Rental Housing Program Manager

City of Seattle•Seattle, WA

22h•Hybrid

About The Position

Seattle’s Office of Housing (OH) works to build strong, healthy communities and increase opportunities for all people to live in a community of their choice, in a home they can afford. OH invests in the production and preservation of affordable homes for people with low incomes, including individuals and families who are exiting homelessness. The Office also assists low-income homeowners with home repair loans and weatherization grants so they can safely remain in their homes and neighborhoods. We are looking for a Rental Housing Program Manager who will oversee funding awards of over $110M and lead a team of three staff members, including two underwriters and a project manager, responsible for implementing the City’s Rental Housing Program. In this role, you will develop and implement a multi-year funding strategy to prioritize projects that improve affordability, sustainability, and racial equity. You will optimize the allocation of City resources by aligning rental housing investments with other public funding sources, such as Low-Income Housing Tax Credits and state housing funds. You will also enhance the efficiency and impact of the Rental Housing Program by streamlining the funding application, underwriting, and award processes, developing new tools and data-driven approaches to better evaluate project feasibility, long-term affordability, and equity outcomes, and proactively addressing financial challenges in existing projects by facilitating loan restructures, debt buy-downs, and other strategic interventions to stabilize at-risk developments.

Requirements

Demonstrated experience in affordable housing finance involving public and private sources, community redevelopment, real estate finance, or other related areas.
A commitment to listening, creating space for diverse perspectives, and the pursuit of affordable housing for all.
The ability to communicate at all levels tactfully and effectively.
Overseeing complex housing finance transactions
Affordable housing finance and policy, including underwriting, loan structuring, and regulatory compliance
Private and public funding sources, such as Low-Income Housing Tax Credits, HOME, and CDBG
Collaborative, team-driven leadership and project management
Demonstrating a commitment to public service and ensuring housing access for low-income and historically marginalized communities
Building and maintaining strong internal and external relationships
Professional writing and presentation skills, including conducting information sessions
Navigate political, financial, and community dynamics to advance equitable and sustainable housing solutions
Maintain professionalism in controversial, complex, and public situations
Explain technical information to a non-technical audience
Work with a diverse population

Responsibilities

Leading, supervising, and developing a team responsible for underwriting, closing, construction administration, disbursements, and project closeout, including assigning work, managing workload, providing technical guidance, and ensuring high-quality and timely work products.
Planning and managing the City's competitive rental housing funding process, including application review, underwriting, staff recommendations, and implementation of awards.
Ensuring funded projects are financially feasible, comply with applicable funding requirements, and support long-term financial and operational sustainability.
Overseeing the negotiation and structuring of City financing for affordable housing investments.
Overseeing the team's management of funded projects from award through underwriting, loan closing, construction, disbursement, and closeout, ensuring projects meet City requirements and advance toward completion on schedule.
Overseeing the assignment and administration of City, state, and federal funding sources and ensure compliance with applicable program requirements.
Coordinating across Office of Housing teams and other City departments to resolve project issues, implementing program requirements, and supporting timely execution of affordable housing investments.
Maintaining effective working relationships with affordable housing developers, lenders, investors, public funders, community stakeholders, and other partners.
Representing the Rental Housing Program in meetings with external partners, public forums, and interdepartmental initiatives.
Managing staff workload, performance, and professional development while ensuring consistent, high-quality underwriting, closing, construction administration, disbursement, and closeout work.
Managing the competitive funding process from application through award and implementation, ensuring timely, consistent, and well-supported funding recommendations aligned with OH priorities, racial equity goals, and available resources.
Improving processes, tools, tracking, and coordination across the project lifecycle to support timely closings and construction, effective use of City resources, compliance with funding requirements, and successful project delivery.