Program Fellow, Sustainable Connected Communities

Enterprise is a national nonprofit that exists to make a good home possible for the millions of families without one. We support community development organizations on the ground, aggregate and invest capital for impact, advance housing policy at every level of government, and build and manage communities ourselves. Since 1982, we have invested $72 billion and created 1 million homes across all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands – all to make home and community places of pride, power and belonging.

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Working at Enterprise

At Enterprise, you’ll be part of a diverse, committed team making a difference every day. You will collaborate with some of the smartest minds and biggest hearts in our field. You’ll be empowered to drive systems change and take bold steps to advance racial equity. And you will find a career home where you’re valued and supported in your growth journey.

Enterprise offers career opportunities in our offices across the country with an exceptional benefits package.

Job Description Summary

Our Sustainable Connected Communities (SCC) program works to ensure low-income residents and communities of color across Greater Los Angeles can access quality affordable housing and thrive in healthy, prosperous communities that are resilient to economic and environmental challenges. SCC seeks to advance community resiliency and racial equity by increasing capacity for community-driven development, capital absorption, and sustainable housing in low-income communities of color. Our work furthers these goals through providing resources and technical assistance to affordable housing developers, organizing stakeholder convenings to promote peer learning and advocacy efforts, and acting as a conduit between public agencies, coalition partners, and developers.

Role

Through the SCC program, Enterprise operates at the intersection of affordable housing and climate resilience, playing a central role in Southern California’s move toward equitable building decarbonization. Our SCC policy and program priorities include:

• Advance equitable community development strategies and resources that balance housing affordability, environmental sustainability, and climate resilience;
• Work with public agencies, affordable housing providers, and coalition partners to adopt policies and processes that ensure the well-being of low-income residents and the long-term viability of affordable housing properties and owners, especially neighborhood-based and BIPOC-led community development corporations (CDCs);
• Advocate for the preservation, production, and resilience of affordable housing and neighborhood stabilization;

The Program Fellow plays an integral role in supporting the SCC program, carrying out a range of tasks such as conducting research and data analysis, producing financial and programmatic resource materials, facilitating technical assistance, and providing general administrative support coordinating meetings and event planning. The Program Fellow will support the day-to-day operations of the SCC program with a focus on racial equity, climate resilience, and affordable housing production and preservation. In addition to core responsibilities supporting the SCC program, the Program Fellow may be asked to devote a small percentage of time to assist with other programmatic work within the Southern California market and/or various national ECP teams.

The ideal candidate will understand the fundamentals of affordable housing, including state and local financing streams, key public agencies, and relevant policy issues impacting the industry. Additionally, because the SCC program represents the market’s programmatic focus on the nexus of housing affordability and sustainability, competitive candidates will have an interest in reducing our region’s carbon footprint and creating more resilient communities across Southern California.

This is a salaried position with benefits for a minimum 1-year duration, with potential to grow into a two-year fellowship. This position reports to the Senior Program Director for Sustainable Connected Communities and will work in close collaboration with other Enterprise market and national staff, public agency partners, nonprofit affordable housing developers, community-based organizations, and coalition and advocacy partners.

Job Description

Job Responsibilities:

• Coalition Building & Coordination. Support staff in managing and facilitating cohorts, coalitions and other collaborative relationships for which Enterprise serves as a backbone organization, convener, or lead partner. In particular, the Program Fellow will support the management of the Los Angeles CDC Neighborhood Exchange, which consists of managing meeting logistics, agenda and action plan development, notetaking, managing online systems, maintaining partner relationships, and creating materials and tools. Additional responsibilities include representing Enterprise and the interests of our affordable housing partners at external coalition meetings and roundtables.
• Research, Writing and Data Analysis. Research, write, and summarize best practices, programs, and policies pertaining to affordable housing, community development, and climate resilience. This may include primary and secondary research, developing maps, utilizing map-based data tools, conducting interviews and surveys or focus groups, analyzing and summarizing quantitative and qualitative data, and supporting content development for proposals, presentations, reports, letters of support, and other written materials. This workstream includes overseeing the SCC Preservation Research Project which is currently being developed in partnership with the Neighborhood Exchange cohort in order to expose the major risk factors affecting the preservation of affordable housing in SoCal. Tasks may include descriptive and/or exploratory statistical analysis, data visualizations, and compiling publications using Excel, Tableau, and Power BI.
• Technical Assistance. Support the coordination, development and delivery of individualized and group technical assistance to public agencies, community development corporations and/or community-based organizations related to acquisition/rehab strategies, joint venture partnerships, integrating green building and neighborhood resilient infrastructure projects with affordable housing, and other affordable housing preservation and production efforts. Responsibilities will also include conducting neighborhood analyses, facilitating partner needs assessments, developing and coordinating trainings/workshops, and disseminating resources.
• Policy and Legislation Support. Research and track relevant policy issues and develop materials for policy and legislative advocacy in coordination with Enterprise’s federal and state policy teams. The fellow will be responsible for quarterly policy briefings tracking local, state, and federal policies focused on affordable housing preservation, building decarbonization, and fiscal legislation to deliver to partners and team members. This workstream also includes representing Enterprise and the interest of our affordable housing partners in meetings and engagements with policymakers, their staff members, and other public agencies.
• Grants and contracts management. Support the preparation of public and private funding proposals and interim and final progress reports to funders. This includes tracking relevant performance metrics, gathering program data from partners, and contributing to narrative content. Additionally, the Program Fellow will assist in the management of Enterprise’s grantees, which will include assessing and scoring proposals, relationship management and communications, grant progress tracking, and administrative support. As applicable, the position will also assist with contract management functions largely related to third-party consulting support for our technical assistance and/or training activities.

Qualifications

The Program Fellow is expected to provide substantive and creative support to the SCC Program Director and other staff. The criteria for selection will include a demonstrated commitment to racial equity and community development, public service, past examples of leadership, and compelling reasons to want to work for Enterprise. Candidates are expected to possess:

• Bachelor’s degree in urban and regional planning, public policy, environmental science and sustainability, or other related field (graduate degree strongly preferred) with relevance to affordable housing and community resilience.
• At least two (2) years of relevant work experience. Graduate degree may be substituted for years of experience.
• Judgment required to astutely manage partnerships and advance our commitment to racial equity through our programmatic work. Knowledge about the current racial, economic, and political landscape as it relates to housing and community development in the Los Angeles region.
• Familiarity or demonstrated interest in climate resilience strategies and practices for affordable housing including clean energy technologies, disaster preparedness and mitigation, emerging climate policy trends, and relevant state and local funding streams.
• Demonstrated interest in the areas of neighborhood or regional planning, affordable housing, and community development, particularly asset management and/or acquisition-rehab of existing properties. Familiarity with neighborhood-based community development and concepts related to community wealth generation and alternative ownership models, such as limited-equity cooperatives and community land trusts a plus.
• Excellent computer skills, including proficiency with Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and Outlook.
• Skilled in data analysis and proficient in data visualization and presentation.
• Excellent writing, editing and proofreading skills. Strong oral and written communication and interpersonal skills.
• Candidate must be able to work in a highly collaborative and fast-paced environment and be able to manage simultaneous projects under minimal supervision.

Total Rewards At Enterprise

You will be working with a group of talented professionals who are motivated by serving the community and addressing the need for affordable housing.

Enterprise offers a comprehensive total rewards package for you and your family.

The base salary for this role is $70,000 to $78,000, depending on level of skills and experience.

The salary range for this position is represented by the low and high end of the range for the amount to be paid for the position. Salaries paid at Enterprise will vary based on factors that may include skills, education, location, experience, and performance. The salary range is just a part of the total rewards package provided to employees at Enterprise, and other rewards may include annual performance bonuses and generous paid leave programs.

At Enterprise, our benefits form a major component of our total rewards package. Benefits include dental, health, and vision care plans, as well as family-building benefits, such as fertility, adoption, surrogacy support, and gender-affirming care. Enterprise allows flexible work arrangements to promote a better work-life balance. We offer health advocacy, EAP, and mental health benefits. We round out our total rewards package by offering financial education, wellness programs, and auto-enrollment in the company’s 401(k) plan with employer matching contributions. Finally, you will have learning and development opportunities, including tuition reimbursement for job-related courses and certifications. Thank you for your interest in joining the Enterprise team in our effort and commitment to serve others.