Deputy Director of Housing Opportunity

About Our Job

With competitive pay, great benefits, and endless opportunities, working for the City and County of Denver means seeing yourself working with purpose — for you, and those who benefit from your passion, skills and expertise. Join our diverse, inclusive and talented workforce of more than 11,000 team members who are at the heart of what makes Denver, Denver.

What We Offer

The City and County of Denver offers competitive pay commensurate with education and experience. New hires are typically brought into the organization within the Target Hiring Range: $134,933 - $177,896.  We also offer generous benefits for full-time employees which include but are not limited to:

• A guaranteed life-long monthly pension, once vested after 5 years of service
• 457B Retirement Plan
• 140 hours of PTO earned within first year + 12 paid holidays, 1 personal holiday, 1 Wellness Day and 1 volunteer day per year
• Competitive medical, dental and vision plans effective within 1 month of start date

Location & Schedule

The City and County of Denver supports a hybrid workplace model. In this position you can expect to work on-site at least 3 days per week at the Wellington Webb building, with ample time spent in the community. Employees must work within the state of Colorado on their off-site days.

In this position you can expect to work on site at the Wellington Webb Building – 201 W. Colfax Ave, Denver Co. 80202

Who We Are & What You’ll Do

At the Department of Housing Stability (HOST), we are committed to support Denver residents to be healthy, housed, and connected.  We invest resources, create policy, and partner with various organizations to help keep residents in the homes that they already live in, quickly resolve an experience of homelessness, and connect residents to new housing opportunities.  To support these efforts, the department helps to:

• Stabilize residents at risk of involuntary displacement and connect residents to housing resources such as home repairs, rent and utility assistance, and legal support.
• Support residents experiencing a crisis and connect them to housing, shelter, and other services to get stabilized quickly.
• Create and preserve existing affordable housing and connect residents at any income level to new housing opportunities through programs such as down-payment assistance or counseling services.
• Support financial services, contracting and procurement, data analysis and strategic planning, administrative resources, and communications across the housing continuum.

HOST also works to advance equity, so that race no longer predicts outcomes for involuntary displacement, homelessness, homeownership, or cost burden. 

We are seeking a Deputy Director of Housing Opportunity to lead Denver’s efforts to create and preserve affordable housing. Reporting to the Executive Director of HOST, this position oversees a cross-functional division of 30+ employees and a multimillion-dollar budget supported by the City’s Affordable Housing Fund, Homeless Resolution Fund, and federal resources.

The Deputy Director leads housing investments, partnerships, and ongoing asset management and compliance of the City’s affordable housing portfolio. Responsibilities include funding affordable housing development and preservation; partnering with for-profit, nonprofit, and quasi-governmental organizations; negotiating affordable units within market-rate developments; acquiring and evaluating real estate for future housing; and investing in programs that connect residents to housing opportunities.

Working with HOST colleagues, elected officials, developers, and community partners, the Deputy Director advances policies and strategies that promote equitable access to affordable rental and ownership housing, including opportunities to build wealth through homeownership. This role requires strong leadership, customer service, good judgment, problem-solving, and communication skills to respond to changing community needs, system barriers, and political realities while improving outcomes for residents experiencing homelessness or seeking to find or remain in their homes.

As Deputy Director of Housing Opportunity, you will expect to:  

• Create and manage divisional budgets; establish and maintain systems for investment decisions, implementation, contracting for outcomes, oversight and review, and reporting of all housing funds. Work with staff to create and maintain consistent project/program review and development procedures and processes while maintaining flexibility to respond to unique project/program issues. 

• Support development of the multi-year strategic plan for the Department of Housing Stability, including community engagement processes, and strategic policy and programmatic development that advances the goals of the Housing Opportunity division. 

• Proactively lead and empower employees within the department; communicating expectations clearly and consistently, while also providing coaching, guidance, and mentorship.

• Lead, manage and direct staff and resources in development, programs/policies, finance, compliance, preservation, and reporting to create and preserve housing opportunities.  

• Serve as a chief representative and key resource person for the city on the topic of affordable housing. 

• Provide leadership on affordable housing issues within the City, State and Federal levels. (Develop partnerships with the State Division of Housing Colorado Housing Finance Authority, Denver Housing Authority, Denver Urban Renewal Authority, HUD, etc.) and represent the Department of Housing Stability at external events/engagements.

• In collaboration with HOST, City leaders and external stakeholders, manage the development pipeline for the homeownership and rental financing programs and ensure timely loan closings, construction draws, conversions of projects, and long-term monitoring.

• Oversee preparation of reports on housing investments, programs, and policies and provide support for relevant advisory bodies and committees for the Department of Housing Stability.

• Establish effective working relationships with executive management at City agencies involved in housing finance, development, preservation, community planning, and permitting processes. 

• Actively contribute to strategic Leadership initiatives and help create a collaborative and inclusive culture that supports staff development. 

What You’ll Bring

We value diversity of ethnicity, race, socioeconomic status, sexual identity, gender, religion, language, ability, and experience and exemplify this through the makeup of our team at all levels. You'll be right at home here if you cultivate strong relationships and push yourself, your work, the people around you and Denver to the next level.

Our ideal candidate has some or all the following experience, skills, and characteristics:

• Experience with policy and investment with a deep understanding of the pro forma review, underwriting, tasks and partnerships that go into successful housing development and asset management.

• Experience developing or preserving affordable housing within a for-profit, non-profit, or quasi-governmental organization in a high-cost housing market, including multi-family rental programs and homeownership programs.

• Familiarity with property development and/or asset management, including supportive housing programs.

• Demonstrated working knowledge of federal, state, and local housing programs and regulations.

• Diplomacy in working to resolve sensitive and complex program compliance issues. 

• A strong commitment to public service, with experience working with and serving diverse communities.

• 10+ years of progressively responsible managerial/administrative experience in housing. 

• 5+ years of managerial experience leading a diverse team in a highly competitive market, to include mentoring, coaching and consistently communicating with staff. 

• Experience leading diverse and high performing teams with a focus on employee engagement, inclusion, and opportunity for career growth.

• Experience preparing and implementing strategic plans for housing programs and initiatives. 

• Proven experience in complex loan workouts/modifications with positive results and working with legal counsel.

• Track record of adeptly navigating complex organizations, developing trust with senior leaders, and building relationships among diverse groups of stakeholders.

• Familiarity with government operations/systems and practices, including implementing local ordinances.
• Familiarity with Denver’s diverse communities and current context.

Required Minimum Qualifications

• Education requirement: Bachelor's Degree in a related field based on a specific position(s).
• Experience Requirement: Five (5) years of leadership experience, which must have included director-level management responsibilities. One (1) year of management experience must include budget and fiscal oversight responsibility, evaluation of business processes, and policy and decision-making experience with planning and organizing multiple programs, pro-jects, operations, or functions.
• Education/Experience Equivalency: Two (2) years of the appropriate type and level of experience may be substituted for each required year of post-high school education. Additional appropriate education may be substituted for the minimum experience requirements.
• License/Certifications: Requires a valid Driver's License at the time of application. Licenses and certifications must be kept current as a condition of employment.

To be considered for this position, you must include the following on your job application (upload the multiple attachment(s) to the Resume/CV section on the My Experience tab):

• Resume
• Cover Letter, please describe your director-level experience overseeing federal, state, and local housing programs and ensuring compliance with applicable regulations

Application Deadline

This position is expected to stay open until 11/13/26. Please submit your application as soon as possible and no later than 11/13/26 at 11:59 PM.

About Everything Else

Job Profile

CA1769 Executive

To view the full job profile including position specifications, physical demands, and probationary period, click here.

Position Type

Unlimited

Position Salary Range

$134,933.00 - $229,386.00

Target Pay

$134,933 - $177,896, based experience and education

Agency

Department of Housing Stability

The City and County of Denver provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, genetic information, age, or any other status protected under federal, state, and/or local law. 

It is your right to access oral or written language assistance, sign language interpretation, real-time captioning via CART, or disability-related accommodations. To request any of these services at no cost to you, please contact [email protected] with three business days’ notice.

Applicants for employment with the City and County of Denver must have valid work authorization that does not require sponsorship of a visa for employment authorization in the U.S.

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