Director of Development

Job Description

Job Description

OneCanopi (Butler Metropolitan Housing Authority)

Position Summary

The Director of Development provides strategic and operational leadership for OneCanopi’s affordable housing development activities. The position identifies and advances new construction, acquisition, rehabilitation, preservation, recapitalization, and redevelopment opportunities; assembles complex capital stacks; and leads projects from initial concept through financing, construction, stabilization, and transition to operations.

A central measure of success is building a disciplined, sustainable development pipeline that expands affordable housing and generates revenue through developer fees and related development income. The Director balances mission, financial performance, risk, compliance, design quality, community impact, and long-term asset viability while representing OneCanopi with public, private, nonprofit, and community partners.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

The following duties are representative of the position and are not intended to be all-inclusive.

Development Strategy and Pipeline

• Develop and execute a multi-year affordable housing development strategy aligned with OneCanopi’s mission, strategic plan, portfolio needs, and financial objectives.
• Source, evaluate, and prioritize opportunities involving new construction, acquisition, rehabilitation, preservation, RAD-related redevelopment, mixed-income housing, and other mission-aligned real estate initiatives.
• Maintain a credible development pipeline and stage-gate process, including project schedules, decision points, staffing plans, capital needs, risks, and projected developer-fee revenue.
• Conduct or oversee site identification, market analysis, feasibility studies, due diligence, zoning and entitlement review, environmental review, and preliminary financial modeling.
• Recommend whether opportunities should proceed, be restructured, partnered, deferred, or discontinued based on mission impact, feasibility, return, and risk.

Financing and Transactions

• Structure and secure financing using multiple public and private sources, which may include Low-Income Housing Tax Credits, tax-exempt bonds, HOME, CDBG, National Housing Trust Fund, Federal Home Loan Bank programs, HUD programs, state and local funds, grants, conventional debt, philanthropic capital, and other available resources.
• Lead funding applications, requests for proposals, lender and investor submissions, underwriting responses, and financial closing activities in coordination with legal, financial, and technical advisors.
• Develop and review sources-and-uses statements, development budgets, operating pro formas, cash-flow projections, fee schedules, funding draws, guarantees, and sensitivity analyses.
• Negotiate letters of intent, purchase agreements, development agreements, partnership documents, financing terms, consultant contracts, and other transaction documents within delegated authority.
• Ensure project structures comply with funding requirements, procurement obligations, fair housing and accessibility standards, and applicable federal, state, and local requirements.

Developer-Fee and Revenue Growth

• Establish annual and multi-year goals for developer fees and other development-related revenue, supported by realistic project timing, eligible basis, financing structure, cash-flow assumptions, and risk analysis.
• Maximize earned developer fees consistent with program rules, project feasibility, investor and lender requirements, and OneCanopi’s risk tolerance.
• Track projected, earned, deferred, and received developer fees by project; provide timely forecasts and variance explanations to executive and finance leadership.
• Identify strategic partnerships, co-development opportunities, consulting arrangements, and related services that can expand OneCanopi’s development capacity and diversify revenue.
• Support decisions regarding the prudent reinvestment of development proceeds into predevelopment, organizational capacity, future projects, and other approved mission priorities.

Project Execution and Oversight

• Direct projects through concept, predevelopment, design, approvals, financing, construction, lease-up, stabilization, cost certification, and closeout, with clear accountability for scope, schedule, budget, quality, and compliance.
• Procure, select, and manage architects, engineers, contractors, owner’s representatives, attorneys, accountants, appraisers, environmental consultants, and other development professionals.
• Monitor development budgets, contingencies, change orders, draws, schedules, construction progress, compliance deliverables, and emerging risks; implement corrective action when performance varies from plan.
• Coordinate with asset management, property management, finance, maintenance, resident services, compliance, information technology, communications, and other internal teams to support sound design and an orderly operational handoff.
• Ensure resident, stakeholder, and community considerations are appropriately incorporated into redevelopment and relocation-related planning.

Leadership, Partnerships, and Governance

• Build, lead, coach, and evaluate development staff; clarify roles, establish performance expectations, and strengthen internal development systems and technical capacity.
• Cultivate productive relationships with HUD, OHFA, local governments, lenders, investors, syndicators, developers, nonprofit partners, foundations, neighborhood organizations, and other stakeholders.
• Prepare concise project analyses, dashboards, board materials, presentations, and recommendations for executive leadership, the Board of Commissioners, affiliates, partners, and funders.
• Represent OneCanopi in negotiations, public meetings, community engagement activities, industry forums, and partner discussions.
• Establish and maintain development policies, procedures, records, internal controls, approval protocols, and reporting practices that support transparency, accountability, and audit readiness.
• Perform other duties and special projects as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Strategic development leadership and entrepreneurial judgment
• Affordable housing finance and transaction structuring
• Financial analysis, revenue forecasting, and risk management
• Project execution, prioritization, and accountability
• Negotiation and partnership development
• Team leadership, coaching, and cross-functional collaboration
• Public-sector stewardship, integrity, and regulatory awareness
• Clear communication with executives, boards, partners, residents, and community stakeholders
• Ability to maintain confidentiality of sensitive business, financial, personnel, resident, and transaction information
• Ability to work outside normal business hours when required by closings, application deadlines, public meetings, emergencies, or project needs

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in real estate development, finance, business administration, urban planning, public administration, construction management, architecture, or a closely related field.
• Six (6) to ten (10) years of progressively responsible real estate or affordable housing development experience, including demonstrated leadership in a development setting.
• Demonstrated experience advancing complex development projects through multiple phases of the development lifecycle.
• Experience assembling or managing development financing involving multiple funding sources and regulatory requirements.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and interpret project budgets, operating pro formas, sources and uses, cash-flow forecasts, and development schedules.
• Experience managing multidisciplinary internal teams, consultants, partners, and transaction professionals.
• Strong written, verbal, presentation, negotiation, relationship-management, and problem-solving skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and financial/project-management tools used to evaluate and monitor development activity.
• Valid driver’s license, proof of insurability, and ability to travel to project sites, meetings, and events as required.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in real estate development, finance, business administration, urban planning, public administration, construction management, architecture, or a related discipline.
• Direct experience with affordable housing finance, including Low-Income Housing Tax Credits, tax-exempt bonds, HUD programs, OHFA resources, HOME, CDBG, Federal Home Loan Bank programs, or comparable sources.
• Experience with public housing authority, RAD, mixed-finance, public-private partnership, or nonprofit housing development structures.
• Successful record of generating and realizing developer fees or other development-related organizational revenue.
• Knowledge of Ohio affordable housing programs, local government processes, procurement, zoning, environmental review, and community engagement.
• Relevant professional certification or training in real estate development, housing finance, project management, planning, construction, or a related field.

Supervisory Responsibilities

Development staff and consultants as assigned.

Decision-Making and Independence

This position exercises considerable independent judgment in managing executive priorities, scheduling, communications, and administrative matters. The incumbent is expected to recognize sensitive issues, resolve routine matters independently, and elevate significant issues to the President & CEO when appropriate.

Working Conditions

The position primarily operates in a professional office environment and routinely uses standard office equipment. Will travel to development and/or meeting sites. Evening meetings, community events, and occasional travel may be required.

Physical Requirements

The employee must be able to communicate effectively, review detailed documents and financial information, and remain stationary for extended periods. The role also requires periodic travel to construction sites, occupied properties, community meetings, and partner locations. Site visits may involve walking on uneven surfaces, climbing stairs, exposure to weather, noise, dust, and active construction conditions, and the use of required personal protective equipment.

Schedule:  Full-time, primarily Monday - Thursday 

Reports to:  President & CEO

OneCanopi (Butler Metropolitan Housing Authority) is an Equal Opportunity Employer