Chief of Consulting Position
About NeighborWorks Capital:
Our WHY statement: We believe the NeighborWorks America network is a powerful catalyst for locally driven community advancement. We support their equitable and inclusive work by connecting human, financial, and intellectual capital.
NeighborWorks Capital is establishing a consulting business to serve the affordable housing and community development industry, with a primary focus on members of the NeighborWorks America network. A majority of the consulting will be with NeighborWorks America affiliates, but NeighborWorks Capital Consulting will also support the work of other nonprofit organizations that are likely collaborators with NeighborWorks America member organizations.
NeighborWorks Capital Consulting will provide direct consulting services and will establish a network of affiliated consultants who will work on specific engagements in partnership with NeighborWorks Capital Consulting. In addition to providing a platform for excellent consulting services, we also have the goal of increasing the diversity of the consulting sector serving this industry.
NeighborWorks Capital is a national community development financial institution (CDFI) that serves the organizational and affordable housing finance needs of the nearly 250 members of the NeighborWorks network located across the United States. NeighborWorks Capital is based in Silver Spring, MD but is open to remote work options.
NeighborWorks Capital’s lending includes short-term loans for pre-development costs, acquisition of sites and properties, construction or rehabilitation, interim/mini-permanent/permanent financing for operating properties, lines of credit, and organizational/enterprise-level financing. NeighborWorks Capital is implementing the final year of its five-year strategic plan and will begin the development of a new strategic plan that will include an expansion of its engagement with members of NeighborWorks America. In 2023 we are launching a new consulting line of business that will offer our customers the ability to supplement their own team’s competencies with outside expertise. This is an exciting time to become part of the NeighborWorks Capital leadership team.
Summary:
The Chief of Consulting (CC) is a member of the senior management team and has overall responsibility for the startup and buildout of a consulting business focused on the affordable housing and community development industry. The CC will need to be an entrepreneur at heart but also be able to work as part of a team. The CC will have a competitive base salary plus meaningful performance-based compensation reflective of the success of the business. The CC is a critical strategic partner for the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and will report directly to the CEO.
The NeighborWorks Capital Consulting (NCC) is being established to provide critical consulting support to organizations that are part of the NeighborWorks America network, but NCC will also support the work of other nonprofit organizations that are likely collaborators with members of NeighborWorks America. Our vision is to provide consulting services nationwide that are reliable and of high quality. We will provide those services directly and through a national network of affiliated consultants.
Our initial focus areas will depend in part on the expertise of the Chief of Consulting and the other individuals we bring in as affiliated consultants, but we will expand our areas of practice to reflect the needs of our customer base and the industry. Possible areas of focus include:
- Enterprise Risk Management for nonprofit organizations.
- Shared or “Fractional” CFO services: Optimizing your balance sheet, resource development, financial modeling & forecasting. The focus will be to provide high-level strategic expertise instead of general back-office support such as accounting.
- Property structuring: project feasibility analysis, portfolio management & repositioning of assets. This would not include being the lead on the workout of individual properties on behalf of clients.
Reports to: Chief Executive Officer
Status: Full-time, exempt
Location: Flexible. If remote, travel to Silver Spring, MD, will be required as needed.
Related duties and responsibilities:
The major duties of the CC in the first year of operations would include:
- Build out NCC’s basic operating environment, including a website, marketing/communications plan, social media strategy, etc.
- Market NCC’s consulting services to members of the NeighborWorks America network.
- Deliver consulting to the network.
- Manage subcontractors and any other staff.
- Manage the financial performance of NCC.
- Continuously scan the market for additional consulting opportunities that will have the greatest value to the nonprofit community.
In Year 2, NCC will recruit an Analyst to work with the CC. This person will report to the CC and perform analysis and research to aid in consulting engagements.
In Year 3, assuming the pipeline is strong enough, NCC would add a Senior Consultant capable of managing the more straightforward consulting engagements. This person would also report to the CC.
Required Experience and Skills:
- At least 15 years of demonstrated affordable housing and community development experience that would be suitable for a consultant specializing in NCC’s Initial Focus Areas described above. Experience as a consultant is preferred.
- Experience building a business or business line. Strong entrepreneurial skills and/or experience required. This can be demonstrated through experience building a business or a business line.
- Knowledge and experience with nonprofit organizations focused on developing real estate and lending to real estate developers.
- A strong commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion is required.
Skills necessary for success:
Proven creative thinking skills. NCC will help its customers solve challenges, and to do this, the CC will need to have the ability to think about a concept, situation, or challenge in unconventional or divergent ways. The CC will need to adapt their thought patterns to fit the situation.
Problem-solving and decision-making skills. The CC will need to listen to our client’s concerns about their business and address those concerns. This will involve listening well, analyzing the situation, categorizing information effectively, identifying new correlations, and drawing conclusions. The CC must have a solutions-oriented mindset.
Excellent communication and relationship-building/management skills.
- Listening: Strong communication skills are built on the ability to listen well. The CC will need to be a great listener. Even when presenting potential solutions near the end of the engagement, the CC needs to be able to hear and incorporate feedback from our customers to ensure our final recommendations are optimized.
- Writing: Ability to synthesize and analyze large quantities of data and translate this information into an understandable narrative format.
- Speaking/Presentation: The CC will need to have the ability to present solutions to our clients in a way that is convincing, clear, understandable, and actionable.
Technical skills. Strong financial planning and analysis skills. Strong Excel skills, including forecasting and scenario planning.
Organization & Self Motivation: Capacity to prioritize and simultaneously manage multiple tasks to meet internal and external deadlines. Strongly self-motivated and able to follow through in completing high-quality, detailed work with minimal supervision. - Bachelor’s degree required. Advanced degree preferred.
- Supervisory experience required.
- Limited travel within U.S. required (25%).
- Fluent in English.
- Possess valid U.S. driver’s license.
Compensation:
Competitive salary plus performance-based compensation including a share of NCC’s financial surplus. Excellent benefits package that includes medical, dental, holidays, unlimited paid time off, life insurance, 6% contribution to 401(k), transportation subsidy. No phone calls please. NeighborWorks Capital is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Women and minorities are strongly encouraged to apply.
How to Apply:
Please submit a letter of interest, resume, and salary requirements to: jobs@neighborworkscapital.org. Salary requirements must be provided to be considered.
