Senior Project Manager

To apply, send resumes to vicky@aspen-search.us

Salary: 95-100K

Location: Chicago, IL

Hybrid: In office: T/W | WFH: M/Th/F

The Organization

Our client is a mission-driven lender, real estate consultant, and developer that helps communities thrive. Key to their success has been a deep sense of purpose, a broad perspective, and a relentless focus on achieving positive results. Across the Midwest, they help clients from every sector, including human service agencies, health centers, schools, affordable housing developers, and healthy food grocery operators. Staff contribute extensive business experience and an unrivaled connection to the mission of the company to the clients they serve.

Basic Job Function

The Senior Project Manager manages the real estate assets; directly oversees portions of the asset management portfolio; coordinates internal and external compliance and reporting schedules; assists with the strategy for setting and meeting goals; steers and organizes working relationships with property managers and other external parties; and works with other departments.

They are looking for candidates who are committed to their work and can demonstrate their creativity, diligence, enthusiasm, growth mindset, thoughtfulness, and passion for making meaningful change in the areas of economic and racial justice.

Core Responsibilities

• Ensures long-term viability of development projects by providing oversight to maximize operational efficiencies that brings best in class asset management project direction on business plans, budgets, forecasts, optimizing leases, performance analysis, and compliance.
• Collaborate with the Community Development Solutions teams to identify opportunities that drive impactful results in terms of the tenant experience.  Assists the teams to develop short-term and long-term capital improvement plans and budgets.
• Works directly with the Finance department to review and monitor property financials to identify and create solutions for potential issues.  Makes recommendations to ensure properties are financially viable for the long-term.   Establish annual property and capital budget expectations that align with established goals, including rent increases.  Develop and maintain cash flow and distribution projections.
• Responsible for making certain projects are physically maintained to a quality standard of care.  Conducts asset inspections to focus on optimizing property value and ensuring compliance with regulations.  Conduct periodic property physical and administrative reviews to evaluate property management, management plan conformance and physical condition of CDS portfolio.  Establish annual property and capital budget aligned with established trends to include property-specific expense items, AMI-specific rent increases, utility allowances, etc; work with property management as required; present to Finance and CDS for approval.
• Participates in the lease-up of newly constructed housing projects.  Coordinates with all parties involved to ensure units are ready to be occupied.  Build and maintains relationships with governmental agencies as needed.  Ensures the development projects are in compliance with local, state, and federal agencies.  Prepare investor, lender and regulatory agency reporting, as required.
• Develop a property management assessment tool to evaluate property management performance.  One that utilizes property data to establish Key Performance Indicators and analyzes results to recommend changes that help active key objectives.  Assess monthly property operating performance against dashboard indicators across the life of the properties, including initial lease-up compliance, comparability analysis, corrective recommendations for review to the Asset Management and Community Development Solutions teams.
• Develops internal processes to provide organizational support, invoice tracking, and administrative coordination for Asset Management.
• Understand industry best practices and the most relevant programs including industry-related policies, statutes, rules and regulations impacting the CDS portfolio.  Maintain required job knowledge and skills and core professional competencies.  Attend and participate in required educational programs and staff meetings to advance professional development.
• Demonstrates a commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion. Promotes an environment of empathy and respect, ensures the inclusion of all team members, and will actively engage in EDI events and learning opportunities.
• Perform other projects as assigned.

Note: No job description can be entirely comprehensive, and the jobholder will be expected to carry out such other duties as may be required from time to time and are broadly consistent with the job description and status of the position within the organization.

Performance Measures:

• Assigned properties are in compliance, up-to-date, and functioning efficiently.
• Properties are appropriately maintained and managed.  Concerns are addressed in a timely manner.
• Asset management strategy affirmed and carried out; data collection informs and guides the work.
• Documentation is complete and well organized.
• Asset plans are in place for program properties; property managers have been identified and are part of regular check-ins.
• Third-party vendors identified, hired, and well-managed.
• Cultivate a culture of openness in information sharing.  Encourage open communication, cooperation, and the sharing of knowledge.
• Model personal accountability that promotes ownership and engagement.
• Build and maintain effective working relationships with colleagues, peers, and team members.
• Value and support others’ differences, contributing to an inclusive work environment. Demonstrate the ability and willingness to communicate effectively with people of diverse backgrounds and experiences to create a collaborative, collegial, and caring community.
• High level of satisfaction with both internal colleagues and external contacts.

Position Qualifications:

Minimum Requirements

• Five or more years of related experience, preferably in real estate, housing, nonprofit, or property management sectors.
• A bachelor’s degree is required, preferably in community development, public policy, business, accounting, finance, or a related field; a Master’s in a related field is an option.
• Familiarity with New Markets Tax Credit projects, Low-Income Housing Tax Credit projects and compliance preferred

Additional Requirements: 

Regular travel throughout the Midwest region (mostly local to the Chicago area); occasional early start or extended hours and evening or weekend work.

Standard Benefits:

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Paid time off
• 401(k) retirement plan with employer contribution
• Life Insurance
• Short and long term disability

Work-Life Balance Benefits:

• Hybrid workplace
• Summer Fridays

Employee Development Benefits:

• Professional development stipend
• Mentorship program

Miscellaneous:

• Wellness programs
• Employee assistance
• Referral Bonuses