Vice President, Affordable Housing Operations

Collective Residential · Chicago · $200,000–$225,000 (stated in the posting)

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Position Summary

Collective Residential is building a centralized Affordable Housing Operations platform that will unify operations, leadership, best practices, and oversight across a growing portfolio of affordable housing communities and management companies. The VP, Affordable Housing Operations will be a key member of the senior leadership team responsible for building and leading this platform as the company grows primarily through acquisition. The initial portfolio is expected to encompass approximately 7,000+ units, with significant opportunity for continued expansion.

This is a builder and enterprise leadership role—not a day-to-day compliance position. The VP will evaluate the operating structures of acquired companies, establish the appropriate organizational model, set standards and expectations, and implement best practices across the growing portfolio. The leader will work closely with portfolio company and property leadership, while providing centralized oversight of affordable housing operations and compliance.

Key Responsibilities

• Build & Lead the Affordable Housing Platform: Build and lead a centralized affordable housing operations function across the portfolio, establishing organizational structure, staffing model, accountability, and leadership cadence for a growing, multi-state portfolio.
• Lead Acquisition Integration & Organizational Development: Play a central leadership role in integrating affordable housing operations from acquired companies—assessing structures, teams, systems, and processes, and recommending the best operating model.
• Establish Operational Standards & Best Practices: Develop scalable operating standards, policies, procedures, reporting, and performance expectations across the portfolio.
• Provide Compliance Oversight: Provide senior-level oversight of affordable housing compliance across LIHTC, HUD, Section 8, HOME, bond-financed, and other federal/state housing programs—leadership and oversight, not day-to-day file reviews or routine compliance administration.
• Lead Risk Management & Regulatory Strategy: Establish a framework for identifying, monitoring, and addressing compliance and operational risk; serve as senior advisor to executive leadership on affordable housing regulatory matters.
• Lead External Relationships: Represent Collective Residential with HUD, state housing finance agencies, syndicators, investors, auditors, and other key stakeholders.
• Drive Systems, Reporting & Technology: Evaluate and improve systems, data, reporting, and technology, including Yardi and comparable platforms.
• Support Growth, Acquisitions & New Business: Provide operational and compliance leadership for acquisitions, preservation, repositioning, and other strategic growth initiatives.
• Partner Across the Organization: Serve as the connective point between corporate leadership, portfolio company leadership, regional/asset management teams, and property-level operations.

Requirements

• 10–15+ years of progressive leadership experience in affordable housing property management, operations, asset management, or a related field, including significant senior/executive-level responsibility.

• Demonstrated leadership experience across affordable housing portfolios, with strong working knowledge of LIHTC, HUD programs, Section 8, HOME Funds, bond-financed housing, and other applicable programs.

• Strong operational leadership skills with a track record of building, restructuring, integrating, or scaling teams and operating platforms.

• Experience evaluating organizations and recommending improvements to structure, staffing, processes, systems, and accountability.

• Experience with acquisitions, M&A integration, multi-company environments, shared services, or other complex organizational integrations strongly preferred.

• Ability to provide senior-level compliance oversight without being focused on day-to-day compliance administration.

• Strong relationships with, or experience engaging, HUD, state housing finance agencies, syndicators, investors, external auditors, and affordable housing developers.

• Experience with Yardi or comparable property management/compliance systems.

• Exceptional communication, judgment, relationship-building, and change-management skills.

• Comfortable operating in a matrixed environment, influencing portfolio company leaders while establishing centralized standards and accountability

Why This Opportunity

This is a uniquely positioned opportunity for an experienced affordable housing executive to help build a growing platform rather than inherit a fully established structure. Because the portfolio will largely be assembled through acquisitions, the VP will have the autonomy and influence to assess existing operations, make recommendations, build the right leadership structure, and implement the best practices needed for scale.

Equal Opportunity

Collective Residential is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or any other status protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

Use of AI in Our Hiring Process

As part of our hiring process, we use artificial intelligence tools to support our recruiting team's work, including summarizing information for hiring managers. These tools do not screen, score, or rank candidates and do not make hiring decisions.

Benefits

• Salary Range: $200,000 – $225,000, commensurate with experience, plus performance-based bonus.

• Benefits include: medical, dental, vision, 401(k), and comprehensive time off benefits.

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