Services Manager will:
- lead the development of an organization-wide strategy for the fee-for-service business line that builds off NHT’s existing expertise and increases impact;
- identify strategies for new business pursuits, both open request for proposals (RFPs) to which to respond and potential partners with whom NHT should seek to build or strengthen relationships;
- grow NHT’s fee-for-service work, including collaborating with other staff, setting goals and metrics by which to measure success;
- collaborate with NHT’s Communication Manager to develop targeted marketing materials promoting NHT’s advisory work;
- serve as project liaison between each project team and the Senior Director of State & Local Policy.
Other special projects as assigned.
This is an extraordinary opportunity for an emerging leader committed to advancing equity and justice by preserving sustainable healthy housing that supports under-resourced renters. While not required, candidates will ideally have 3-5 years’ experience in nonprofit affordable housing, client delivery, and/or business development. Other qualifications could include:
- Commitment to NHT’s mission, including a deep dedication to assisting low-income families create
and access opportunities to thrive;
Strong persuasive writing skills, including of executive summaries and other critical components of deliverables;
- Entrepreneurial self-starter who relishes multitasking and is detail-oriented;
- Excellent interpersonal, organizational and communications skills, both verbal and written skills;
- Excellent planning and organization skills;
- Strong computer aptitude skills, including knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite Programs;
- Ability to integrate thoroughness and attention to details with a big picture, strategic vision.
- Collaborative spirit and positive attitude (a good sense of humor is a plus);
Apply at the link below.