Youth Achievement Center (YAC) Pre‑Development Project Manager

Community Passageways•Seattle, WA

13d•Remote

About The Position

Community Passageways (CP) is seeking a consultant to provide Pre-Development Project Management services for the Youth Achievement Center (YAC). The YAC is a community-informed real estate development project aimed at providing transitional and affordable housing, program space, and supportive services for young adults. This project is unique as it combines transitional housing, affordable housing, and direct services under one roof, requiring the consultant to navigate this complexity, research comparable projects, understand their funding structures and risks, and help CP establish a path for this unique model. This role is not a conventional project management engagement; CP is acting as a development client for the first time. A key aspect of this consultant's role will be to guide CP through this unfamiliar process, explaining decisions, building internal capacity, and ensuring CP can make informed judgments at each stage. The ideal candidate will be adept at teaching and translating complex information, as well as managing timelines and budgets. The consultant will represent CP's interests while coordinating with Africatown Community Land Trust (ACLT) as the development partner. This requires strong skills in navigating multi-party relationships, maintaining clear boundaries for decision authority, and ensuring CP's voice and interests are prioritized. The selected consultant will advance the project through feasibility, entitlement, funding strategy, and completion of the pre-development phase, positioning it for construction.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management, Engineering, Architecture, or a related field (or equivalent professional experience)
5+ years of relevant experience in affordable housing or nonprofit real estate development through the pre-development phase
Proficiency with project management tools such as MS Project and/or Asana
Ability to read and interpret architectural drawings, zoning codes, and building regulations
Experience with complex public funding sources and compliance requirements, including prevailing wage tracking, Section 3 hiring, and LEED/Green building standards
Familiarity with LIHTC (Low-Income Housing Tax Credits) and debt financing, including loan closing processes
Experience developing pro formas with long-range cash flow projections (15 years) and nonprofit operational financial modeling
Experience managing RFQ/RFP processes for design and engineering consultants
Strong project management and problem-solving skills
A “scrappy,” entrepreneurial mindset—comfortable navigating ambiguity, limited budgets, and evolving conditions common to community-based projects
Demonstrated ability to guide first-time or inexperienced development clients through complex processes with clarity and patience
Skilled facilitator, comfortable running community design sessions and representing an organization in public forums
Commitment to equity, restorative justice, and community-

Nice To Haves

Prior experience supporting an organization through its first real estate development project
Experience with atypical or hybrid project types (combining housing, services, and/or community programming)

Responsibilities

Oversee planning, coordination, and project preparation from visioning through feasibility and completion of the pre-development phase.
Serve as a key liaison between CP, ACLT, and all external partners including architects, engineers, funders, public agencies, and community stakeholders.
Conduct feasibility analysis and pre-construction coordination, including site assessments, land surveys, zoning analysis, and due diligence.
Research comparable projects that combine transitional housing, affordable housing, and direct services to understand risks, requirements, and funding models.
Manage the CP/ACLT partnership agreement and other legal contracts, ensuring appropriate information sharing and decision authority.
Guide CP in its role as a first-time development client.
Develop and manage the project funding strategy, identifying and securing public grants, philanthropic gifts, LIHTC, and debt financing.
Support the preparation and submission of City, State, Federal, and private foundation applications.
Support loan closing if loans are part of the plan.
Monitor project budgets and ensure compliance with accounting and reporting requirements across multiple funding sources.
Develop a business plan projecting future operational costs against rental revenue and programmatic grants.
Collaborate on a pro forma including detailed sources and uses, operating budgets, and 15-year cash flow projections.
Manage the RFQ process to select architects and engineers if needed.
Oversee building design and facilitate design charrettes to ensure the building reflects community needs.
Review construction contracts.
Ensure compliance with zoning ordinances, building codes, grant reporting requirements, and funding-specific requirements including prevailing wage tracking, Section 3 hiring, and LEED/Green building standards.
Manage timely submission of Land Use permits.
Facilitate regular meetings with CP's YAC team, community partners, donors, and public agencies.
Prepare materials for fundraising and community engagement.
Represent CP at public hearings and community council meetings.