Lead – Sustainable Affordable Housing

at  Federation of Canadian Municipalities

The Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) is the national voice of municipal governments, representing the interests of cities and communities with the federal government.

YOUR SKILLS MAKE US BETTER

You bring:

EDUCATION:

• Requires a graduate degree or advanced education degree in a relevant area such as social work, public administration, environmental science/studies, business or equivalent

EXPERIENCE:

• Minimum 7-10 years’ experience in a relevant role (e.g. affordable housing provider, municipal/provincial/territorial housing authority; conducting research, developing strategies, building capacity or implementing best practices in the affordable housing sector)

Knowledge & Competencies:

• Extensive knowledge of municipal sustainability issues and challenges, as well as being informed and current on affordable housing trends, best practices and innovative solutions in Canada and internationally
• Demonstrated experience in research, consultation, project management, data analysis and synthesis
• A strong understanding of the challenges, capacities and needs of municipal and non-municipal affordable housing providers;
• Knowledge of legislation, programs and policies (federal, provincial/territorial, municipal) linked to the provision of affordable housing and residential energy efficiency;
• Knowledge of financing and lending frameworks available to municipal and non-municipal affordable housing providers (especially non-profits);
• Strong analytical and communications skills, and the ability to lead meetings and deliver presentations/trainings to senior and professional audiences
• Experience in the development and implementation of funding program targeting affordable housing providers is considered a strong asset
• Experience working in or with municipalities is a strong asset
• Attainment of housing professional’s certification (e.g., Certified Housing Professional Program) is a strong asset
• The ability to communicate in written and verbal format in both official languages is an asset.

YOU IN THIS ROLE

As an active member of the Green Municipal Fund (GMF)’s Community Efficiency and Leverage Programs (CELP) team, the ‘Lead – Sustainable Affordable Housing’ will support FCM’s overall role as the national association and voice for municipalities and will promote the adoption of sustainable measures and practices in the affordable housing sector. The Lead will be responsible for the strategic leadership and direction of the Sustainable Affordable Housing initiative (SAH) for GMF, leading the cross-functional team delivering the program, balancing the needs of the diverse stakeholders and developing a pathway towards optimal environmental, social and economic benefits for Canadian communities. The Lead will also be responsible for developing the network, funding approaches, creating strategic partnerships and supporting knowledge and mobilization tools to support transformation of the affordable sector towards more sustainable practices.

WHAT YOU’LL BE DOING

• Responsible for the GMF Sustainable Affordable Housing funding offer which includes ensuring the offer remains current and meets sector needs by targeting priority affordable housing gaps as identified via sound, evidence-based research and analysis
• Provides leadership and strategic direction to the cross-functional GMF team responsible for the delivery of the SAH initiative
• Responsible for the development and maintenance of data systems and tools to measure program objectives and outcomes and for the assessment of data to inform program direction
• Responsible for the development and maintenance of program application materials, including guide, form and evaluation tools
• Serves as GMF’s sustainable affordable housing sector lead responsible for driving the sector`s design, programming, knowledge sharing and strategic direction
• Maintains up-to-date knowledge and data on affordable housing sector trends, needs and opportunities in Canada and globally and keeps the broader GMF team informed
• Develops and implements strategies, funding products, knowledge programming to drive the construction and retrofitting of energy-efficient affordable housing
• Understands how the affordable housing sector aligns with other GMF funded sectors, and works with other GMF Leads and staff to identify opportunities to advance integrated offers and enhance data gathering or other operational systems that support GMF offers
• Develops data, tools, roadmaps, and other resources to provide guidance to affordable housing providers and support the implementation of best practices
• Engages with municipalities, housing providers and other relevant stakeholders to provide direction and advice for their specific circumstance, brokering connections with other stakeholders or sector experts as needed
• Establish and maintain strong relationship with key stakeholders and sector organizations
• Develop strategic partnerships with other organizations for the delivery of SAH and GMF priority initiatives
• Provide expertise to inform FCM housing and environmental advocacy priorities
• Represent FCM in conferences, events, webinars, meetings, including with senior officials
• Represent SAH design and direction at GMF Council and FCM Executive Committee and Board as required