Senior Associate

Clark Construction Group•McLean, VA

About The Position

At Align Capital Solutions, we bring private sector financial expertise to some of the most challenging housing markets in the U.S. As a dedicated real estate advisory firm, we work as financial consultants to institutional, public, and non-profit owners and developers of multifamily rental housing. Through original research and technical expertise, we specialize in exploring, identifying, and executing innovative financial structures that deliver superior outcomes. By connecting our clients with key debt and equity providers, and leveraging legal and tax insights, we enable the creation of impactful multifamily housing assets that meet specific risk and return objectives. Our expertise bridges the gap between project vision and financial reality, ensuring better outcomes for both our clients and the communities they serve. As a Senior Associate, you will gain firsthand knowledge of how the capital markets influence financial decision-making for both public, private, and public-private-partnership investments in housing. With the increased emphasis on delivering more housing within our communities, Align is poised for considerable growth and will be a real estate advisory leader in the marketplace.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in real estate, finance, economics, or business required – MBA/master of real estate preferred
5-7 years of relevant work experience in multifamily development or finance, including a demonstrated track record of closing (or assisting with the closing) of transactions.
Strong understanding of real estate fundamentals including the ability to navigate operating pro formas, analyze market dynamics, and build financial models.
Working knowledge of various capital structures and sources used to finance real estate projects, such as construction debt, private equity, tax-exempt financing, LIHTC, Fannie/Freddie programs, among others.
Experience in a highly collaborative, team-based setting
Demonstrated ability to work independently; taking initiative and meeting deadlines
Excel skills including financial and real estate cash flow modeling, including knowledge of key financial and real estate concepts and metrics
Proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

Nice To Haves

Experience structuring Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) is not required.

Responsibilities

Consult with clients on project and portfolio-level capital needs, with a primary focus on structuring capital stacks that integrate a wide variety of sources, including: private equity, taxable debt, tax-exempt debt, subordinate "soft" debt, and grant programs.
Lead the due diligence for apartment and mixed-use investments. Evaluate assets through the lens of Area Median Income (AMI) restrictions, real estate market fundamentals, and state/local tax abatements (e.g., PILOT agreements).
Develop and maintain complex, multi-tiered financial models for development and preservation deals. Models must accurately simulate the blended cost of capital, waterfall distributions, and the impact of long-term affordability covenants on project exit values.
Partner with private developers and public housing authorities (PHAs) or state agencies to validate operating proformas, ensuring compliance with both market-rate expectations and restricted-rent regulatory requirements.
Coordinate with third-party partners to secure optimal financing, including tax-exempt bond issuers, conduit issuers, underwriters, HUD/FHA lenders, commercial banks, CDFIs.
Assist in the review and management of all relevant Project contracts and documents related to finance requirements. Review project level contracts with a specific eye toward regulatory agreements that ensure long-term financing viability.
Author comprehensive investment memos that synthesize macroeconomic trends with the specific drivers of affordable housing.
Lead the creation of responses to RFPs/RFQs for solicited and unsolicited mixed-income development opportunities, showcasing the firm’s ability to solve "funding gaps."
Regularly present technical modeling outputs and feasibility analyses to investment committees, non-profit boards, and government agencies.