Program Officer

The Position

LISC LA seeks an individual with a passion for equitable development to join its staff as Program Officer. The Program Officer is responsible for managing a portfolio of affordable housing capacity building programs in Los Angeles in coordination with a variety of community-based, public sector, private sector, funder, and internal stakeholders. The successful candidate will have excellent project management, collaboration, communication and grants/contract management skills.  The position requires a strong commitment to the role of community-based non-profit organizations as drivers of development as well an understanding of the broader affordable housing ecosystem in Los Angeles.

Responsibilities

• Responsible for successful execution and strategic alignment of LISC LA’s affordable housing capacity building programs which include housing development capacity building programs, HUD Section 4 capacity building grant program, and LISC LA’s role in the statewide Housing Development Training Institute.
• Organize, convene and facilitate meetings, trainings, workshops, information sessions, orientations. 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.
• Provide technical assistance to LISC LA’s partners, including nonprofit community development corporations, on grants and contract management compliance and affordable housing development.
• Represent LISC LA in coalitions, working groups and other forums related to affordable housing and capacity building.
• Build and maintain mutually trusting relationships with and among partners including community organizations, businesses, government officials, consultants, contractors.
• Prepare and oversee grants and contracts and manage program budgets; administer government and private grants/consultant agreements; monitoring grant and consultant performance to ensure alignment with agreed scope of work; and provide oversight on disbursements and financial drawdowns including troubleshooting and providing recommendations if issues arise.
• Track progress on programmatic milestones. Conduct research as well as gather and analyze data that supports programmatic outcomes. Prepare, monitor, and track performance and outcomes of grant recipients and borrowers.
• Prepare clearly written and visually appealing reports, such as private funder narrative/financial reports, compliance reports, and other required reports as assigned.
• Support fundraising efforts to ensure program growth, including funder identification, grant writing, reports, and compliance.
• Work with LISC LA staff to develop, launch and manage new programmatic initiatives, including drafting concept papers.
• Perform additional duties as assigned.

Qualifications

A successful candidate will have the following expertise and experience:

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university. Master’s Degree a plus.   
• Minimum 3-5 years’ experience in community development, real estate, lending, finance or non-profit field required.
• Demonstrated success in managing multiple projects and maintaining strong collaborative relationships with clients and co-workers.
• Experience building relationships, networking and collaborating effectively with diverse populations and community-based organizations.
• Knowledge of affordable housing context in Los Angeles, especially of lower income neighborhoods, organizations, and community development efforts also strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated commitment to LISC’s mission and understanding of community development policies and programs, especially affordable housing.
• Knowledge of and experience with basic accounting principles.
• Strong oral and written communication skills, including experience speaking publicly in diverse forums and proficiency with Microsoft Office suite.
• Excellent research, writing, editing and analytical skills.
• Fluency using and understanding data to inform decision making.
• Strong organizational skills; efficient and detail-oriented.
• Capacity to simultaneously work on multiple tasks and set priorities for a challenging workload.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced business environment.
• Project Management Planning training and/or certification, is a plus.
• Experience working with faith-based organizations is a plus.

Compensation

LISC offers a competitive salary ($69,300-$82,000; salary commensurate with experience and location) excellent benefits. The position is based in Los Angeles, CA.