Real Estate Project Manager

The Vietnamese American Initiative for Development (VietAID) seeks a Real Estate Project Manager or Senior Project Manager to join our team.

VietAID was founded in 1994 by community leaders and residents who believed that forming a community development corporation (CDC) would provide comprehensive economic development programs and services to alleviate poverty and advance civic participation in the Fields Corner and Vietnamese community of Dorchester. VietAID’s mission is to build a strong Vietnamese community and a vibrant Fields Corner through: promoting civic engagement and community building; developing affordable housing and commercial space; enriching youth leadership; offering high quality child and senior care, and providing diverse direct and social services.

VietAID has pursued a development strategy that has linked housing, small business development, and transit assets with opportunities to build a vibrant, diverse and sustainable community. We began with the planning and development of the Vietnamese American Community Center (VACC), which was completed in 2002. To date, VietAID has leveraged over $70 million of public and private financing to support our Community Center, a community garden, and six affordable rental housing projects – all of which are located within a half-mile radius of our Community Center in Fields Corner, and rapid transit lines.

As of September 2024, VietAID has developed 164 units of affordable rental housing and 11,234 square feet of commercial space. A 36-unit senior housing project, a potential homeownership project, and several refinancing and capital improvement projects are in our pipeline. We continue to serve our community with child care, youth development, elder support and community engagement activities. We have a staff of 23, a board of 8, and a 2024 operating budget of $2.1 million.

The Project Manager

The Real Estate Project Manager or Senior Project Manager will be responsible for coordinating all elements of real estate project development, with support from our Finance Staff and our consultants. They will also oversee ongoing property operations, refinancing, and capital improvements for our portfolio together with our Asset Manager and Trinity Management, our outsourced property management company.

The Project Manager’s duties will include: site identification and acquisition through design; public approval funding applications; selecting debt and equity partners; design development and construction bidding; the selection of professional and construction firms; and project management during construction. Also, in consultation with our Asset Management consultant, the Real Estate Development (Senior) Project Manager oversees property management, working with our Management Company (Trinity) to approve budgets, establishing priorities and strategies for improved performance, and providing case-by-case guidance in unique situations.

Responsibilities and Duties:

Build and Maintain a Development Pipeline

• Create and manage a pipeline of new development projects, including site research, response to public and private site RFPs, feasibility analyses, acquisition and/or site control, and securing predevelopment financing.

Manage Projects from Start to Finish

• Initiate and oversee completion of various projects, including new construction and renovation of small and large residential and commercial properties.
• Negotiate contracts with architects, contractors and other vendors and coordinate their efforts once selected
• Oversee the construction of the projects and perform day to day project management for projects under construction and through marketing and leasing.

Obtain Key Funding, Permits and Approvals

• Prepare financing proposals, obtain funding commitments and manage closings with funders.
• Manage zoning and permitting processes.
• Represent VietAID at community meetings as well as in meetings with funders and affiliates.

Oversee Property Management

• Oversee the property management firm and VietAID’s portfolio performance, together with the Asset Manager.

Support Departmental and Agency Management

• Collaborate with Executive Director to create departmental work-plan and budgets and ensure that goals are being met.
• Participate in community and all staff events as required.

Qualifications

We seek a motivated project manager who is attracted by our mission and the opportunities to work with and learn from our team. The project manager should have many of the following qualifications:

• At least two years of experience in affordable housing development or related field; additional relevant experience may be substituted for educational requirements.
• Comfort managing spreadsheets and budgets.
• Familiarity with City of Boston and Commonwealth of Massachusetts affordable housing funders and regulators as well as zoning and permitting preferred.
• Bachelor’s degree in urban planning, business, real estate, architecture, or a related field; Masters degree preferred.
• Ability to work independently with an entrepreneurial spirit.
• Experience working with low-income communities, immigrant communities and/or communities of color.
• Skilled in and motivated to develop relationships with a diverse set of residents, constituents, and professionals.
• Strong English language communication and presentation skills; speaking proficiency in Vietnamese language and familiarity with the Dorchester community are a plus.

To Apply

Please submit a cover letter detailing your interest and your qualifications for this position, along with a resume, using the form below. Questions should be addressed to: jobs@annlsilverman.com. Applications will be reviewed and acknowledged as they are received. VietAID seeks to fill this position as soon as possible.

Please note: If you do not have all the qualifications listed for this position, but are motivated to do this work, we encourage you to apply. Please tell us what you bring to the position and what you would need to learn in your cover letter.

VietAID is an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer. We encourage applications from candidates with diverse backgrounds and cultures. We offer a competitive salary and excellent benefits. The salary range for this full time position is $85,000-105,000.