Illinois Housing Development Authority→
Manager, Strategic Solutions at Illinois… · Chicago
Job Description
Manager, Strategic Solutions
Full Time · Location: Chicago, IL, US
Position Title: Manager – Strategic Solutions
Department: Asset Management
Join our Team! At IHDA we strive to create and maintain a work environment that promotes diversity, recognition and inclusion. IHDA is committed to hiring and investing in individuals of diverse talents and backgrounds to ensure a range of perspectives and experiences inform and guide our work of financing affordable housing in the state of Illinois.
Who we are: The Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA) is one of the Nation’s preeminent Housing Finance Agencies and one of the State’s ten largest financial institutions. Our mission is to finance the creation and preservation of affordable housing across the state. IHDA oversees more than 20 federal and state programs on behalf of the state of Illinois and serves as one of the state’s primary resources for housing policy and program administration. For over 50 years, IHDA has led the state in financing and supporting affordable housing.
Summary: This position is housed within the Asset Management, which monitors long-term physical, financial, operational, and administrative compliance for IHDA-assisted developments. This particular position is housed within the department’s Asset Operations and Strategy (AOS) team.
Executive: AOS provides comprehensive oversight and sets the department’s strategic direction, leading operations, planning, policy and process development, change management, and cross-departmental initiatives. This role manages the Strategic Solutions function, delivering enterprise-level support for
data, reporting, systems readiness, workflow enhancements, closing coordination, and standardization.
The manager ensures AOS collaborates effectively with all Asset Management divisions to achieve
departmental goals. Additionally, this position is instrumental in implementing new software systems, fostering technical expertise, and guiding the department through system and workflow transitions.
Essential Functions:
- Serves as a primary driver of the strategic direction set out by the Director and Deputy Director for the broader department and as a key facilitator of change management practices.
- Work with senior leadership to design and execute initiatives, informed by a deep understanding of the relevant business practices and through positive influence upon stakeholders.
- Oversee AOS daily operations, including closing processes, policy and procedure development, training, and strategic planning.
- Supervise and support FTEs, ensuring alignment of responsibilities related to policy
- development, closing, writing, strategy, research, technology training, and program support.
- Leads a multifaceted, cross-functional team to facilitate and support the development of policies/procedures, as well as training for owner agents, staff, and partners.
- Conceptualizes and manages work requests and assignments to ensure appropriate
- prioritization, staffing coverage, securing of input/approval, coordinated and timely handling, and workload balance.
- Ensures that operations are efficient and effective, resources are optimized, processes are continually improved, and impact is maximized. Leverage data, systems, visualization, and reporting expertise to provide the team with high-level but targeted guidance as well as directly support related work in a lead, backup, or contributing role to keep pace with internal/external demand for related support.
- Support the team through major technology implementations, including system readiness, testing, workflow mapping, and adoption of technology. Support will include developing team capacity in system navigation, data stewardship, analytics, and continuous process improvement.
- Oversees the creation and delivery of data reports, systems, and project coordination, audit, and communications initiatives. Ensures the production of clear, insightful reports and analyses that can be leveraged for budget discussions, panel reviews, and board presentations, directly supporting strategic decision-making and organizational objectives.
- Serves as a high-level representative and liaison to internal/external stakeholders as directed and represents the team and department as a formal presenter and informal meeting participant.
- Builds and manages relationships with other departments, external partners, and peer leadership where work interfaces.
- Holds signatory responsibility and conducts document review for closing processes, department memos, management bulletins, and other communication documents intended for external audiences, as part of asset management activities.
- Set a positive and productive leadership tone in managing and coaching staff. Positions them for success through thoughtful delegation of stretch assignments, empowerment, constructive and consistent feedback, identification of areas of strength/growth, and commensurate strategies or resources to sustain or improve performance. Establishes and maintains a regular cadence in conferring with the overall team and individual contributors. Cascades messages as appropriate.
- Additional duties as assigned.
Education and Experience Requirements:
- Bachelor’s degree required and Master’s degree desired. Relevant significant experience may be substituted for a Master’s degree subject to Director approval.
- Minimum of 5 years of progressively reasonable experience with federally financed affordable multifamily rental housing.
- At least 3 years of daily supervisory experience managing multiple direct staff reports.
- High proficiency with the Microsoft Office Suite.
- Strong ability to create professional narratives and visuals tailored to specific audiences.
- Effective verbal presentation skills in both formal and informal settings.
- Large-scale and multiple simultaneous project management experience.
- Desirable: Cross-functional leadership experience.
- Managerial style should be clear, consistent, communicative, empowering, people-centered, solution-oriented, with an appropriate sense of urgency and drive to resolution.
- Strong technical aptitude, including the ability to learn and implement new software systems.
- Preferred: Experience in change management, systems testing, and workflow mapping.
- Excellent skills in writing, presentation, communication, and analysis.
- Knowledge of IHDA operations, including portfolio analysis, compliance cycles, physical inspections, and procurement workflows.
Training: Ongoing managerial leadership development and asset management training as directed and/or available. Project management, Six Sigma, and Agile training are recommended as available. Certifications: PMP, Six Sigma, Agile certifications recommended as available.
Certifications such as Asset Management (AM), Project Management Professional (PMP), Six Sigma, and Agile are welcomed. The organization provides opportunities for staff to pursue training and certifications in these areas, as well as other relevant professional development programs as available.
Physical Requirements: Alternating between sitting, standing, and walking. Ascending and descending stairs. Crouching and stooping. Pushing and pulling. Reaching overhead or below. Repetitive task movements (filing, keyboarding, copying). Lifting, carrying, and moving objects of up to 10 -15 pounds.
What we Offer:
- Paid time off, plus paid holidays
- Currently in a hybrid work arrangement, but candidates must reside in Illinois at time of hire
- Medical/dental/vision/life insurance plans
- Short/long term disability
- Tuition reimbursement
- Flex spending
- 401K plan – immediate vesting
- IHDA employees may be eligible for federal loan forgiveness programs
- Salary range: $94,997.50 - $118,746.88
Must be a resident of Illinois or willing to relocate. Flexible scheduling is available, upon completion of a six-month probationary period.
EOE