Housing Director
About This Role
This Housing Director role at Friends Center for Children in New Haven, CT offers $90,000/Yr to an experienced early childhood education professional ready to lead staff, curriculum, and compliance.
Friends Center for Children is an early childhood education center providing high-quality, full-time year-round care for children ages 3 months to 5 years. We offer a child-centered, hands-on learning experience in a safe and nurturing environment. At Friends Center, children learn through creative play and a wide range of developmentally appropriate activities. We are non-sectarian and our values-based curriculum is guided and enhanced by its foundations in the Quaker principles of simplicity, peace, truth, community, equity, and stewardship. As a cooperative organization, parents and teachers at Friends Center work together to create a diverse and supportive community. Our mission is: educate children, empower families, inspire teachers, engage community, embrace diversity, embody equity.
Reports to: Chief Strategy & Innovation Officer
Classification: FTE - Exempt
Hours: 40 hours per week, with some evening and weekend hours
Salary Range: $90,000
Benefits:Employer-sponsored health insurance, PTO, and childcare
As Friends Center for Children builds out the first Free Teacher Housing Village in the country and expands this model nationally, we are seeking a Housing Director to lead and grow our housing portfolio, manage real estate operations, and support replication partners across the country.
Position Summary
The Housing Director is a senior individual contributor role responsible for leading Friends Center for Children's housing strategy, real estate operations, and workforce housing portfolio. This individual will drive the day-to-day and long-term development of the Teacher Housing Initiative, identify and advance new housing opportunities, and support the national replication of the model with partner organizations.
This role is ideal for someone with a background in real estate, housing development, or community development finance who is drawn to mission-driven work and wants to apply technical expertise to a model with genuine national potential. The Vice President of Housing reports to the Chief Strategy & Innovation Officer and works closely with the senior leadership team, developers, lenders, public agencies, and national replication partners.
We are always accepting applications for this role.
What You'll Do
Housing Expansion Management & Real Estate Development (50%)
- Lead the day-to-day partner management and long-term strategic growth of Friends Center's Teacher Housing Initiative and related workforce housing portfolio.
- Identify, evaluate, and advance new housing opportunities, including property acquisition, development, renovation, adaptive reuse, and partnership-based housing models.
- Navigate real estate transactions including site control, financing structures, due diligence, and closing processes.
- Build and maintain relationships with developers, lenders, investors, municipalities, public agencies, and community partners to support housing growth.
- Ensure all housing initiatives reflect Friends Center's values of equity, dignity, community, and educator well-being.
Replication & National Movement Support (30%)
- Support the replication of the Free Teacher Housing model with partner organizations across the country, providing technical assistance on real estate, financing, and program structure.
- Develop and maintain replication resources including toolkits, model documentation, financial frameworks, and case studies.
- Represent Friends Center as a thought leader on workforce housing at national conferences, convenings, and in partner relationships.
- Monitor emerging trends, policies, and financing tools relevant to workforce housing and early childhood education infrastructure.
Fundraising & Financial Stewardship (20%)
- Support capital campaigns, grant development, and public funding opportunities related to housing acquisition and development.
- Develop financial models, proposals, and reports for funders, lenders, and investors related to housing projects.
- Manage housing budgets, track expenditures, and ensure financial sustainability across the portfolio.
- Identify and pursue NMTC, CDFI, LIHTC, and other public and private financing mechanisms to support housing growth.
Requirements
Qualifications
- Background in real estate development, housing finance, community development, or a related field.
- Familiarity with community development finance tools including NMTC, CDFI lending, tax credit structures, and public subsidy programs.
- Strong project management skills with the ability to manage multiple properties, partnerships, and workstreams simultaneously.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to develop proposals, financial models, and partnership materials for diverse audiences.
- Comfortable navigating ambiguity and working in a fast-moving, mission-driven environment.
- Experience supporting or building replication of a program, model, or initiative across multiple sites preferred.
- Demonstrated commitment to equity, workforce dignity, and community-centered development.
- Deep alignment with Friends Center's mission and values, and genuine interest in the intersection of housing, workforce stability, and early childhood education.
Benefits
Common Questions
What ECE credentials are required for this position?
No credentials required for this role.
What does this position pay?
This Housing Director role pays $90,000/Yr.
Is this full-time or part-time?
This job is Full Time.
Where is Friends Center for Children located?
Friends Center for Children is located at 227 East Grand Avenue, New Haven, CT