Senior Vice President of Real Estate

Reporting directly to the Chief Executive Officer, the Senior Vice President of Real Estate serves as the executive responsible for Urban Edge's real estate strategy, development pipeline, and development operations. As a member of the Executive Leadership Team, the Senior Vice President will play a critical role in shaping the organization's long-term strategy while leading one of the region's most respected nonprofit affordable housing development platforms. The Senior Vice President provides executive leadership for all phases of real estate development—from identifying opportunities and securing financing through construction, occupancy, and long-term portfolio planning. The role oversees a talented, mission-driven real estate team and works collaboratively across Finance, Asset Management, Community Engagement, Resource Development, and Operations to ensure the successful delivery of Urban Edge's ambitious development agenda. This executive will serve as a trusted strategic partner to the CEO, helping guide organizational growth, evaluate development opportunities, assess portfolio risk, and strengthen Urban Edge's long-term financial sustainability through successful real estate development. Why This Role Matters Now Urban Edge is entering a defining chapter in its history. The recent merger with Nuestra Comunidad Development Corporation has expanded the organization's housing portfolio by nearly 70 percent, significantly increasing both its geographic reach and the complexity of its development platform. At the same time, affordable housing development has become increasingly challenging due to rising construction costs, longer funding cycles, evolving public financing programs, and increasing expectations for meaningful community engagement. The Senior Vice President will play a central leadership role in successfully integrating the combined development portfolios, advancing several of Boston's most significant affordable housing redevelopment initiatives, and positioning Urban Edge for continued growth and long-term impact. This is an opportunity to shape the future of one of New England's premier community development organizations while improving the lives of thousands of Boston residents. Key Responsibilities: Strategic Leadership Develop and execute Urban Edge's long-term real estate development strategy. Build and maintain a robust pipeline of affordable housing, mixed-income, mixed-use, and community development projects aligned with organizational priorities. Identify new development, acquisition, preservation, and partnership opportunities throughout Greater Boston. Partner closely with the CEO as a strategic advisor on organizational growth, investment priorities, portfolio risk, and development strategy. Balance the competing priorities of preserving existing affordable housing while expanding Urban Edge's development pipeline. Develop organizational systems and processes that support continued growth following the merger. Serve as a key member of the Executive Leadership Team, contributing to organization-wide strategic planning, budgeting, and decision-making. Provide executive oversight of Urban Edge's entire development portfolio from project inception through stabilization. Direct all phases of development, including site acquisition, due diligence, financing, permitting, design, construction, occupancy, and closeout. Ensure projects are completed on schedule, within budget, and consistent with Urban Edge's standards for quality, financial performance, sustainability, and community impact. Lead innovative development strategies that emphasize healthy housing, climate resilience, environmental sustainability, and equitable neighborhood revitalization. Maintain Urban Edge's reputation for excellence with public agencies, financing partners, and development stakeholders. Oversee development budgets, project financing, revenue forecasting, and financial performance. Structure and negotiate sophisticated financing transactions utilizing Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC), tax-exempt bonds, HOME, CDBG, state housing resources, New Markets Tax Credits, historic tax credits, and other public and private financing sources. Partner closely with Finance throughout every stage of the development process to ensure financial reporting, compliance, budgeting, and revenue recognition remain fully aligned. Identify financial, contractual, and regulatory risks early and develop appropriate mitigation strategies. Collaborate with Asset Management on long-term capital planning, portfolio preservation, re-syndication opportunities, and recapitalization strategies. Leadership & Talent Development Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing real estate team that includes approximately seven professionals ranging from project managers to senior development staff. Create a culture of coaching, accountability, collaboration, and continuous learning. Delegate effectively while remaining actively engaged in complex projects and critical decisions. Foster professional growth and succession planning across the department. Recruit, retain, and develop top real estate talent in a highly competitive affordable housing market. Promote strong collaboration across Finance, Asset Management, Community Engagement, Resource Development, Operations, and executive leadership. Community Leadership & External Relations Serve as Urban Edge's senior representative with government agencies, lenders, investors, philanthropic organizations, elected officials, neighborhood organizations, and development partners. Champion Urban Edge's long-standing commitment to authentic, transparent community engagement throughout every stage of the development process. Build strong relationships with residents and neighborhood leaders while effectively communicating the value of affordable and mixed-income housing. Represent Urban Edge at industry conferences, public meetings, community forums, and professional organizations. Governance Partner with and staff the Board's Real Estate Committee. Present development strategies, financing plans, investment opportunities, portfolio updates, and project recommendations to the Board of Directors. Support organizational governance, strategic planning, and enterprise-wide initiatives. The Leader: The successful candidate is an accomplished affordable housing executive who combines strategic vision with exceptional execution. They bring deep expertise in affordable housing finance and development together with outstanding leadership skills and the ability to develop high-performing teams. They are equally comfortable structuring complex financing transactions, mentoring emerging project managers, presenting before a Board of Directors, negotiating with government agencies, and engaging residents at community meetings. The ideal candidate is a trusted advisor who possesses the judgment to operate independently while knowing when to engage the CEO and executive leadership on critical strategic decisions. They bring intellectual curiosity, sound judgment, political awareness, and exceptional relationship-building skills. Urban Edge seeks a leader who is approachable, collaborative, and mission-driven. The organization values humility over hierarchy, transparency over politics, and partnership over individual accomplishment. The successful candidate will enjoy developing people, building trust across departments, and creating an environment where information flows openly and teams work collaboratively toward shared goals. A visible presence in the community, an authentic commitment to affordable housing, and a genuine appreciation for Urban Edge's long-standing relationships with residents and neighborhood partners are essential. Qualifications Minimum of fifteen years of progressively responsible experience in affordable housing, real estate development, community development, or a closely related field. Demonstrated executive leadership experience managing multidisciplinary development teams and complex real estate organizations. Significant experience leading affordable housing and mixed-use developments through the full development lifecycle, including planning, financing, construction, stabilization, refinancing, and long-term portfolio management. Extensive experience utilizing Low-Income Housing Tax Credits, tax-exempt bonds, HOME, CDBG, state housing resources, New Markets Tax Credits, historic tax credits, and other affordable housing financing tools. Strong understanding of development economics, financial modeling, public-private partnerships, and community development finance. Demonstrated success generating new development opportunities and building long-term strategic partnerships. Experience leading organizations or teams through growth, organizational change, or portfolio integration is highly desirable. Thorough knowledge of Massachusetts affordable housing programs and relationships with EOHLC, MassHousing, the City of Boston, and regional funding partners is strongly preferred. Demonstrated commitment to authentic community engagement, equity, inclusion, and resident-centered development. Proven ability to coach, mentor, and develop high-performing professionals. Education Bachelor's degree required. An advanced degree in Real Estate, Urban Planning, Business Administration, Public Administration, Architecture, Construction Management, Law, or a related field is strongly preferred. Location: Compensation: $180,000–$200,000, commensurate with experience and qualifications. 4% employer contribution to a 401(k) retirement plan 80% employer-paid health insurance premiums Generous paid vacation, holidays, and personal time Hybrid work environment with up to two remote workdays per week #J-18808-Ljbffr Urban Edge Housing Corporation