NCLR’s Community Development component seeks a Community Development Specialist to provide program development experience to community-based organizations in the areas of housing and financial services. The mission of the NCLR Community Development component is to increase the wealth of Latino communities and families through community-based programs. A primary vehicle for achieving this goal is through support of the NCLR Homeownership Network (NHN), NCLR’s largest wealth-building program. NHN consists of 44 community-based organizations that receive grant funding from NCLR to provide financial and homeownership counseling to Latino communities in 22 states across the country. NHN organizations collaborate with financial institutions, government entities, and other community institutions to increase Hispanic homeownership and other asset-building opportunities. NCLR’s team of Community Development Specialists work to build the capacity of NHN organizations through program, organizational, and strategic planning.

The National Council of La Raza (NCLR) – the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States – works to improve opportunities for Hispanic Americans. Through its network of nearly 300 affiliated community-based organizations (CBOs), NCLR reaches millions of Hispanics each year in 41 states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia.

Salary: Upper 30's, commensurate with experience

Reporting

Position reports to Vice President for Housing and Community Development (located in Washington, D.C.) and NCLR Homeownership Network Director (located in Phoenix, AZ).

Responsibilities

• Manage a portfolio of nonprofit housing counseling agencies to ensure contract and program compliance, as well as expand the capacity of their programs
• Actively support the work of NHN grantees by conducting program evaluations, identifying programmatic barriers, and making recommendations as to potential solutions to overcoming their barriers.
• Facilitate partnerships between national mortgage lender partners and NHN affiliates
• Learn and implement NCLR programmatic guidelines, objectives, and standards. This includes learning these systems well enough to communicate them effectively to NHN grantees and monitor the grantees’ progress in applying the systems to their programs.
• Use online client database technology and other online applications in routine technical assistance tasks.
• Communicate effectively to management and other team members the status of grantees within the Specialist’s portfolio, including progress, setbacks, or other issues.
• Maintain files on each organization within the portfolio, documenting communications, technical assistance strategies, program barriers, and other relevant information.
• Assist in the expansion efforts of the NHN
• Collect reports from organizations within portfolio, analyze the data, identify problems and solutions, and arrange for payment.
• Providing other program support activities as determined by the supervisor.

Required Qualifications

Only candidates whose résumé and/or cover letter demonstrate the following qualifications will be considered for an interview.

• BA required
• Strong oral and written communications skills
• Must be able to develop work plans, set deadlines, work well with minimal supervision, and have the ability to manage multiple tasks and prioritize among assignments
• Ability to work well in a team environment and independently
• Familiarity with government entities (federal, state, local) involved with developing and implementing housing and community development programs
• In depth understanding of online technology and other computer applications such as Excel, Macromedia, and other Microsoft Office programs. Experience with housing counseling online data systems Home Counselor Online and Counselor Max is a plus. Must have the ability to learn new computer software quickly
• Experience with community-based programs, especially those involving case management and close contact with clients is strongly preferred. Experience providing housing counseling, education or other asset-building programs a plus
• Customer service experience a plus
• Demonstrated capacities to collect reporting data, analyze, and interpret the results. For example, reading and interpreting monthly or quarterly staff, production, or output reports for a program or company.
• Cultural awareness, demonstrated commitment, and involvement with Latino community
• Bilingual in English and Spanish preferred
• Flexible in regards to schedule, working hours, travel (approximately 30%), and work assignments, including ability to work overtime or on weekends when necessary; reliable job attendance essential