Senior Specialist, Project Management

About Us

Grounded Solutions Network is a national nonprofit dedicated to shaping communities to be equitable, inclusive, and filled with opportunity for all. Where we live matters. It determines what opportunities we have and how our kids grow up. Everyone should be able to live in a place that offers opportunity: access to jobs, parks, public transit, quality schools and stable homes. Strong and inclusive communities provide the foundation that people and families need to thrive, both in the present and for future generations.

As a national membership organization, we support nonprofit and government practitioners, community resident leaders, advocates, elected officials, and other housing professionals with the tools and knowledge they need for success. We promote the creation and preservation of quality housing that remains affordable for generations. Our work specifically targets creating and expanding housing with lasting affordability, using a racial equity lens.

Grounded Solutions Network is committed to fostering an organizational culture rooted in critical thinking and consciousness about race and class. We seek candidates who are dedicated to achieving racial equity as both a process and outcome. We are committed to building a staff team that is as racially and culturally diverse as the communities that we serve. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.

About the Position:

We are seeking a well-organized Senior Specialist to provide program support and project coordination to the Technical Assistance team. Grounded Solutions' technical assistance team works alongside public agencies, nonprofit organizations and other stakeholders to adopt and improve affordable housing policies and programs designed to last for generations.

Our current Technical Assistance team has deep subject matter expertise around housing with lasting affordability, community land trusts, public land disposition, community engagement, and the mortgage finance system. We are looking for a highly organized, analytically strong, and mission-driven Senior Specialist who can keep complex Technical Assistance engagements on track while also contributing to how we grow and develop new business. Day-to-day, the Senior Specialist will coordinate multi-stakeholder engagements, contribute to client-facing work products, assess new opportunities, and support proposal development. This role will also work cross-functionally with colleagues across the organization to ensure our Technical Assistance work is connected to broader organizational priorities and positioned for impact.

Grounded Solutions is committed to providing professional growth opportunities for all employees. In addition to growing project management skills, this position offers the opportunity to deepen subject matter expertise by joining team members on technical assistance and business development calls, producing the first draft of memos, reports, and PowerPoint presentations, and honing data analysis skills. This role will actively support place-based technical assistance and consulting engagements alongside teammates, deepening racial equity analysis and community engagement skills.

Key Responsibilities:

Under general supervision from the Director of Technical Assistance and Business Development, and with additional support from teammates:

Technical Assistance Project Management & Client Support (45%)

• Coordinate multiple technical assistance and fee-for-service engagements, tracking deliverable timelines, budgets, and reporting deadlines
• Coordinate, support and schedule meetings internally and externally, including agenda preparation, note-taking, participation management, and documentation/distribution of action items and overall summaries.
• Coordinate and plan the logistics for virtual and in-person community engagement events, including activity coordination, scheduling, vendor engagement, compensation for community members, travel arrangements, and other logistics
• Continually work to maintain and improve project management workflows with the goal of eliminating redundancy and prioritizing client work
• Update and prepare presentation materials for client engagements, assisting in the drafting of and review of policy briefs, slide decks, memos, and reports
• Support impact measurement efforts in coordination with clients and partners. Develop and improve reusable materials for technical assistance engagements

Business Development & Opportunity Pipeline Support (45%)

• Conduct background research for opportunity screening, including local housing needs and policy environments.
• Project manage cross-departmental coordination, identifying and maximizing opportunities across the organization and ensuring the right stakeholders are engaged at each stage of the proposal pipeline. Prepare internal briefing materials to inform go/no-go decisions.
• Spearhead the drafting and completion of Fee for Service proposals, RFP responses, scopes of work, and supporting materials, ensuring submissions are on-time and aligned with organizational strategy
• Coordinate proposal timelines and maintain business development tracking systems.
• Build and maintain reusable templates and a library of assets to use in proposals, grant writing, and funding opportunities, enabling teams to focus on customizing and refining pitches

Research & Field Knowledge Development (10%)

• Research affordable housing policies, community development practices, and emerging industry trends, translating findings into actionable insights that inform program strategy and organizational decision-making
• Use the US Census, published reports, and other data to provide “snapshots” to the technical assistance team about the housing needs in a particular place, especially in relation to households and BIPOC communities
• Regularly review completed projects to contribute to internal knowledge-sharing and documentation of lessons learned

Qualifications for Entry into this Position

Grounded Solutions believes that our team should reflect, respect, and understand the diversity of backgrounds, identities, and experiences of the communities that we serve. We strongly encourage people of color, people of all gender identities, people with disabilities, and LGBTQ+ candidates to apply. Not sure if you meet all of the qualifications below? That is okay; if you are truly excited by this position, we encourage you to apply anyway! Studies have shown that men apply for jobs when they only meet 60% of the qualifications, but women only apply if they meet 100% of them.

• 5+ years of relevant experience, particularly in project management, consulting support, policy research, and/or community development. Experience in conducting research and analyzing data to support project goals.
• Experience drafting memos, proposals, and presentation content.
• Excellent organizational and time management skills; able to independently manage multiple time-sensitive projects by identifying interim activities and deadlines and using sound judgement to prioritize changes and seek assistance when needed.
• Working knowledge of affordable housing programs and policies; interest in advancing racial equity through housing
• Strong written and oral communication skills.
• Able to maintain motivation and self-direction working remotely and embrace teamwork and collaboration.
• Tech-positive attitude and willingness to learn and adopt multiple technologies to support our work. Familiarity with Zoom, Asana, Miro, Dropbox, Salesforce, and Microsoft Teams a plus.

Salary Range

$75,000 to $85,000 annually, commensurate with experience.

Benefits

Competitive, comprehensive benefits package including health, dental, matching 401k, and paid time off. Supportive, stimulating, and collaborative environment with passionate colleagues dedicated to building community, equity, and justice. Opportunities for professional growth and development.

Travel Required

Approximately 4-8 trips per year of domestic out-of-state travel, as needed, to attend conferences, company meetings, and project site visits.

Location

Remote, flexible location. Candidates must have direct local access to a major airport. All staff are expected to demonstrate the ability to work remotely while maintaining high levels of efficiency and productivity and communicating effectively with their direct supervisor and colleagues.

Join our team and build your career with us! We offer:

• Supportive, stimulating and collaborative environment with passionate colleagues dedicated to building community, equity and justice.
• Opportunities for professional growth and development.
• Competitive, comprehensive benefits package including health, dental, matching 401k and paid time off.

How to Apply

Please submit, as 1 document (PDF or word), a cover letter and resume

Competitive, comprehensive benefits package including health, dental, matching 401k, and paid time off. Supportive, stimulating, and collaborative environment with passionate colleagues dedicated to building community, equity, and justice. Opportunities for professional growth and development.