Chief Housing Officer

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY OF OMAHA•Omaha, NE

About The Position

The Chief Housing Officer (CHO) serves as the executive leader responsible for Habitat Omaha's housing strategy, production systems, real estate development activities, construction operations, and home repair programs. Reporting directly to the CEO and serving as a key member of the Executive Leadership Team, the CHO provides strategic leadership across all housing delivery functions and is accountable for advancing Habitat Omaha's mission through planning, development, acquisition, production, and preservation of affordable housing opportunities. The CHO serves as a trusted advisor to the CEO, Board of Directors, and relevant Board committees on housing strategy, production goals, land acquisition, real estate development, and major housing-related investments and transactions. The CHO also ensures volunteer and internship resources are strategically leveraged to expand organizational capacity, strengthen community engagement, and support housing production goals. This role requires an experienced executive capable of balancing long-term strategic planning with operational execution, while leading multiple director-level functions and representing Habitat Omaha with external partners, governmental entities, developers, lenders, and community stakeholders. We are hiring for this role due to the planned retirement of a team member. The successful candidate will benefit from a structured transition period alongside the current COO. The candidate will have the opportunity to learn established processes while helping shape future improvements.

Requirements

10+ years of progressive leadership experience in housing, construction, real estate development, community development, or related fields.
Experience leading multiple departments and senior leaders in a complex organizational environment.
Demonstrated success developing and executing organizational strategy while achieving measurable operational outcomes.
Experience leading significant development projects, housing initiatives, land acquisition efforts, or real estate transactions.
Experience presenting to Boards of Directors and executive leadership teams.
Strong understanding of affordable housing, community development, construction, and real estate principles.
A Long-Term Strategic Planning Focus: You bring proven experience developing and executing 5–10-year strategic plans that translate vision into actionable roadmaps, positioning Habitat Omaha to achieve its long-term sustainable housing and community impact goals.
A systems-minded way of thinking: You naturally see how work fits together, how decisions in one area affect another, and how to keep a complex set of housing functions moving forward in a coordinated way.
A steady, organized approach to complexity: You bring structure, calm, and clarity to situations with many moving parts, helping others stay focused on what matters most.
A talent for creating clarity: You help teams understand expectations, timelines, and decision points, making it easier for people to plan well and to move work forward.
A collaborative leadership style: You work alongside people, not above them, building alignment through clear communication, shared ownership, and steady follow-through.
A practical, forward-moving mindset: You help shape opportunities, frame decisions, and keep work progressing without getting lost in the details or slowing things down.
A strong sense of operational judgment: You know how to sequence work, use resources wisely, and identify the points where coordination can increase impact.
A confident, professional presence with external partners: You represent Habitat Omaha well in major housing-related conversations and help move key opportunities toward impactful partnerships.
Bachelor's degree in Construction Management, Engineering, Real Estate, Business Administration, Urban Planning, Community Development, Public Administration, or a related field required.

Nice To Haves

Non-profit experience preferred.
Experience with affordable housing, lending, or mission-based work strongly preferred.
Experience working within volunteer-driven, mission-based, or community engagement organizations preferred.
Advanced degree and/or relevant professional certifications preferred.

Responsibilities

Provide executive leadership, direction, coaching, and development for the leaders responsible for Construction, Home Repair, and Real Estate.
Build a high-performing housing leadership team focused on accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
Provide strategic oversight of volunteer and internship programs within housing functions, ensuring alignment with organizational priorities, workforce needs, and community engagement objectives.
Support succession planning, organizational design, and leadership development across housing functions.
Foster a culture of safety, quality, innovation, and operational excellence.
Establish and execute Habitat Omaha's long-term housing strategy in alignment with organizational goals and mission priorities.
Lead annual and multi-year housing production planning, forecasting, and performance management.
Establish production targets and key performance indicators across construction, home repair, and real estate functions.
Incorporate volunteer and intern resources into housing production planning and workforce strategies to support organizational capacity and long-term growth.
Ensure effective coordination and execution across all housing delivery functions to achieve organizational goals.
Evaluate opportunities to expand housing production capacity, efficiency, and impact.
Provide executive oversight of major housing initiatives, development projects, and strategic investments.
Develop and oversee housing-related operating and capital budgets in partnership with the CFAO and executive leadership team.
Ensure effective stewardship of organizational resources while balancing production goals, quality standards, and long-term sustainability.
Provide strategic oversight of land acquisition, land development, property disposition, and housing pipeline management.
Lead evaluation and negotiation of significant real estate transactions, development agreements, and strategic partnerships.
Partner with municipal leaders, developers, lenders, and community stakeholders to advance housing opportunities and neighborhood impact.
Support entitlement, zoning, infrastructure, and development activities necessary to achieve long-term production goals.
Serve as a strategic advisor and thought partner to the CEO as a member of the Executive Leadership Team.
Prepare and present Board materials, strategic recommendations, housing production updates, development opportunities, and major real estate transactions.
Lead discussions related to housing strategy, production performance, land acquisition, development activities, and organizational housing priorities.
Represent Habitat Omaha in key external relationships involving housing, community development, public policy, and strategic partnerships.