Homeownership and Counseling Programs Manager

The Homeownership and Counseling Programs Manager position is full-time and reports to theDeputy Director. The Homeownership and Counseling Programs Manager supervises the work of one or more Housing Counselors who will assist the Manager in performing the work required for the successful administration of Allston Brighton Community Development Corporation’s (ABCDC) Homebuyer Education and Counseling Programs.

ABCDC’s Homebuyer Education and Counseling Programs are a resource to help people plan for and achieve affordable, sustainable homeownership. The program has served Massachusetts residents, both in person and online, for 30 years. ABCDC utilizes web and social media tools to increase outreach to potential first-time homebuyers and provide easy access to high-quality information and resources, so that first-time homebuyers can make sound decisions during the process of purchasing a home.

ABCDC’s Homebuyer Education and Counseling Programs include one-on-one counseling for graduates of ABCDC’s Homebuyer 101 classes. Activities also include financial consulting programs that serve residents with a range of incomes as they formulate and pursue a variety of goals, which can range from paying their rent on time, to increasing their income through job training and employment, to saving for the purchase of their first home.

The Homebuying Education and Counseling Programs are administered in compliance with a series of regulatory requirements based on the type of funding and financial resources that support the Programs. Since March of 2020, the department’s programming has been offered virtually and the agency anticipates that programs will continue to operate virtually going forward. Therefore, the position is being offered with the flexibility of a work schedule that includes partial remote work. The candidate is expected to be a current resident of Massachusetts with the ability to be physically present at the agency’s office on a weekly basis. The office is located in the Brighton neighborhood of Boston, MA. The candidate will also be expected to be able to facilitate the rare in-person class or workshop that takes place weekday evenings or weekend days.

Duties and Responsibilities include:

Housing Counseling

• Ensure up-to-date counseling processes in accordance with grant guidelines
• Supervise Housing Counselor(s) to ensure efficiency and accuracy in counseling activities
• Collaborate with Resident Services staff to provide counseling to residents of our properties
• Provide supplemental one-on-one counseling to people with a range of incomes and goals in coordination with Housing Counselors
• Work alongside Housing Counselors to assist participants with goal-setting, budgeting, credit building/rebuilding, debt repayment, savings, tracking progress
• Provide referrals to external professionals and resources as needed
• Refine and expand counseling curriculum on an as-needed basis
• Maintain files and Salesforce records for all participants

Homeownership Education

• Coordinate, facilitate, and teach in-person and virtual Homebuying 101 classes and homebuying workshops in coordination with Housing Counselor(s)
• Facilitate use of online homebuying course Framework
• Secure and manage class sponsorships, volunteers, and program participants with assistance from Housing Counselors
• Update all program materials, both print and online with assistance from the Housing Counselors and ABCDC Communications Manager as appropriate
• Refine and expand homebuyer education curriculum on an as-needed basis
• Collaborate with community partners, including representing Allston Brighton CDC at appropriate homeownership forums

Data Management and Reporting

• Oversee all program related data management and reporting
• Work with other staff and Salesforce consultant on CMS system updates
• Oversee and perform ongoing program reporting, including HUD grant, Division of Banks, United Way, and others as necessary
• Work with Housing Counselors to follow-up and track homebuying class graduates for progress including counseling, coaching and home purchases
• Work with Housing Counselors to track data and prepare reports

Outreach and Marketing

• Manage program marketing and outreach in collaboration with Communications Manager
• Oversee annual production of the Homeownership Resource Guide
• Oversee design of marketing materials for the program in cooperation with Communications Manager
• Work with Communications Manager on social media for program promotion

Volunteer Management

• Manage volunteer real estate professionals who present at classes, and support the program through the giving of knowledge, expertise and financial support
• Manage and supervise volunteers who support housing counseling efforts
• Coordinate efforts with other staff responsible for Housing Counseling in the Resident Services program to manage appropriate volunteers.

Required Qualifications

The ideal candidate will have a demonstrated ability to network and build strategic partnerships to leverage community supports and services for the benefit of ABCDC’s communities. In addition, the ideal candidate will have the following:

• Four years of progressive career experience within the housing counseling or community development fields
• HUD Housing Counseling certification, obtained through a certification exam, is required either upon hire or within 6 months of hire
• Ability and willingness to work regular evening hours
• Demonstrated ability to work with low and moderate-income individuals and families and racially and culturally diverse communities
• Outstanding attention to detail and a problem solving attitude
• Ability to work individually and as a part of a team
• Skilled managing multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal
• Ability to work in-person at the office on a weekly basis
• Experience working with Salesforce or similar CRM/database applications
• Experience working with Microsoft 365 and Sharepoint or similar communications and data management software applications

Preferred Qualifications:

• Managerial experience in a non-profit/community development setting
• Fluency in Spanish and English is strongly preferred
• Knowledge of first-time homebuyer programs available to low and moderate-income households and individuals
• Knowledge of relevant state, federal and local resources and agencies
• Knowledge of the Boston-area social service delivery network, particularly for low-income and moderate-income households
• Previous experience/knowledge of issues facing low and moderate-income renters and homebuyers
• Previous housing counseling experience or experience in the real estate industry
• Experience working or volunteering with community organizations
• Previous adult training or teaching experience