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Program Officer – Rural Housing

Company: Local Initiatives Support Corporation

Location: Remote, All

Job Function: Community Outreach

Background

What We Do

With residents and partners, LISC forges resilient and inclusive communities of opportunity across America – great places to live, work, visit, do business and raise families.

Strategies We Pursue

  • Equip talent in underinvested communities with the skills and credentials to compete successfully for quality income and wealth opportunities.
  • Invest in businesses, housing and other community infrastructure to catalyze economic, health, safety and educational mobility for individuals and communities.
  • Strengthen existing alliances while building new collaborations to increase our impact on the progress of people and places.
  • Develop leadership and the capacity of partners to advance our work together.
  • Drive local, regional, and national policy and system changes that foster broadly shared prosperity and well-being.

Since 1979, LISC and its affiliates have invested approximately $29.7 billion in businesses, affordable housing, health, educational mobility, community and recreational facilities, public safety, employment, and other projects that help to revitalize and stabilize underinvested communities. Headquartered in New York City, LISC’s reach spans the country from East coast to West coast in 38 markets with offices extending from Buffalo to San Francisco and in 2,400 rural counties across 49 states and Puerto Rico. Visit us at www.lisc.org

Rural LISC was established in 1995 and currently serves 140 partner organizations in 49 states and Puerto Rico, comprising a service area of more than 2,400 rural counties.  Our mission statement captures our vision and approach:

With residents and partners, Rural LISC supports resilient and inclusive rural communities as great places to live, work, and innovate. Rural LISC strives to identify priorities and opportunities and deliver the most appropriate support to meet local needs. We achieve this through integrated strategies and programs focused on the following rural community development priorities: Creative Capital, Broadband and Infrastructure, Housing, and Workforce Development + Small Business.

Summary

Position Overview:

As part of a compressive community development strategy, the national rural program of the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (Rural LISC) supports community-based organizations across the country to address local housing needs and advance community housing goals. The Program Officer will work under the guidance the Senior Program Officer – Rural Housing to support Rural LISC’s housing partners, programs, and goals.

The Program Officer will support housing-related programs, manage relationships and provide technical assistance (TA) to numerous partner organizations, including nonprofit housing providers and local government agencies. The ideal candidate will possess comprehensive knowledge of affordable housing needs and opportunities, particularly in rural communities. This includes a deep understanding of public subsidies, policies, data, financing sources, and the development process, encompassing both new construction and rehabilitation for both single and multifamily housing. Candidates should also have experience working in rural communities and with diverse populations; a belief in the future and promise of rural communities is paramount. This full-time position is location-flexible; candidates must be comfortable working remotely and with travel.

Responsibilities

Program Responsibilities:

  • Program Management & Implementation: support grant and program administration functions for the Capacity Building Program, Healthy Housing Initiative, Rural Partners Network, and other Rural LISC programs.
  • Capacity Building & Technical Assistance: assess needs, identify opportunities, and provide tailored TA to nonprofit housing providers and local government agencies in rural communities across the country.
  • Relationship Management: build and maintain strong relationships with local, regional and national stakeholders for collaborative rural development efforts, including public, private and nonprofit partners.
  • Climate Sustainability & Resilience: support evolving programs, projects and investments that support reducing greenhouse gas emissions, increasing energy efficiency, producing renewable energy, and improving the climate resilience of rural homes.
  • Project Investments: identify opportunities for strategic affordable housing and other community development investments, including by collecting real estate development pipeline data, identifying potential projects and connecting partners with financing opportunities.
  • Data Analysis & Research: collect and analyze partner and external data and literature to inform Rural LISC program strategies and delivery.
  • Community Engagement & Advocacy: represent Rural LISC in community forums, conferences, and events to advocate for improved housing quality, affordability and access, including in person events and site visits.
  • Initiative Development: cultivate relationships with a broad network of rural development stakeholders and help identify new opportunities to advance Rural LISC’s mission and goals, including by collaborating with Fund Development and other LISC teams on grant proposals.
  • Compliance: work with the Finance and Grants Management departments to help manage LISC grants and investments, ensuring compliance with funder financial reporting requirements, particularly federal grants with HUD and USDA.
  • Communications: organize and facilitate webinars and trainings, support the Rural LISC Annual Seminar, and uplift partner success stories.

Requirements

Qualifications

  • Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university or equivalent relevant related work experience can be used as proxy.
  • Minimum three (3) years relevant work-related experience in affordable housing and/or community development or other areas that complement Rural LISC’s work. Extensive knowledge of affordable housing.
  • Experience working with local, state, tribal and federal government programs and agencies.
  • Hands-on experience in real estate development or lending in a community development field preferred.
  • Working knowledge of the economic, political, and social environments in rural communities, especially lower-income neighborhoods, organizations, and community development efforts strongly preferred.
  • Experience reviewing datasets for quality and analyzing data for trends required.
  • Solution-oriented individual who is self-directed, and able to successfully balance multiple priorities and programs.
  • Outstanding interpersonal and relationship management skills: experience, flexibility and poise working with diverse organizations and individuals of varied races, ethnic, economic, social, and educational backgrounds; and a demonstrated ability to think strategically and collaborate with colleagues across functions and geography to design and implement the best strategies for building stronger rural communities.
  • Support the facilitation and convening of meetings, trainings, peer gatherings, and regular e-resources to help build partners’ capacity and provide access to resources both in person and via web-based gatherings.
  • Commitment to accuracy, attention to detail, timely reporting, and deadlines.
  • Excellent verbal and written communication, writing, research, analysis, and relationship/team building skills.
  • Fluent Spanish-speaker is a high priority.
  • Proficiency in Microsoft Office suite required. Advanced Microsoft Excel skills preferred.
  • Experience with Salesforce, SmartSheet, ArcGIS and other database systems preferred.
  • Appropriately 10%-15% travel will be required.

Compensation and Benefits

LISC offers a competitive salary ($62,300 – $77,900) and excellent fringe benefits.

Actual salaries may be based on several factors including, but not limited to, a candidate’s skill set, experience, education, work location and other qualifications.

LISC is an equal opportunity employer. LISC does not discriminate in employment on account of actual or perceived race, color, creed, religion, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, age, sex or gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, lactation and related medical conditions), gender identity or expression (including transgender status), sexual orientation, marital status, military status or veteran status, unfavorable discharge from military service, physical or mental disability, protected medical condition as defined by applicable state or local law, genetic information or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state or local laws and ordinances.

We will endeavor to make a reasonable accommodation to the known physical or mental limitations of a qualified applicant with a disability unless the accommodation would impose an undue hardship on the operation of our business.

LISC IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER COMMITTED TO DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION AND JUSTICE

How to Apply

To apply please submit your application using this LINK