MTW Collaborative Director

The Council of Large Public Housing Authorities (CLPHA) seeks an experienced and skilled housing professional with a passion for and substantive knowledge of affordable and low-income housing programs to serve as the MTW Collaborative Director

Formed in 2019, the MTW Collaborative is a national, non-profit membership organization based in Washington D.C. The organization is operated and managed by CLPHA through a management agreement with the MTW Collaborative. Its membership is comprised of public housing agencies (PHAs) across the country who participate in the Moving to Work (MTW) program. Often called “America’s Housing Policy Lab”, the MTW program has been a model and innovation driver to improve life outcomes for low-income residents. Programs successfully pioneered at MTW agencies have been recognized and scaled to PHAs at the national level through legislation.

The MTW Collaborative is the only public housing membership association that is solely dedicated to the MTW program and serving MTW agencies, which represent 19% of the overall voucher program and 13% of the overall public housing program. Starting with 39 initial PHAs, the MTW program has recently expanded up to 138 PHAs across the nation. The Director position offers an exciting opportunity to join a growing organization and play a leading role in shaping the future direction of the MTW Collaborative.

CLPHA is a non-profit organization that works to preserve and improve public and affordable housing through advocacy, research, policy analysis and public education. Our membership includes over 80 of the largest and most innovative PHAs across the country. CLPHA members service over a million low income households through federally assisted housing.

Overview of the Position:

The MTW Collaborative Director supports the MTW Collaborative Board of Directors and its members in shaping and overseeing the organization’s advocacy, policy goals, and strategic vision; as well as managing the operations and finances for a national membership organization.

• A successful candidate will be committed to the MTW Collaborative’s mission of supporting its MTW members, advancing innovative housing policy, and uplifting the MTW program; and has demonstrated expertise, knowledge, and interest across federal affordable housing programs. Strong preference for candidates with a background in the MTW program.
• A successful candidate will be a nimble learner and provide a high-level of customer service and collaboration while serving as the MTW policy expert for MTW Collaborative members, with the ability to provide technical assistance and translate ongoing or rising challenges into policy recommendations and actions that help MTW agencies operate their programs more effectively and better serve their residents and communities.
• A successful candidate will be a strategic thinker with the capacity to self-start and work independently, with a demonstrated ability to develop, implement, and manage multiple projects simultaneously across several key organizational areas, including policy, strategy, membership engagement, administration, and finance.
• A successful candidate has strong interpersonal skills, sound judgement, and is effective at building relationships and buy-in across industry partners, coalition groups, and key stakeholders and policy makers to help advance the organization’s strategic goals.
• A successful candidate has excellent oral communication skills and is comfortable advocating for the organization’s priorities to a variety of audiences, including key HUD staff, other Administration officials, Congressional staff, and other industry experts in public forums and high-level meetings. In this role, the Director will serve as a key spokesperson for the MTW Collaborative.
• A successful candidate has excellent written communication skills and the ability to effectively articulate the organization’s priorities in position papers, memos, briefings, public comments, and other documents. A successful candidate will also be skilled in translating technical documents and complex policy issues related to housing programs into communications that are distributed to members and external audiences.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Policy and Advocacy Leadership:
   • Lead the advancement of policy, advocacy, and legislative goals for the MTW Collaborative.
   • Build and capitalize on relationships with HUD, Congress, and other relevant stakeholders to respond to policy and regulatory issues and advocate for policies related to MTW.
   • Review, analyze, and prepare responses to proposed legislation, rules, regulations, notices, and policy issues affecting existing MTW agencies and potential/new MTW agencies.
   • Identify opportunities to elevate the MTW program and its successes in Congress and the larger housing industry. Serve as the spokesperson for the MTW Collaborative and represent the organization amongst internal and external stakeholders.
2. Strategic Initiative Development:
   • Work with the Board and Committees to develop and execute strategic initiatives aligned with the policy and operational goals of the MTW Collaborative.
   • Monitor and evaluate progress on strategic initiatives, develop materials and products that support strategic policy initiatives and goals.
3. Membership Engagement:
   • Work in partnership with the Board of Directors to develop and implement strategies for member recruitment, retention, and engagement.
   • Lead member engagement activities on a regular basis, including calls, webinars, committees, and working groups. Respond to member inquiries and provide technical assistance when needed.
4. Annual MTW Conference Management:
   • Plan and execute the annual MTW Conference, including vendor logistics, working with the MTW Planning Committee to coordinate sessions and programming, managing registration and conference communications and marketing, and securing ongoing sponsorships.
   • Evaluate the conference outcomes and gather feedback from attendees, vendors, and sponsors for future improvements.
5. Financial and Administrative Management:
   • Support the Board Treasurer in financial planning, budgeting, and reporting processes for the MTW Collaborative: including preparing the annual budget and fiscal year-end financial review, managing the invoicing and collecting of membership dues, and working with auditor to ensure annual tax documents are prepared and submitted.
6. Communications Management:
   • Manage ongoing communications work for the MTW Collaborative, including the Monthly Newsletter, member updates, maintaining the organization website, and updating the annual National MTW Policy Database.
   • Work with the Board of Directors and relevant committees to implement strategic communications goals and identify opportunities to expand MTW information sharing.
7. Board Relations:
   • Act as the primary liaison between the organization and its Board of Directors and support Board members in their roles and responsibilities.
   • Prepare materials for monthly Board meetings and ensure effective communication of organizational updates.

Additional Qualifications and Attributes:

• Master’s degree or advanced degree in a related field, such public policy, public administration, or social work, plus 5 to 10 years or more of relevant work experience. Additional or specialized work experience plus a Bachelor’s degree may substitute in lieu of an advanced degree.
• Comfort working independently in a small-staff environment that encourages the interplay of ideas.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and experience with project management tools.
• Commitment to fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion within the organization.

Application Process:

Interested candidates should submit a resume and cover letter outlining their qualifications and interest in the position to clpha@clpha.org. Applications will be accepted until December 13, 2024.