Remote Housing & Community Development Rep II Federal Programs

Job Summary:

This position is eligible for full-time telework under Government Code 14200 for eligible applicants residing in California.

Under the general direction of the Staff Services Manager I (Manager I) of the Federal Programs Branch (FED) of the Division of Financial Assistance (DFA) the Housing and Community Development Representative (HCDR) II will work on program design and implementation of federally funded housing and community development programs including the National Housing Trust Fund (NHTF) program,

The Federal Programs Branch is primarily responsible for the design and implementation of federally funded affordable housing programs including the development of program guidelines detailing the use and requirements of state funding programs, issuance of Notices of Funding Availability (NOFA), application review, funding recommendations, fund disbursement and monitoring.

Limited term position, 12 months, may be extended or become permanent.

Desirable Qualifications:

• Ability to effectively interpret and implement policies, procedures and Federal and State codes, statutes, and regulations to ensure programmatic outcomes that support the Department’s mission.
• Experience analyzing and interpreting federal, state, and local regulations and guidelines, and their application to program requirements.
• Experience with monitoring grant/loan programs for compliance and monitoring funding disbursements.
• Practical experience with affordable and/or multifamily housing underwriting and loan closing practices and procedures, including documents involved in real property transactions.
• Practical experience collaborating and networking with employees at all levels within an agency to solve complex issues across organizational units.
• Experience using standard office software such as Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint) for communication, document processing, data analysis and presenting information and recommendations effectively.
• Experience working independently and as part of a team.
• Strong and positive customer service skills, and experience clearly communicating with small and large groups, and efficient organizational skills.

Essential Functions:

• Draft program guidelines, NOFA and application materials for existing and new DFA federally funded programs, including research on program requirements, consultation with internal staff and external stakeholders on necessary program improvements. Evaluate threshold requirements, rate and rank applications using internal program scoring systems and checklists, analyze complex essential financing documents, and develop budgets and cash flow projections to determine application feasibility and to ensure compliance with program rules and regulations. Prepare project reports for presentation before the Department of Housing and Community Development’s (HCD) Internal Loan Committee. Prepare or update Standard Agreement boiler plate to include statutory or program modifications; Manage project files including compilation of essential funding application documentation, completion of required data entry in a timely manner and continuously maintain up to date project information within the HCD database system.
• Conduct stakeholder feedback and training workshops regarding the program design, NOFA and application preparation, minimum threshold requirements, and application scoring. Develop technical assistance documents, program policy notices and “Frequently Asked Questions and Answers.” Maintain communication with developer and sponsors. Participate in construction closing or pre-closing calls as necessary through to the execution of the Standard Agreement.
• Evaluate programs to ensure statutory requirements and objectives are being met and comply with all applicable laws and regulations. Perform complex analytical and research tasks associated with statutory, regulatory, policy and procedural aspects of DFA’s federally funded programs, perform bill analysis, write policy briefs and procedural documents prepare statutorily and federally required reports, and work on special projects.
• Manage all aspects of the Standard Agreement preparation and implementation for complex awards including management of complex loan/grant files (e.g. gathering and reviewing essential funding application documentation) and maintaining communication with developer/sponsor to monitor the progress of the project, keeping grants management systems up-to-date, processing funds requests, obtaining required reports and closing out projects upon completion. Conduct monitoring visits to grantees to assess compliance with program requirements.
• Analyzes policies and procedures of DFA federally funded programs to identify opportunities for streamlining and efficiency. Make recommendations and develop procedures and policies to protect state security, improve services or adapt Division policy, and provide better consistency and coordination between state housing programs.
• Complete administrative and program-related assignments such as updating process manuals, technical assistance documents and program policy notices. Review or prepare award letters, legislative notification letters, and project fact sheets. Participate in staff meetings and training sessions.
• Performs other job-related duties as assigned including mandatory trainings.