Chief Executive Officer

The Cambridge Housing Authority (CHA), a Moving to Work (MTW) public housing authority, non-profit housing developer and property manager of high-quality homes for families, elders, and people with disability, is seeking a dynamic Chief Executive Officer to lead the organization with intelligence, passion, and strategic insight.

This is a unique opportunity to lead an organization with a long-standing, nationally recognized record of innovation in affordable housing. As CHA continues to evolve from a traditional public housing authority into a modern public owner, manager, and developer, it is expanding its impact in Cambridge and across the region, leveraging past success to create new opportunities for affordable housing development and management.

About the Role

The Chief Executive Officer will provide the overall leadership, strategy, and financial and operational oversight of the agency and its portfolio, reporting directly to the CHA Board of Commissioners. The Chief Executive Officer will work closely in developing and implementing policies and programs with the Board’s Chair, specific Board oversight committees and the Alliance for Cambridge Tenants (ACT), a city-wide organization of CHA residents and voucher participants.

You will also serve as the public face of CHA, building trusted relationships with residents, city leaders, service providers, advocacy groups, and government agencies to foster collaborative solutions that address housing insecurity and improve resident well-being.

Understanding and successfully implementing the Strategic Plan as well as CHA’s MTW Annual Plan are essential to the Chief Executive Officer’s position and responsibilities. These documents can be found at:

https://cambridge-housing.org/strategicplan

Draft FY26 MTW Plan Available - CHA

What You Will Do:

Internal Leadership & Operational Excellence:

• Oversees all internal operations to ensure fiscal integrity, regulatory compliance, and high-quality service delivery.
• Directs financial reporting and audits, maintains effective feedback systems, and ensures departmental performance aligns with board policy, funding requirements, and legal standards.
• Leads agency initiatives that promote stability and opportunity for CHA residents.
• Builds and supports a skilled, mission-driven workforce.
• Sets performance benchmarks, manages the annual budget process, and provides clear financial and operational reports to the Board of Commissioners.
• Resolves program issues, manages sensitive internal matters, and advises the Board on key actions and emerging needs.

External Leadership & Community Impact

• Serves as the primary external representative of the agency, championing its mission to expand and preserve affordable housing through innovative financing, sustainable development, and equitable community investment.
• Builds strong relationships with government officials, community leaders, partner organizations, funders, and the public, ensuring broad support for CHA’s initiatives.
• Stays ahead of national housing trends and HUD policies, bringing forward best practices and new opportunities to strengthen programs and development efforts.
• Leads initiatives to expand transitional and permanent supportive housing, address homelessness, and increase housing options for low- and moderate-income residents.
• Guides long-term financing strategies; such as tax credit structures, bond financing, and other tools, to support housing development and renovation.
• Identifies new funding sources, partnerships, and creative subsidy uses to grow CHA’s impact.
• Advocates at the federal, state, and local levels to shape policies that advance housing choice, operational flexibility, and economic mobility for CHA residents and program participants.

What CHA is Looking For

We are seeking a seasoned and strategic leader with deep experience in affordable housing, organizational management, development, and community engagement.

Minimum Requirements:

• Post-secondary education in an appropriate field, such as Public Administration, is preferred.
• A minimum of ten (10) years of experience in an executive leadership position at an affordable housing entity or public housing authority.
• An equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered

Ideal candidates will demonstrate effective communication skills, financial and operational expertise, outstanding interpersonal skills, and an unyielding commitment to uplifting and supporting residents and applicants.

Additional Position Information

Benefits: CHA offers a generous slate of employee benefits that includes medical, dental, and life insurances, short and long-term disability, flexible spending accounts, participation in the City of Cambridge Retirement System, 457b plan, paid time-off, and paid holidays.

Compensation: The salary range for this position is between $280,000 to $325,000, commensurate with experience.

Location: Cambridge, MA

Position Type: This is an on-site position; candidates should be a commutable distance to Cambridge, MA, or be willing to relocate for the role.

Application Process

If you’re excited to lead transformative change in public housing and have the experience to make a real difference, we want to hear from you.

Individuals interested in being considered for this exceptional leadership opportunity are invited to apply. All applicants must submit a cover letter and resume no later than January 2, 2026, for consideration.

More About CHA

CHA is recognized nationally for its progressive approach to affordable housing. Here, you will join a passionate, mission-aligned team and play a pivotal role in shaping housing policy and practice in Cambridge and beyond.

Now in its 90th year, the Cambridge Housing Authority houses almost 10% of the population of the City of Cambridge through a variety of programs to enhance the lives of its residents and voucher participants. CHA recognizes the importance of strategic planning to ensure the agency remains true to its mission to produce, support, and sustain safe, innovative affordable housing options in communities where residents have access to enriched services and opportunities that promote upward mobility, educational advancement, and civic engagement.

With a staff of over 240 and an annual operating revenue exceeding $225 million and over $75 million in annual capital expenditures, CHA is committed to policy innovation, resident support, and the development of safe, high-quality affordable housing in one of the nation’s most expensive housing markets.

https://cambridge-housing.org/

Benefits: CHA offers a generous slate of employee benefits that includes medical, dental, and life insurances, short and long-term disability, flexible spending accounts, participation in the City of Cambridge Retirement System, 457b plan, paid time-off, and paid holidays.

Compensation: The salary range for this position is between $280,000 to $325,000, commensurate with experience.

Location: Cambridge, MA

Position Type: This is an on-site position; candidates should be a commutable distance to Cambridge, MA, or be willing to relocate for the role.