Bay Area Housing Finance Authority (Bahfa) Assistant Director

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

The Metropolitan Transportation Commission is an equal-opportunity, non-discriminatory employer. MTC provides all employees and applicants with an equal opportunity in every aspect of the employment experience regardless of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, physical handicap, medical condition or marital status.

ABOUT THE TEAM AND ROLE
The Bay Area Housing Finance Authority (BAHFA) is entering a new phase guided by its recently completed strategic plan, which establishes near-term programmatic priorities while also outlining a path toward long-term operational sustainability. The Assistant Director will serve as the day-to-day leader of the BAHFA team, helping to ensure that the agency’s core programs are delivered effectively, resources are used strategically, and the organization remains stable and adaptive in a dynamic and constantly evolving housing ecosystem. BAHFA’s near-term priorities are designed to build towards the agency’s long-term vision to bring about transformative, systems-level change to ensure housing affordability and security for all throughout the nine-county Bay Area.

A primary responsibility of the Assistant Director is to oversee the successful development, launch, and ongoing management of BAHFA’s new mixed-income financing tools, along with providing strategic oversight and operational support for the Doorway Housing Portal. The Assistant Director will also oversee monitoring and asset management of BAHFA’s existing program portfolio that includes more than 2,000 assisted units. The Assistant Director will supervise and mentor a team of 6-10 staff, strengthen day-to-day operations, and help establish the systems, processes, and internal capabilities needed for BAHFA to sustain itself through program generated revenue.

The Assistant Director will represent BAHFA in a wide range of external settings and champion BAHFA’s statutory mission to advance the “3 Ps” (producing new affordable housing, preserving existing housing, and protecting residents from displacement). The Assistant Director will build strong, trust-based relationships that keep the agency informed, responsive, and well positioned to take advantage of emerging opportunities. This position is ideal for an experienced and pragmatic housing leader who understands how the Bay Area housing ecosystem works in practice while also thinking creatively about new approaches and value-add regional opportunities. The ideal candidate will balance thinking strategically while acting decisively, and will thrive in a hands on, entrepreneurial environment within a larger public agency.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

Under general direction of the Deputy Executive Director for Housing and Energy, the BAHFA Assistant Director will be responsible for:

Program Leadership and Strategic Execution

• Lead day-to-day implementation of BAHFA’s core program areas, ensuring high-quality delivery, sound operations, and alignment with BAHFA’s mission and strategic plan.
• Oversee the development, launch, and ongoing management of BAHFA’s new mixed-income financing tools, including coordinating program design, project evaluation and execution, operational protocols, and partnerships needed for long-term viability.
• Provide strategic direction and operational oversight for the Doorway Housing Portal, supporting platform improvements, regional adoption, partner engagement, and overall program performance.
• Oversee monitoring and asset management of BAHFA’s portfolio of over 2,000 assisted affordable units, along with new projects added to the portfolio.
• Translate strategic goals into operational plans with clear milestones, resource needs, and accountability structures.
• Monitoring affordable housing trends and innovations, and working to incorporate/adjust BAHFA programs accordingly.

Organizational Management and Staff Leadership

• Supervise, mentor, and support a team of professional staff, fostering a collaborative, high-performance culture with clear roles, expectations, and professional development pathways.
• Oversee work planning, workflow management, and staffing allocations to ensure programs are delivered effectively and adaptively.
• Build and strengthen internal systems and processes across BAHFA, championing continuous improvement practices that support a more self-sustaining business model.
• Serve as the primary internal leader for troubleshooting, problem-solving, and cross-agency coordination on BAHFA operations.

External Partnerships and Regional Engagement

• Represent BAHFA in meetings, workshops, and collaborative forums with regional partners, funders, community organizations, local governments, and practitioners.
• Build and maintain strong stakeholder relationships that keep BAHFA informed about emerging needs, operational challenges, opportunities for collaboration, and evolving market and policy conditions.
• Support BAHFA’s role as a regional convener by fostering alignment, sharing best practices, and ensuring programs respond effectively to real-world conditions and partner feedback.

Cross-Agency Collaboration and Internal Alignment

• Collaborate closely with staff across MTC and ABAG—including finance, legal, technology, and communications—to ensure smooth execution of BAHFA programs and shared initiatives.
• Prepare and deliver presentations, briefings, and written materials for BAHFA, ABAG, and MTC committees, as well as for partners and other audiences.
• Ensure BAHFA’s programmatic work is integrated with broader regional housing strategies and the MTC-ABAG Strategic Framework.

Operational Sustainability and Adaptive Management

• Support efforts to position BAHFA for long-term sustainability by identifying opportunities to streamline operations, generate program revenue, and strengthen BAHFA’s financial footing.
• Monitor program performance, budgets, compliance requirements, and risk exposure, raising issues proactively and developing recommendations to resolve challenges.
• Identify and act on opportunities to pilot innovations, refine program models, and adopt practices that increase effectiveness and efficiency.

QUALIFICATIONS

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

The ideal candidate will have the following knowledge, skills, and abilities:

• 
  Deep knowledge of affordable housing finance, including public and private financing structures, tax-exempt bonds, subordinate lending, acquisition/rehab and mixed-income deal structures, and implications of program design for development feasibility.
• Understanding of Bay Area housing systems, including local funding and financing approaches, state regulatory frameworks, and the practical constraints faced by nonprofit and for-profit developers.
• Expertise in regional housing policy and the “3 Ps”, with an ability to connect policy decisions to on-the-ground production, preservation, and protection outcomes.
• Strong program design and implementation skills, with the ability to translate broad strategies into clear procedures, operational workflows, evaluation criteria, and performance management systems.
• Advanced project management abilities, including oversight of complex, multi-year initiatives; coordination across teams and consultants; risk identification; and adaptive problem-solving.
• Skill in supervising and developing staff, including setting goals, providing coaching and constructive feedback, delegating effectively, and fostering a collaborative and high-performance team culture.
• Ability to analyze and interpret financial models, pro formas, and program budgets, and to identify implications for underwriting, program design, and long-term sustainability.
• Strong communication skills, including the ability to present complex concepts clearly to policymakers, partners, and public audiences; draft concise, compelling written materials; and facilitate productive discussions with diverse stakeholders.
• Ability to build and maintain strong working relationships, establishing trust with local jurisdictions, housing providers, community organizations, funders, and internal partners.
• Sound judgment and political acumen, with the ability to navigate sensitive issues, balance multiple perspectives, and anticipate challenges in a dynamic policy environment.
• Capacity to work both collaboratively and independently, exercising initiative, managing competing priorities, and maintaining accountability for results in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment within a public agency.
• Commitment to equity and inclusion, with an understanding of how regional housing finance and program design can advance equitable outcomes across the Bay Area.

• Seven (7) years of increasingly responsible experience in affordable housing, community development, real estate finance, or related housing programs, with at least three (3) years in a supervisory, managerial, or team-lead capacity.
• Demonstrated experience with affordable housing finance, including a mixture of experience with traditional affordable housing finance tools (e.g., tax credits) as well as creative financing such as essential-purpose bond executions, public ownership models, and other approaches designed to lower borrowing costs and expand mixed-income housing feasibility.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

EMPLOYMENT REQUIREMENTS
Successful completion of a background check, professional references and the Employment Eligibility Verification Form I-9.

DISABILITY
The Human Resources Department will make reasonable efforts in the recruitment or skills assessment process to accommodate applicants with disabilities. If selected for an interview or testing, and you require accommodation, please notify the Human Resources Department when confirming your interview or test.

APPLICATION ASSISTANCE
If you need technical assistance with your online application, please contact Applicant Support at (855) 524-5627, available from 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM (PST), Monday-Friday, excluding holidays.

THE FOLLOWING ARE AMONG THE BENEFITS OFFERED TO EMPLOYEES OF MTC:

• Public Employees Retirement System (PERS); employee contributes a portion of gross salary on a pre-tax basis.
  • MTC is subject to California Pension Reform and as of January 1, 2013 will offer two pension plans. The plan employee will receive will be based on the individual's historical pension plan membership. HR will discuss this directly with all final candidates.
• Health Benefits Insurance through the Public Employees' Retirement System (premiums are shared between agency and employee).
• Agency-paid Dental Insurance (dependent coverage shared by the employee and MTC).
• Agency-paid Vision Care Insurance, employees only (dependent coverage is paid in full by employee).
• Agency-paid Life, AD&D, Short Term and Long Term Disability Insurance.
• Eleven paid holidays per year.
• One day per month paid vacation leave; for each year of service, an additional day per year is granted to a maximum of 25 days per year.
• One day per month paid sick leave, with no limit to the amount of sick leave that can be accumulated. (May cash out up to 240 hours of accumulated sick leave upon separation from the Agency.)
• Personal Business leave; up to three (3) days per year depending upon date of hire.
• Monthly Transit/Parking Subsidy.
• Alternative employee-paid payroll savings plans (tax-deferred compensation plans).
• Two voluntary employee-paid pre-tax dependent care and flexible spending accounts available for employees to participate in.
• Voluntary Supplemental life insurance.