SINA – Director of Affordable Homeownership Development

The Southside Institutions Neighborhood Alliance (SINA) seeks an experienced and entrepreneurial real estate professional committed to our mission to join our team in Hartford, CT.

SINA is a multi-anchor partnership between CT Children’s Medical Center, Hartford Hospital and Trinity College. Its core program is to provide affordable homeownership opportunities to residents through renovation and new construction. SINA has built over 85 one- and two-family homes on former vacant lots or abandoned blighted buildings that house over 157 families. In addition, SINA owns and manages 82 rental units for low income families. SINA builds homes which are sold to low and moderate-income first-time homebuyers, many of whom are from or very familiar with the neighborhood. The majority of our homes are built in the historic Frog Hollow neighborhood of Hartford, a vibrant and diverse community.

SINA’s mission is to work collaboratively with community stakeholders to foster economic vitality and improve the health and quality of life of the people who live, work, visit, study, and play in the neighborhoods of South-Central Hartford. In addition to building homes, SINA assists residents in applying for jobs at the anchor institutions through its Walk to Work program, encourages anchor employees to live locally through its Homeownership Incentive Program, and collaborates with residents to build a stronger community through clean ups, neighborhood hero murals, vacant lot beautification projects, scholarships, and other projects.

Scope of the Position

The Director of Affordable Homeownership Development will manage all aspects of real estate development and asset management for the organization. SINA owns a portfolio of 8 rental properties, however, as noted above, the organization’s current focus is development of homeownership opportunities through acquisition and rehab of vacant properties and land.

Specific responsibilities will include:

  • Property Acquisition
  • Maintain a project pipeline for future development work by acquiring properties through auction, foreclosure, or transfer through public entity (land bank or City of Hartford)
  • Real Estate Development
  • Identify and conduct feasibility analyses of new projects and development opportunities
  • Assemble funding packages for projects that include local, state, federal and philanthropic sources of subsidy or gap funding and construction loans from traditional and non-traditional lenders
  • Manage real estate transactions and closings
  • Manage real estate professionals, including but not limited to architects, environmental and structural engineers, accountants, construction managers, real estate agents, and legal counsel
  • Create and manage project budgets and schedules
  • Guide projects through various regulatory processes including but not limited to planning and zoning, historic commission and board of appeals reviews
  • Asset Management
  • Oversee management of SINA-owned subsidized and unsubsidized occupied properties by outside private management companies
  • Oversee Risk Management including purchasing insurance products for properties
  • Construction Management
  • Prepare bid packages, oversee compliance with affirmative hiring and other requirements and guidelines governing construction of subsidized and non-subsidized housing
  • Select and manage construction team
  • Manage process of payments
  • Outreach
  • Attend public meetings and meet with public officials as necessary
  • Support efforts to engage community residents in development planning.

Skills and Qualifications

  • Passionate commitment to improving lives of low- and moderate-income households through the creation of quality housing
  • Experience working and or living in diverse communities
  • Experience managing residential real estate development projects
  • Oversight of one of more projects from start to finish preferred
  • Experience with financial analysis and management of homeownership project budgets
  • Experience working with contracts, loan documents, and/ or investment agreements
  • Experience and in-depth knowledge of construction contracting including construction of new buildings, rehabilitation of dilapidated buildings, historic rehabilitation, and energy conservation
  • Knowledge of federal, state and local government grants and programs for housing development, preferably in Connecticut
  • Some knowledge of management of occupied and unoccupied properties preferred
  • Excellent interpersonal, oral, and written communication skills
  • Demonstrated ability to lead teams to accomplish goals
  • Ability to speak Spanish a plus, and
  • A college degree in a related field such as Business, Real Estate, Architecture, and Urban Planning or combined education and experience equivalent to five years’ experience in affordable homeownership development, real estate, construction, financing, or community development.

Salary and Benefits

Salary range of $85,000-$110,000, with higher salary potential dependent on qualifications
Benefits include but are not limited to: variable employer contribution to 401(k) (Currently 10% with 3% employee contribution), 4 weeks vacation, generous sick leave, and quality health coverage

To Apply

We encourage all interested candidates to apply. Applicants lacking a particular skill or qualification are encouraged to identify how their personal and professional experiences will support their success in meeting the job responsibilities, and how they might benefit from coaching or support in this position. Interested applicants should submit a resume and cover letter as one document, using the form below.

SINA is an equal opportunity and Affirmative Action employer. We encourage applications from candidates from diverse backgrounds and culture.

Application