Project Management

Prosper Portland is the economic and urban development agency for the city of Portland. We serve the city and its residents by growing family-wage jobs, advancing opportunities for prosperity, collaborating with partners for an equitable city, and creating vibrant neighborhoods and communities.

Summary

As the Real Estate and Community Development (RECD) Officer, you’ll manage catalytic redevelopment projects to get deals across the finish line. It’s hand-on deal making in a mission driven environment, where your work directly shapes Portland’s development landscape.

The Real Estate and Community Development Officer serves as a senior project manager and team lead working collaboratively with the Real Estate and Community Development team, management, and staff across the agency. The position plans, structures, negotiates, and delivers complex public-private real estate and community development projects that advance community priorities and Tax Increment Finance District Action Plans. The position balances financial feasibility, public benefit, risk, and equitable community outcomes; coordinates projects from early planning and due diligence through approvals, closing, construction, and closeout; and provides subject matter expertise in real estate, development finance, investment management and community-centered development. The ideal candidate is a skilled dealmaker and project manager with excellent communication skills, experience interacting with public and private stakeholders and managing a budget with multiple funding streams.

Responsibilities

30% Real Estate Transactions and Development Finance

• Leads complex real estate and development finance transactions and manage the full project lifecycle from early-stage planning through transaction closing and timely completion, applying a strong project management discipline and, exercising sound commercial judgment in evaluating risk, return and deal terms that align with community agreements and protect the agency’s interests.
• Structures capital stacks using appropriate public and private resources, including Tax Increment Finance, loans, grants, debt, equity, and other funding sources; recommends assistance levels, terms, security, and risk mitigations.
• Provides recommendations on investment strategy and financial structuring of real estate projects and work with financial institutions, alternative capital providers and REITs to source funding.
• Supports the agency’s investment management activities, including monitoring performance, conducting investment analysis and risk-return evaluations, and crafting and implementing investment strategies across real estate and development finance assets.
• Prepares and evaluates development budgets, operating pro formas, sources and uses, cash-flow projections, sensitivity analyses, funding gaps, returns, and public-benefit measures for commercial, industrial, mixed-use, housing, and neighborhood-scale projects.
• Negotiates acquisitions, dispositions, leases, easements, development agreements, financing agreements, and related business terms in coordination with legal counsel and other technical specialists.
• Leads or supports competitive solicitations and partner selections for developers, tenants, and professional services, including development of criteria, evaluation of proposals, due diligence, negotiation, and documentation consistent with procurement requirements.
• Prepares staff reports, approval memoranda, presentations, and recommendations for agency leadership, the Board of Commissioners, City Council, and other decision-makers, as applicable, and maintains clear records of key assumptions and decisions.

20% Community Development and Stakeholder Partnerships

• Builds and manages public-private partnerships with community-based organizations, businesses, entrepreneurs, developers, property owners, lenders, public agencies, educational institutions, and industry partners.
• Identifies and helps secure external funding and technical resources for real estate and community development priorities, including coordinating or preparing applications and partner commitments.
• Leads inclusive engagement with community stakeholders to understand priorities, explain technical information, document input, and align project strategies with adopted plans and community-defined outcomes.
• Integrates inclusive development, anti-displacement, accessibility, community-benefit, sustainability, and small/local business considerations into project analysis, partner expectations, and recommendations, as applicable.
• Serves as a project and neighborhood liaison; facilitates meetings, advisory groups, public hearings, and partner discussions; and develops presentations tailored to community, business, public-agency, and governing-board audiences.

20% Leadership and Cross-Departmental Coordination

• Oversee high-profile projects and cross-functional project teams, establishing scopes, roles, priorities, decision points, and quality expectations in coordination with RECD management.
• Serves as a subject matter expert, thought partner, and strategic problem-solver to RECD management and staff across the agency on real estate and community development matters.
• Coordinates the work of legal, finance, procurement, construction, asset management, communications, and program staff to advance projects and resolve interdependent issues.
• Reviews project analyses, recommendations, and other work products for accuracy, completeness, and alignment with agency goals; provides guidance and escalates material risks or decisions.
• Supports the annual team workplan and budget process, identifies opportunities for process improvement, and provides input to management regarding team workload and staff performance.

20% Project Management, Due Diligence and Delivery

• Develops and manages project charters, workplans, schedules, budgets, milestones, dependencies, decision logs, and risk-management plans for multiple complex projects concurrently.
• Plans and oversees due diligence, including title and survey review, appraisal, environmental conditions, site and building assessments, market and financial feasibility, land use and entitlement analysis, infrastructure and utility capacity, and other project-specific investigations.
• Coordinates design, permitting, entitlement, financing, construction, and closeout activities; monitors the work of developers, architects, engineers, contractors, and other consultants against approved scope, schedule, budget, and quality standards.
• Develops and administers professional-services and project contracts, including solicitations, scopes of work, selection processes, deliverables, invoices, amendments, compliance, reporting, and closeout.

10% Portfolio Oversight, Compliance and Continuous Improvement

• Research real estate markets, development practices, public-finance tools, and policy trends; uses data and lessons learned to recommend program, policy, process, and risk-management improvements.
• Monitors transaction commitments, covenants, public benefits, and performance measures and coordinates compliance with applicable urban renewal and Tax Increment Finance requirements, procurement rules, environmental review, labor standards, civil rights and accessibility requirements, and funding conditions in partnership with agency specialists.
• Maintains complete, organized, and audit-ready project and transaction files.

Requirements

Eight years of progressively responsible experience in project management, urban or economic development, real estate development or finance, public-private development, or complex community development initiatives, or equivalent experience. An associate’s, bachelor’s, or master’s degree in a related field may substitute for up to one year of experience to meet the minimum experience requirement of eight years. Experience must include independently managing complex projects and performing financial analysis, due diligence, transaction negotiation, contract administration, and multi-stakeholder delivery.

Physical Requirements

With or without reasonable accommodation, the position requires the ability to remain stationary for extended periods; move throughout the office; travel to properties, construction sites, meetings, and events; and navigate stairs, uneven surfaces, and active work areas during site visits. The position frequently uses a computer and standard office equipment, communicates with internal and external stakeholders regarding complex subject matter, and may occasionally lift and move materials weighing up to 20 pounds.

Working Conditions

Normal working hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., in a combination of in-person and remote work. Current expectations include in-person work every Tuesday and Wednesday and one additional day every two weeks, subject to agency policy and operational needs. Early morning, evening, or weekend work and local or out-of-area travel may occasionally be required. Site visits may involve weather, noise, dust, uneven terrain, and active construction; required personal protective equipment must be used.

Compensation and Benefits

• Health Insurance ─ Medical, RX, Dental and Vision Coverage (Prosper Portland pays 95% of premiums)
• Flexible Spending Plans
• Life Insurance Plan options
• PERS/OPSRP (Public Employees Retirement System/Oregon Public Service Retirement Plan) (Prosper pays 6% employee PERS contributions on your behalf)
• Paid Time Off (varies based on length of service. 15 days per year to start)
• Paid Sick Leave (110.5 hours per year)
• Paid Jury Duty Leave , Paid Bereavement Leave , Paid Military Leave
• Deferred Compensation (457b)
• Employee Assistance Program
• Transit Subsidy , Bike/Walk Subsidy , IT Equipment Reimbursement
• Performance-Based Merit Leave , Years of service Merit Leave