LISC Memphis, one of LISC’s newest office, opened on September 21, 2020. LISC Memphis will work collaboratively in partnerships with community groups, local government, philanthropy and the business sector in pursuing the creation of affordable housing, equitable economic growth, more racially just systems and policies, and increased community development capacity. Inaugural programs of LISC Memphis will focus on increasing the quality and availability of affordable housing and increasing opportunities for entrepreneurs of color.

THE POSITION

The Program Officer, Housing is responsible for the day-to-day management of LISC Memphis’ Home Repair Programs. The Program Officer, Housing will work closely with the Executive Director on new housing programs and manage current housing initiatives. This position will support the introduction of LISC to Memphis, assist the Executive Director to market and build the new office and programmatic work, identify and cultivate partnerships, and support the stewardship of major institutional partnerships. This person must have the capacity to simultaneously work on multiple tasks, set priorities for a challenging workload with great organization, initiative, attention to detail, and timely follow-through, as well as high standards for accuracy and efficiency.

The ideal candidate must demonstrate cultural competency working with diverse communities; a strong commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and justice; and a proven record of shaping programs designed to positively impact community development.

Responsibilities:

Home Repair Program Management:

• Work with LISC’s community intake partners and loan origination partners to identify and approve potential candidates for the loan program.
• Manage day-to-day program and project coordination duties, including portfolio management of the loan fund
• Manage and oversee a pipeline of homeowner applicants in accordance with the program guidelines and goals.
• Manage the following activities per household applicant:
• Solicit, collect and document homeowner eligibility;
• Review and process complete application packets/files for every household, including program intake forms and support documents, homeowner loan agreements and final construction completion/sign-off forms.
• Collect program data related to the home repair programs, analyze overall program performance and make recommendations for program improvements as appropriate.
• Answer questions from homeowners and program partners.
• Interface with Intake and Construction Management partners as well as homeowners, contractors, City of Memphis and other LISC staff during the loan and construction process to trouble-shoot issues that may arise.
• Produce weekly and monthly reports for funders and stakeholders.
• Conduct annual financial and programmatic due diligence review of grantees to meet federal compliance.
• Collaborate with National LISC on the annual monitoring reviews as required by the City of Memphis.
• Work with National LISC to update policies and procedure manuals, forms, process maps and other documents as required.
• Support additional program activities of the housing programs, as necessary and assigned.

Program/Community Development:

• Work with LISC Memphis staff to identify, respond to, develop, launch and manage new programmatic initiatives, including drafting concept papers and proposals.
• Assist in the program design, implementation, dashboard management streamlining and improvements of an affordable housing strategy for Memphis, including a home repair program.
• Track progress on programmatic milestones. Conduct research, gather, and analyze data that supports programmatic outcomes.
• Support fundraising efforts to ensure program growth, including funder identification, grant writing, reports, and compliance.
• Prepare and oversee grants and contracts and manage program budgets; administer government and private grants/consultant agreements; monitor grant and consultant performance to ensure alignment with agreed scope of work; and provide oversight on disbursements and financial drawdowns, including troubleshooting if issues arise.

Communications:

• Represent LISC Memphis in coalitions, working groups and other forums related to affordable housing and capacity building.
• Compile and share best practices in community development and related policy and program areas from within the LISC community and from sources outside of LISC.
• Provide internal and external briefings.

Other Duties:

• As directed, manage staff, interns, and consultants.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

• Bachelors’ Degree from an accredited college or university in finance, business, real estate, urban studies, planning, public administration or related fields. Master’s degree preferred. A combination of education and work experience can be substituted.
• Minimum of 3 to 5 years’ experience in economic or community development, real estate, capital development, lending, community revitalization, or related field.
• Local market knowledge of community development and Memphis housing ecosystem, , financial management, customer service, grant writing and expertise in working with federal funding (CDBG, ARPA, Earmarks) and private sources.
• Experience implementing and managing new housing programs or initiatives focused on urban and/or low- and/or moderate-income communities.
• Experience in home repair program management is a plus, Creative problem-solving skills; and successfully working simultaneously on multiple tasks and projects, with multiple internal and external parties, to meet deadlines and achieve objectives.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills: ability to review and synthesize information, write clearly and concisely, and speak publicly in diverse forums.
• Proficient computer skills: word processing, Salesforce or comparable databases, Excel spreadsheets.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Ability to thrive in a small team, ever changing, and entrepreneurial work setting.
• Passion for the mission of LISC and commitment to the community development sector including its critical role in advancing racial equity and inclusion.

Job Specifications

This is a full-time position based in Memphis TN, with some regional and occasional national travel, estimated at 15% annually. This position may require a hybrid work arrangement. There is an expectation of a percentage of time working in a LISC Office and/or in the Field (meetings, site visits, community events), depending on local circumstances.

Compensation

LISC offers a competitive salary and excellent fringe benefits.