Program Officer – Housing & Capacity Building

The LISC Greater Kansas City office opened in 1981 and serves the metropolitan region with focused lending and programming in affordable housing, economic development, and financial stability. Our work is rooted in the critical importance of ensuring diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice. For more information, please visit us at www.lisc.org/kansas-city

Description and Key Responsibilities:

LISC Greater Kansas City seeks a self-motivated and qualified individual passionate about affordable housing, equitable development, and safe and healthy neighborhoods for a Program Officer position. This individual will be responsible for the daily coordination and management of the Regional Housing Partnership Initiative and LISC's capacity building grant program, including developing new strategies and metrics, relationship management, and program/project management to support aspects of LISC’s capacity building, health, and housing work. The Program Officer will work closely with the Senior Program Officer and other staff to ensure successful implementation of strategic partnerships and requires a strong commitment to the role of community-based non-profit organizations as well as an understanding of the broader community development ecosystem in the Kansas City region. This person shall have experience with affordable housing programs, strategies, and tools, and 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 Program Officer reports directly to the Senior Program Officer (or Deputy Director/Executive Director).

Primary Responsibilities:

• Lead and assist with coalition management and facilitating and convening meetings, trainings, workshops, information sessions, and/or orientations to build partners’ capacity and access to resources.
• Build and maintain mutually trusting relationships with convening (“lead”) agencies, relevant municipal officials, consultants, contractors, community leaders, residents and other stakeholders to support the implementation of LISC goals.
• Participate in National LISC meetings and activities as required. May require some domestic travel.
• Perform all other duties as assigned.

Program Responsibilities: 

• Coordinate LISC KC’s regional affordable housing partnerships. This includes working with strategic partners to research, develop, identify metrics for, launch, and manage new programmatic initiatives, databases, and resources to further affordable housing production and preservation.
• Support LISC KC’s CDC (Community Development Corporations) Network, support LISC capacity building work by identifying organizational capacity needs of community partners and facilitate delivery of technical assistance.
• Foster resident leadership development and resident engagement by developing new programmatic initiatives, supporting coalitions, and managing existing strategic initiatives.
• Align affordable housing initiatives to advance LISC Kansas City priorities across sectors, partners, advocates, health institutions, local government, and other stakeholders in affordable housing.
• Develop strategies that increase opportunities for affordable housing production and preservation, through changes in public policy and providing access to capital, technical assistance, and capacity building.
• Support the Senior Program Officer and other relevant LISC KC staff on project specific tasks, such as designing and implementing strategies around housing, policy, wealth and asset building, and organizational development
• Coordinate with LISC national housing, capacity building, “green team”, and preservation working groups to share national resources and knowledge with local partners.
• Represent LISC KC in coalitions, working groups, and other forums related to affordable housing and capacity building. To accommodate our stakeholders, periodic evening and weekend work will be required. Interested candidates must be comfortable traveling and working within a wide range of neighborhood and professional settings.

Qualifications:

A successful candidate will have the following expertise and experience:

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in Business Administration, Finance, Economics/Urban Planning, Community Development, Urban Studies, Real Estate Development/Finance, Nonprofit Management or related fields/equivalent experience.
• Minimum three (3) years of relevant work experience and willingness to create a positive and productive work environment.
• At least three (3) years of community development experience, with strong emphasis on work in housing, community development, real estate, capital development, and community revitalization, with familiarity of working with community-based partners and cross-sector engagement.
• Knowledge of affordable housing development, development finance, federal housing programs and subsidy programs is strongly encouraged.
• Commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and racial justice, and dedicated to embedding these values across all programmatic activities.
• Experience working with complex non-profit or for-profit data and financial management systems, including program and case management, budgeting, grants and contract management.
• Highly motivated, solution-oriented, individual who is self-directed, and able to successfully balance multiple priorities, be flexible, and work in a fast-paced environment. Follow-through, attention to detail, and strong written and verbal communication skills are required.
• Flexibility to effectively collaborate and provide high level of customer service to clients and colleagues, present information, and write cohesive reports for audiences with varying degrees of expertise.
• Prior experience with federal grant monitoring and compliance is beneficial.
• Spanish language comprehension and fluency preferred, but not required.

Compensation

LISC offers a competitive salary and an excellent benefits package.