Occupancy Specialist

Job Description

Job Description

Description:

Occupancy Specialist

Legendary Service. Operational Excellence.

A 287-unit project-based Section 8 community on St. Paul's East Side. This role is 100% on-site. This is a technical seat for someone who knows HUD occupancy work and wants to do it well.

About You

You know your way around a 50059. You have caught the income calculation that would have been a finding, and you have resolved an EIV discrepancy that nobody else wanted to touch. You keep your certifications ahead of the calendar rather than chasing it, and you have a system for tracking what is due, what is pending, and what is waiting on a third party.

You also understand what the file actually is. Behind every certification is a household whose rent depends on you getting it right and getting it in on time. That is why you check the math twice. Not because someone is watching, but because you know what happens if it is wrong.

You are patient with residents who are confused, anxious, or bringing you the same question for the third time. You explain the process without condescension and you follow up when you say you will. Then you go back to your desk and work through the file.

Ask yourself

• Do you take real satisfaction in a certification file that is complete, correct, and submitted early?
• Would you rather become the person who knows the regulation cold than the person who manages people?
• Are you patient and clear with residents, including on the difficult conversations about income and eligibility?
• Do you build your own systems to stay ahead of a recurring deadline calendar?
• Do you speak up when something in a file does not add up, rather than letting it pass?
• If those landed, we should talk.

About SAIL

SAIL is a high-performance Twin Cities multifamily property management and marketing firm. Our standard is simple: Legendary Service. Operational Excellence. We manage affordable communities with the same discipline, care, and precision we bring to every community we touch, because the residents who call them home deserve nothing less.

Our core values

• Giving Our Personal Best
• Intellectual Curiosity
• Valuing Relationships
• Enthusiasm

About the Community

This is a 287-unit community on St. Paul's East Side, with 268 units supported by a HUD project-based Section 8 contract and the balance outside it. It has been an important housing resource in this part of the city since 1971, and it is about to get better. Ownership is a mission-driven Twin Cities firm planning a substantial rehabilitation, with upgrades to units, common areas, mechanical systems, and amenities.

That means two things for this seat. The certification volume is substantial and steady. And you will be part of a real reinvestment in a community that residents have called home for a long time.

This is not a portfolio role and it is not hybrid. You will be on-site, in one community, every working day, which is exactly what makes the work possible. You will know the residents, the files, and the building.

About the Role

The Occupancy Specialist owns HUD occupancy compliance. Initial certifications, preparing and submitting special claims, annual and interim recertifications, EIV, TRACS submissions, waitlist integrity, move-ins, and audit readiness all run through this seat.

You will work alongside the on-site management team and SAIL's centralized compliance team, who are there for second reads, regulatory questions, and audit preparation. What we need from you is ownership of the certification calendar and files that hold up under review. A big portion of this role will be collecting information from Residents, completing the file and submitting it to our system for an initial and final review.

This is a specialist track. If you want to go deeper into HUD program expertise rather than into people management, that is a path we will support. With a tax credit recapitalization ahead, it is also a rare chance to build layered program experience on a live deal, which is the kind of depth that is hard to get anywhere else.

Key Responsibilities

Certifications and Recertifications

Complete initial certifications, annual recertifications, and interim recertifications in accordance with HUD Handbook 4350.3. Calculate income and assets accurately, obtain and document third-party verifications, and prepare the HUD-50059 and supporting documentation for signature. Work the notice schedule so certifications are effective on time.

EIV and TRACS

Run and review required EIV reports, including income discrepancy, new hires, and zero income. Research and resolve discrepancies, document the resolution, and take corrective action where it is warranted. Prepare and submit certifications through TRACS, monitor for errors and rejections, and clear them promptly.

Waitlist and Move-Ins

Maintain the waitlist with precision and process applications in the order required by the tenant selection plan. Verify eligibility, complete screening within policy, and coordinate move-ins so units are occupied without unnecessary vacancy loss. Protect Fair 

Housing standards in every interaction.

Resident Interviews and Communication

Conduct certification interviews with patience and clarity. Help residents understand what is needed, why it is needed, and what happens next. Follow up on outstanding documentation persistently and respectfully. Handle sensitive household and income information with complete confidentiality.

Audit and MOR Readiness

Keep resident files organized and audit-ready at all times rather than assembling them under pressure. Support Management and Occupancy Review preparation, respond to file review findings, and partner with SAIL's compliance team on corrective action and program reporting.

Recapitalization Support

Partner with SAIL's compliance team and ownership on the file work that comes with a tax credit recapitalization, including certifications, income limits, and agency and investor documentation. Keep residents informed and supported throughout.

Records and Reporting

Maintain accurate resident data in the property management system. Track the certification calendar and report status weekly. Surface risk early, with the documentation already gathered.

What Success Looks Like in Your First Year

• Annual recertifications completed and effective on time, every month, with no gaps in subsidy
• TRACS submissions clean, with errors and rejections cleared promptly
• EIV discrepancies researched, resolved, and documented within policy timeframes
• Resident files audit-ready at all times, not assembled ahead of a review
• Waitlist accurate and applications processed in required order
• Vacant units certified and occupied without avoidable subsidy loss
• Residents describe the certification process as clear and respectful
• COS certification earned or maintained

What You'll Get

• Base salary $58,000 to $65,000 DOQ, plus quarterly bonus potential
• Medical, dental, vision, 401(k), paid time off, company holidays, MN Earned Sick and Safe Time
• Paid certification support, including COS, and continuing education to maintain it
• A centralized compliance team behind you for second reads, regulatory questions, and audit preparation
• Hands-on experience with a tax credit recapitalization, on a live deal, with support
• A specialist career track, for people who want deeper program expertise rather than a management title
• Meaningful work in a firm that treats compliance as craft rather than paperwork

Schedule and Working Conditions

• Location: St. Paul, one hundred percent on-site. This role is not hybrid or remote
• Schedule: Full-time, Monday through Friday
• Availability: Occasional evening or weekend availability for audits, inspections, or resident needs
• Essential functions: Extended periods at a desk and workstation, and navigating the community interior and exterior, with or without reasonable accommodation
• Contingency: Offer contingent on successful background check and reference verification

How to Apply

Step one: Submit your application using the Apply button on this page. It takes just a few minutes.

Step two: Click Here to Complete a short Culture Index Survey. It takes about seven minutes and there are no right or wrong answers. It helps us understand how you're wired so we can talk about whether this seat is the right fit for you.

Step three: We review applications weekly and follow up either way.

SAIL is an equal opportunity employer.

Required

• Two or more years of affordable housing experience, including recertifications, income verifications, and resident file management
• Working knowledge of project-based Section 8 requirements and HUD Handbook 4350.3
• Demonstrated accuracy with income and asset calculations
• Exceptional organization and the discipline to work a recurring deadline calendar without being chased
• Patient, clear communication with residents, and a steady professional tone with agency and third-party contacts
• Comfort handling sensitive resident information confidentially and with care
• Working knowledge of Fair Housing regulations
• Ability to work on-site full-time

Preferred

• COS certification, or the willingness to earn it within the first year with SAIL's support
• Hands-on experience with EIV and TRACS submissions
• Experience preparing for or responding to a Management and Occupancy Review
• Experience with LIHTC, tax credit certifications, or a property with layered HUD and tax credit programs
• Experience at a community undergoing rehabilitation or recapitalization with residents in place
• Proficiency in Yardi or similar property management software
• Ability to speak Somali is a plus, and valuable in serving the residents of this community