Manager of Strategic Initiatives, Real Estate & Facilities

Volunteers of American Greater New York•New York, NY

38d•Hybrid

About The Position

VOA-GNY is seeking an experienced Manager of Strategic Initiatives, Real Estate & Facilities to join its Real Estate Department. Reporting to the Senior Vice President of Real Estate & Facilities, this role will serve as a key strategic and operational partner, leading cross-functional initiatives that strengthen departmental performance, improve workflows and support technology adoption, and build organizational capacity across a growing housing portfolio. This is a highly entrepreneurial role designed for a candidate who can combine strategic thinking with strong execution. The Manager of Strategic Operations will help drive operational efficiency, performance measurement, project coordination, and process improvement in support of VOA-GNY’s pipeline of mission-based housing rehabilitation and new construction projects throughout New York City. Within VOA-GNY, the Real Estate Department is responsible for leading the organization’s development, property management, and asset management functions. VOA-GNY serves thousands of individuals and families across 67 sites, including 1,373 shelter beds, 2,326 permanent housing units, and 330 scattered-site apartments. With more than 1,700 units of affordable and supportive housing in the pipeline, the department is focused on growing the organization’s housing portfolio while ensuring new developments are innovative, high-quality, and responsive to community needs. VOA-GNY recently received a $20 million donation to support acquisition, predevelopment, and capital costs for new ground-up development in furtherance of this goal.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree and at least 5 years of direct, full-time professional experience in organizational strategy, management consulting, operations management, strategic project management, or a related field.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to quickly learn complex subject matter and apply strategic frameworks to operational challenges.
Demonstrated experience with data analysis, establishing performance metrics, and managing operational workflows.
Strong professional grounding in financial budgets, including budget monitoring and variance analysis.
Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel, including data modeling, pivot tables, and financial tracking.
Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to synthesize complex operational, financial, or technical information into clear, concise, and persuasive materials for a range of audiences.
Strong project management and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to lead multiple complex initiatives simultaneously under tight deadlines.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in business administration, public administration, urban planning, real estate, or a related field.
Experience in real estate development, property management, asset management, facilities operations, housing, or nonprofit operations.
Experience implementing or optimizing operational software, systems, or workflow tools.
Experience developing standard operating procedures, training materials, or internal process documentation.

Responsibilities

Serve as a primary operational partner to the Senior Vice President, tracking and advancing high-priority departmental initiatives and ensuring milestones are met across real estate and facilities functions.
Partner closely with leaders and staff across Finance, Program, HR, IT, Risk Management, and other departments to support strong coordination and organizational alignment.
Support leadership on critical initiatives spanning the portfolio lifecycle, including new construction and rehabilitation projects, asset and property management, and facilities planning.
Lead the selection, rollout, and ongoing optimization of property and operational technologies, such as work order systems, preventive maintenance planning tools, and capital needs/planning systems, to streamline workflows and improve efficiency.
Design, establish, and maintain a framework of key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure asset health and operational effectiveness.
Conduct regular evaluations of individual properties and present findings and recommendations to leadership.
Establish and lead regular budget monitoring and variance analysis for individual residential properties across the portfolio, identifying trends, ensuring fiscal discipline, and flagging potential issues early.
Develop clear, actionable presentations, standard operating procedures, and other materials that translate complex operational, financial, or technical information for diverse audiences.
Identify operational skill gaps and help design targeted training programs, workshops, and instructional materials to strengthen staff capabilities and improve process compliance.
Research and assess emerging building technologies, software tools, and operational improvements, and present concise business-case analyses to leadership.