Director, Broadband in Affordable Housing Programs

THE PRACTICE | Over the next decade, the federal government, states, localities, philanthropies, and private businesses are projected to spend $200 billion on new Broadband and Digital Equity programs. HR&A’s Broadband and Digital Equity practice is built to provide a full suite of strategic planning, staffing, program management, and implementation services to maximize the impact of this historic funding.

Whether we’re helping State Broadband Offices deliver their Broadband and Digital Equity plans, supporting municipalities to structure public-private partnerships and digital inclusion services, or building capacity in community anchor institutions and nonprofits, our work is focused on designing and delivering sustainable programs and partnerships that close the digital divide and promote economic opportunity for all.

THE OPPORTUNITY | To ensure that affordable housing residents are front and center in Broadband and Digital Equity planning for states and cities, we are helping our clients maximize public and private funds to connect some of the lowest-income residents to high-speed internet and prevent repeating historical geographical patterns of under-investment. The Director, Affordable Housing Programs in our Broadband and Digital Equity Team will lead the design, development, and delivery of new programs to support Broadband and Digital Equity in affordable housing – a portfolio of impact designed to reach more than five million homes across the United States.

Day-to-day tasks will require managing internal and external teams to complete complex assignments including strategic planning; community, government and industry engagement and relationship-building; data analysis and case study research; program design and operations; evaluation and impact analysis; real estate and financial analysis; and public policy analysis. The Director will develop, review, and present client deliverables including memos, reports, financial models, and presentations, and may also support the development of marketing materials, proposals for new projects, and other business development pursuits.

The Director, Broadband in Affordable Housing should have experience in the affordable housing industry and a passion for delivering greater economic opportunity, essential services, and quality of life for residents of affordable housing. Affordable Housing and primary tasks will include:

  • Managing the designing and implementation of programs to deliver affordable, reliable broadband in affordable housing, and the provision of digital inclusion services
  • Building relationships across the affordable housing industry and its broader service provider ecosystem to promote the adoption of broadband and digital inclusion services
  • Developing a deep understanding of the internet service provider and managed service provider landscape for affordable housing portfolios
  • Managing the drafting and negotiation of relevant contracts, grant agreements, requests for proposals and other solicitations, as well as leading the review of applications and making recommendations for funding
  • Scoping, structuring, creating, and reviewing client deliverables, and producing high-quality on-time results
  • Collaborating with the firm’s digital equity data team, public-private partnership team, affordable housing team, civic engagement team, and other teammates to shape program development and delivery
  • Promulgating best practices for Broadband and Digital Equity in affordable housing nationally, including supporting new business development pursuits

Preferred qualifications:

  • Experience working within affordable housing programs or agencies
  • A clear passion for digital equity, economic empowerment, and systems change in government; experience with broadband deployments and digital inclusion programs preferred but not required
  • Experience advancing projects through local, county, and/or state government processes such as procurements, budgeting, governance planning, and public engagement
  • Substantial project management experience working across multiple fast-paced, collaborative teams simultaneously that include scoping, structuring, creating, reviewing deliverables, and producing high-quality on-time results
  • Exceptional ability to engage with and earn the trust of local leaders, community leaders, and businesses on complex broadband issues
  • Exceptionally strong quantitative and qualitative skills; excellent written and verbal communication skills
  • Demonstrated capacity for leadership, mentorship, critical thinking, and creativity
  • Bachelor’s degree (master’s preferred) with a focus on public policy, economics, urban planning, business, or other closely related fields

COMPENSATION | The annual salary range for this position is $126,500 to $143,500.  Where an offer falls inside the pay range is dependent on experience.  This position is a full-time temporary contractor role for a maximum of three years that works alongside HR&A teams, where employment is via HR&A’s employment partner, Magnit. Magnit benefits include health and wellness benefits and paid holidays.

HOW TO APPLY | HR&A is committed to attracting and retaining a talented, diverse, competitive team of professionals dedicated to solving the challenges of urban life. Women, people of color, members of the LGBTQ community, individuals with disabilities, and veterans are strongly encouraged to apply.

Please submit a cover letter and resume as a single PDF document at https://hraadvisors.applytojob.com/apply/. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Applications without a cover lever will not be reviewed. 

We ask that you submit a version of your resume that has your school information removed. There is no need to reformat your resume, and you should leave your degree (e.g. “B.A. Economics”). But please remove all undergraduate and graduate school name references. This request is part of our ongoing work to build a hiring system that is free from bias and based on candidate merit and performance in the hiring process.

All qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment without regard to their race, religion, ancestry, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, marital status, medical condition, veteran status or any other basis as protected by federal, state, or local law.

Learn more at https://www.hraadvisors.com/broadband-and-digital-equity/.

For more information, please contact us at jobs@hraadvisors.com.