Real Estate and Development Counsel

HMHSS IL Chicago 980 N Michigan Ave Ste 1150 Chicago, IL 60611, USA HCI New York NY 1330 Avenue of the Americas 28th Floor New York, NY 10019, USA A Brief Overview Reporting to the EVP General Counsel, the Real Estate and Development Counsel will lead proactive, strategic legal work that supports our portfolio, government partnerships, and growth. Unlike a reactive operational role, this position is focused on the universal documents that govern our communities, the negotiation of those documents with government stakeholders, real estate transactions across our portfolio, and legal support for development and new project onboarding. This role works alongside the Property Management Counsel, Contracts & Compliance Counsel, and paralegal team. What you will do Drafts, reviews, negotiates, and manages universal legal documents, including the Universal Lease (UL), Community Guidelines, Operations, Maintenance and Management Plans (OMMPs), and Facilities Maintenance Plans (FMPs). Negotiates document terms and amendments with government stakeholders, including Military Housing Offices, the service branches, and the Department of Defense. Supports real estate transactions across the portfolio, including parcel returns, document amendments, licenses, easements, rights of entry, access agreements, and related contracts. Advises on development and construction legal matters as the portfolio grows, including new construction, renovation, and infrastructure projects. Supports growth initiatives and new project onboarding from a legal perspective, including diligence, structuring, and document implementation. Monitors and implements evolving MHPI statutory and regulatory requirements, including NDAA provisions, GAO recommendations, and DOD IG findings. Develops and improves operational infrastructure, policies, and legal protocols related to health and safety, maintenance, environmental risk, and risk mitigation. Advise on energy, utilities, and environmental compliance matters, including utility allowance programs, energy procurement, and environmental diligence. Coordinates with and manages outside counsel on specialized matters within assigned areas, ensuring cost-effective, high-quality support. Partners with Property Management Counsel on document interpretation issues that arise from field operations, and translate lessons learned into improvements to universal documents. Supports interactions with congressional staff, GAO auditors, and DOD IG investigators in coordination with the General Counsel and government relations teams. Qualifications Juris Doctor Degree Juris Doctor (JD) from an accredited U.S. law school. Required Active bar membership in at least one U.S. jurisdiction (any state); willingness and ability to obtain additional registrations as required. Required 5–10 years of experience in real estate, transactional, or regulatory law. Required Experience with government contracts, public-private partnerships, or government-regulated real estate is strongly preferred. Preferred Demonstrated experience drafting and negotiating complex operational and transactional documents. Required Familiarity with federal regulatory frameworks, compliance obligations, and government oversight processes. Preferred Ability to manage multiple complex projects simultaneously with minimal supervision. Preferred Strong written and verbal communication skills; this role requires significant document drafting and direct negotiation with government counterparts. Preferred A strategic thinker who can build systems, processes, and scalable legal infrastructure — not just react to issues as they arise. Preferred Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively and build trust with organization employees, management, and third parties. Detail-oriented, analytical thinker able to make practical judgments in a fast‑paced, dynamic environment. Excellent organizational skills; ability to manage multiple and diverse projects at once, must follow-through and meet deadlines. Ability to work autonomously, yet collaboratively, and be responsive. Demonstrated experience in analytical, critical thinking, negotiation and research techniques, including that which may be, at least initially, new or unfamiliar. Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, including Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint and knowledge of Adobe and PDF files. Requires a self‑motivated, team player who pays close attention to detail and must be able to adapt to a fast‑paced environment and effectively manage a high‑volume and diverse workload spanning various substantive legal areas, but mostly focusing on legal contracts and/or real estate transactions. A proactive self‑starter with the ability to work independently but also thrive in a dynamic and team‑oriented environment. Strong and sophisticated drafting and negotiating experience. Results‑oriented with strong project management and execution skills. Strong interpersonal, communication and customer service skills with ability to sustain strong relationships across internal and external stakeholders. Ability to interact with multiple levels within the organization and across multiple jurisdictions. The ability to think critically while balancing business goals with prudent risk management. Compensation We are committed to offering competitive and equitable compensation. The hiring range for this position is generally between $143,000 - $185,600, exclusive of fringe benefits or potential bonuses. This position is also eligible for a performance bonus. Final salaries will be determined based on factors such as geographic location, skills, education, licenses, certifications, and/or experience. In addition to these factors – we believe in the importance of pay equity. Please keep in mind that the range mentioned above is the general Hiring Range for the role. Hiring at the top of the range is reserved for exceptionally qualified candidates. We consider internal and external factors as a part of every final offer. We also offer a generous total compensation and benefits package. Benefits A competitive salary is only one part of your total rewards. We also offer a comprehensive benefits package, including paid time off, medical, dental, life and disability insurance, HSA/FSA accounts, retirement, rewards programs, and so much more! Click Here for Benefits Overview EEO/ADA The Company and its affiliates provides equal employment opportunity to all individuals regardless of their race, color, creed, religion, gender, age, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by state, federal, or local law. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions. Equal Opportunity Employer. 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