HOUSING CAPITAL STRATEGIST - TERM (2-YEARS)

As one of the fastest growing cities in Alberta, the City of Airdrie is a recognized leader in building a vibrant and sustainable community through innovation.

At the City of Airdrie, incredible opportunities happen every day in a flexible work environment that is tailored to each department. Our inclusive culture and values create a workplace where we welcome aspiring, driven and creative individuals to help us accomplish our business and community goals. We are supportive of one another, and we have fun while we serve our community. We are passionate about improving the lives of our residents through care and respect; that is the foundation of our organization. At the City of Airdrie, we learn, grow and accomplish great things together.

If you have a passion for building a better community and are ready to join the excitement, we’d love to hear from you!

The Opportunity:

The Housing Capital Strategist will provide subject matter expertise and take a lead role in developing and implementing housing strategies, policies, research, and programs to create and improve housing opportunities within the City of Airdrie. This position will engage, and champion initiatives related to the City’s 2024-2030 Affordable Housing Action Plan and other housing related initiatives.

The Housing Capital Strategist will help define Airdrie’s housing system by setting the strategic direction to enable local not-for-profit housing providers and private industry to be better positioned to collaborate with and support the creation of a broader and more streamlined range of housing opportunities that serve Airdrie’s residents – including housing that is accessible to low- and moderate-income residents.

Primary accountabilities include:
• Facilitate the implementation of the City’s 2024-2030 Affordable Housing Action Plan and other housing related plans
• Lead the creation and implementation of the City’s Affordable Housing Capital Development Strategy
• Work collaboratively across City departments and with external housing stakeholders including within industry, nonprofit and community organizations/groups, regional partners, and others to improve nonmarket and market housing options in Airdrie that are accessible to low- and moderate-income households
• Serve as a liaison bridging industry and nonprofit housing providers with the City, advocating fervently for affordable housing and the organizations facilitating it
• Engage with the private sector to partner in the development of below-market housing options
• Support capacity building within the nonprofit housing sector regarding achieving more homes aligned with community needs (i.e. missing middle, community housing, below market housing, etc.)
• Create staff reports, briefing notes and other materials for senior management and Council related to community housing needs
• Represent the interests of the City of Airdrie on internal and external committees and project teams related to the housing system in Airdrie
• Streamline deal flow processes to facilitate housing projects catering to diverse community needs, encompassing capital projects, public acquisitions, investments, and other forms of housing support
• Provide expert advice to support and advance advocacy work with other orders of government and participate in federal and provincial housing initiatives
• Proactively monitor legislative, regulatory and program changes from other levels of government by advising on impacts/implications of housing policy changes, programs, funding opportunities, etc.
• Identify and pursue opportunities for external contributions to City housing priorities
• Undertake research on a range of housing issues, challenges, and potential solutions
• Monitor trends and emerging issues in the housing sector through intelligence gathering, environmental scans, professional relationship building, and participation in external workshops and events

You Bring:

• Degree in public administration, public policy, business administration, economics, finance, or a related field
• Designations or certifications related to real estate, planning, program design, or a related discipline an asset
• Minimum five (5) years’ experience in the development industry and in affordable housing solutions
• Experience with aspects of the capital development process for residential projects (purpose built rental housing or mixed-use developments including capital financing, construction partnering, strategic alignments and risk management)
• Experience in advising on capital development opportunities that will achieve housing outcomes
• Knowledge of non-market housing capital financing is considered an asset
• Knowledge in deal structure aligned with City housing goals for housing proponents, including partnerships between nonprofits and private industry
• Knowledge of key elements of proforma
• Awareness of innovative or sustainable building and efficiency methods
• Awareness of planning and development process
• Applied knowledge and understanding of municipal land-use policies to increase opportunities for innovative housing options
• Demonstrated experience in facilitating partnerships and collaborations with multi-stakeholders including not-for-profit organizations, developers and other levels of government
• Experience working as part of integrated project teams, responsible for the planning, design and delivery of long-range strategies and implementation plans
• Demonstrated existing network within the housing sector an asset
• Strong political acumen and strategic thinking skills
• Strong organizational skills with a keen attention to detail
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Exceptional public speaking skills
• Ability to adjust to a changing environment and quickly align with shifting priorities, work assignments and timelines
• Ability to work under pressure and meet project deadlines
• Ability to effectively influence others and successfully resolve a variety of stakeholder relationships, projects and technical issues
• Ability to exercise a significant amount of professional judgment and initiative when making recommendations and resolving problems that may be complex and sensitive in nature
• Ability to be a positive influence in a team setting
• Ability to formulate and coordinate plans for a variety of projects, concurrently

We Offer:

Along with a competitive compensation program and City paid health and dental premiums, this position also includes:
• Excellent health, dental, paramedical and benefits plan
• First-in-class pension plan
• Career development and tuition reimbursement
• Employee discounts, annual adult Genesis Place pass, social events and health & wellness initiatives

Continuous learning through training and development is encouraged as are flexible work arrangements, when possible. We recognize that our people work best when they feel engaged in their environment and appreciated for their efforts and our overall benefits package reflects that.

Additional Information:

This is a 2-year term full-time (37.5 hours per week) position.

The successful candidate must be able to accommodate a flexible work schedule, with the ability to travel between City of Airdrie facilities and other stakeholder locations.

Next Steps:

Candidates are invited to apply online.

Postings close at 9 p.m. on the closing date listed in the posting. We recommend applying as soon as possible as we are not able to accept late applications.

Please review the job competition carefully and be sure to attach any specifically requested documentation in the My Documents section of your application.

Interviewing and hiring may commence prior to the posted closing date.

Thank you for your interest in the City of Airdrie.