Governance & Business Advisor

Position Overview

The Governance & Business Advisor (formally known as “technical assistance”) provides consulting services, operational insight, and analysis to the volunteer members of the Boards of Directors who represent the owners of resident owned communities (ROCs). In this role, the Advisor supports each ROC community with appropriate governance practices and implements industry best practices through structured business planning and training. Through coaching, guidance, and advisement, the Advisor helps to ensure the cooperative maintains compliance with both local and state regulatory requirements, as well as the proper governance activities as outlined in the community’s business formation documents.

Key Responsibilities

Business Advising

• Collaborate with community leaders and stakeholders to create business plans that identify yearly goals, to include but not limited to infill, infrastructure repairs/replacements, and compliance items, broken down into quarterly periods.
• Leverage the service unit subject matter expertise of staff, the Advisor will evaluate new opportunities for increased revenue (i.e. infill), assessing market viability, potential risks, and forecast return on investment, in collaboration with internal and external stakeholders.
• Develop and implement strategies to improve key metrics for success, ensuring the Board of Directors adhere to approved policies, rules, bylaws and other industry standard accountability measures. Collaborate with community leaders to create business plans that prioritize long-term viability of the community operations to include functioning and safe infrastructure, strong recurring revenue, and reduced vacancy loss.
• Serve as an accountability partner to the Board, promoting reliance on third-party professional services to mitigate risk and prevent volunteer burnout.
• Support corporation needs by monitoring compliance with loan covenants, regulatory agreements, subsidies and grants, and other reporting requirements. This includes informing the implementation to correct any non-compliance as soon as identified.
• Reinforce with resident leaders the important of leveraging corporate business and real estate attorneys to ensure compliance with laws pertaining to operating a manufactured housing community for rent, municipal, state, and federal licensing, Corporate (cooperative) business functions, Fair Housing laws, and landlord-tenant law.
• Maintain positive working relationships with municipal and state regulatory agencies, industry professionals, Non-profit affiliates, and Internal/external stakeholders to further the affordable housing preservation mission of ROC USA.

Governance Advising

• Support the facilitation of community meetings and presentations to ensure adherence to governance practices required to maintain the cooperative's legal status. This includes holding the board accountable for proper preparation, notification, documentation, parliamentary procedures, and accurate meeting minutes.
• Provide ongoing consulting and empowerment to ROC business leaders, identifying educational opportunities, resources to guide decision-making, and growing their financial literacy to improve their performance with fiduciary responsibilities to the Corporation (Cooperative).
• Train Boards on enforcing policies that are necessary to support the operation of the corporation in strict adherence with parliamentary procedures and cooperative principals legally enforceable and in accordance with industry standards.
• Work continuously to deepen all residents and member engagement, fostering a strong pipeline of future volunteer board members who are well-prepared to lead and govern effectively.

Community Development and Resident Engagement

• Promote an inclusive culture by creating opportunities for all residents to actively participate in community decision-making processes, with attention to underrepresented groups within the community.
• Develop strategies to address barriers to participation for underrepresented groups, ensuring their voices are heard in governance and community activities.
• Encourage diverse representations on the Board and committees, ensuring leadership reflects the demographics of the community.
• Ensure cooperative policies and practices reflect a commitment to equity.

Preferred Qualifications

• A bachelor’s degree in finance, business, real estate, or a related field is preferred or other relevant experience in related fields.
• Familiarity with Parliamentary Procedure and/or relevant volunteer experience.
• Experience with cooperatives, homeowner associations, or condo associations is a plus.
• Conversational Spanish abilities, with a preference for fluency.
• Experience with reviewing and understanding financial reporting to include profit & loss, budget analysis, balance sheets, and other like metrics.
• Experience working with Salesforce, Box, and/or Monday.com technology systems.

Required Skills & Competencies

• Ability to be relatable and develop trust of residents and stakeholders and continue to meet or exceed those stakeholders’ expectations to deepen trust and commitment of those we seek to serve.
• Ability to manage multiple tasks for multiple stakeholders with an understanding of basic corporate business functions and the core competencies of managing the business of a land lease community or rental property.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication, and negotiation skills, with experience in meeting facilitation and conflict mediation.
• Strong skills in documentation, problem-solving, data collection, analysis, and decision-making.
• Self-motivated and capable of working with minimal supervision, managing tight deadlines, and handling flexible schedules.
• The ability to provide coaching and guidance to varying educational levels and socio-economic pressures, while maintaining a professional and calm presence.
• Ability to thrive in dynamic, fast-paced environments with shifting priorities and evolving objectives.
• Must excel at adapting to change, managing ambiguity, and delivering results under uncertain conditions.

Travel Requirements

• A willingness to travel and work evenings and weekends as needed.

ROC USA is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age, veteran status, or any other legally protected status.

Benefits include a comprehensive Health Plan (medical, dental, and vision), a Flexible Spending Account, a Health Care Support Program, and additional benefits.

Conversational Spanish abilities, with a preference for fluency.