Affordable Housing and Community Connections Director

Affordable Housing and Community Connections Director

• Are you an advocate for affordable housing and community development?
• Are you a seasoned collaborator with elected officials, community members, internal departments, and developers to find creative solutions for housing?
• Are you committed to equitable and meaningful community engagement?
• Are you an inspiring leader for talented team members?
• Are you an effective financial manager who can manage diverse funding streams while seeking new ways to fund needs and programs?

If the answer to these questions is “yes”, then being Chapel Hill’s next Affordable Housing and Community Connections Director could be your next career move.

The next Director will be a vibrant, strategic networker with a commitment to community and neighborhood revitalization. A successful history of building bridges, seeking win-win solutions where divergent interests lie; and, generating commitment and enthusiasm for the vision of building a vibrant community for all will be key credentials. The Affordable Housing and Community Connections Director must be able to convey a passionate understanding that safe and livable communities are an essential part of quality of life, a key ingredient for individual opportunity and economic development.

About the Community: Chapel Hill, NC, is a multicultural university town with a population of almost 60,000 that frequently appears in national “best place to live” listings and was recognized as one of the best towns in the U.S. by the Guardian. As home to the nation’s first public institution of higher learning and a lively and successful Tar Heel sports program, Chapel Hill is a picturesque community of 21 square miles filled with trees, historic and mid-century architecture, and a thriving downtown.

Home to a diverse, welcoming community, 17% of our residents were born in countries outside the United States. Demographically, the racial composition of the town in the 2010 census was 73% white, 12% Asian, and 10% black. About 6.4% of the population is Hispanic or Latino of any race. Chapel Hill has a relatively young population with a median age of 25.7 years old. Chapel Hill is considered North Carolina’s best-educated municipality, with 73% of adults possessing a bachelor’s degree or higher.

About the Organization: Operating under a Council-Manager form of government, the Town Manager reports to a Mayor and eight at-large Council members.

Our organization’s RESPECT values (Responsibility, Equity, Safety, Professionalism, Ethics, Communication, and Teamwork) are the basis for our choices. They are reflected in our behavior and decisions every day. They are our compass as we accomplish our mission and objectives. As a result, residents have consistently rated Chapel Hill as “high-performing” in biennial community surveys. Due to a solid economic base in and around Chapel Hill and careful management of resources, the Town of Chapel Hill has bond ratings of AAA and consistently wins awards for its annual budget and financial report.

About the Department and Position: The Affordable Housing and Community Connections Department works hard to support vulnerable community members through extensive outreach with a vision of actively striving for “A vibrant and inclusive community where all residents have access to affordable housing and opportunities to thrive. Learn more about some of their 2020 successes here.

With seven (7) employees and an operating budget of approximately $840,000, and over $6M in project funding that includes general fund, federal entitlement Community Development Block Grant funds, affordable housing bond funds, and human services funds, the Affordable Housing and Community Connections Department has a robust work plan that focuses their work from policy development to program implementation. The Director liaises with Town advisory boards: primarily the Housing Advisory Board and the Human Services Advisory Board, community groups, and numerous nonprofit organizations. The Affordable Housing and Community Connections Director will work under the direction of the Town Manager and report to the Deputy Town Manager.

Key priorities for the next Director are:

• walking the talk on community inclusion, diversity, and equity as it relates to language access, community safety, and equitable economic development;
• developing and collaborating with Town Council, non-profit organizations, internal and intergovernmental partners, to implement effective solutions for affordable housing and community connections;
• identifying and advocating creative programs that fund initiatives;
• initiating policy development and revision to respond to ever changing community needs; and,
• invigorating community outreach as the pandemic response shifts needs and priorities.

For more information, visit the Department webpage at https://www.townofchapelhill.org/government/departments-services/housing-and-community and www.chapelhillaffordablehousing.org.

Qualifications: A bachelor’s degree is required, while a relevant master’s degree is preferred. The candidate’s work history must include well-rounded experience with a minimum of 7 years of progressive experience in the affordable housing and community engagement yield including at least five years of leadership experience. Experience in community relations at the local government level is desirable.

Salary and Benefits: The hiring range is $105,000 to $122,000. Information about the Town’s benefits can be found by clicking here (or by copying and pasting: https://www.townofchapelhill.org/government/departments-services/human-resource-development/employee-benefits).

To apply, go to https://agency.governmentjobs.com/developmentalassociates/default.cfm and click on the Affordable Housing and Community Connections Director – Chapel Hill link. To learn more about the selection process, visit Client Openings (or copy and paste into your browser: https://developmentalassociates.com/client-openings/). All applications must be fully completed and submitted online via the Developmental Associates application portal – NOT the Town portal, nor any other external website; it is not sufficient to send only a resume. Resumes and cover letters can be uploaded with the application. Applicants should apply by August 18, 2021. Application review begins August 23, 2021. Finalists will participate in virtual interviews and skill assessments on September 20-21, 2021 which will take 3-4 hours of time – not including preparation. Interviews with the Town Manager and leadership team will follow at a subsequent time. All inquiries should be emailed to hiring@developmentalassociates.com. The Town of Chapel Hill is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Developmental Associates, LLC is managing the recruitment and selection process for this position.