EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Overview:

The Executive Director leads OHFA’s staff of over 150 professionals who are appointed to their positions by the Executive Director. The Executive Director reports to the OHFA Board, functions as the Secretary to the Board, and keeps the Board informed about issues, needs, opportunities, and operational aspects of the Agency. The Executive Director must maintain a strong working relationship with the Governor’s Office, the Ohio General Assembly, members and staff of the Ohio Congressional Delegation, and other state agencies. A key component of this position is to maintain frequent and open dialogue with our numerous outside partner entities.

Vision:

It is imperative the Executive Director provide vision and leadership to make affordable housing a priority in the State of Ohio, while positioning OHFA to meet the future needs of the residents and community partners. The Executive Director must implement and drive the Agency’s strategic and tactical objectives, including the development of short-term and long-term goals, implement Agency policies, directives and operational goals as directed by the Board with input from its stakeholders and constituents through the Annual Plan, lead its senior team, prioritize workplace culture efforts, and drive the Agency’s mission. It is important that the Executive Director fully supports the mission and values of OHFA.

Relationships:

In addition to leading OHFA’s staff and operations and working with its Board, the Executive Director must maintain and build effective relationships with external constituents. The Executive Director serves as primary liaison and steers relationships with members and staff of the Ohio Congressional Delegation, the Ohio General Assembly, the Office of the Governor, and the executive cabinet, and provides consultation and direction in housing finance and related programs. The Executive Director provides leadership on state housing policy in cooperation with other state and local housing organizations. The Executive Director oversees relationships with other state and local funders, homebuilders, developers, management companies, lenders, realtors, investors, syndicators, community-based organizations, fair housing activists, advocates for seniors, veterans, and other vulnerable populations, and the media. OHFA actively participates in the National Council of State Housing Finance Agencies (NCSHA), a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization created by the nation’s state housing finance agencies to coordinate and leverage their federal advocacy efforts for affordable housing. The Executive Director is encouraged to take leadership roles in NCSHA in order to demonstrate the active role that the State of Ohio has established in promoting affordable housing efforts over the past decade.

Background and Knowledge:

The Executive Director must possess core knowledge and demonstrate experience with all aspects of the housing programs the Agency administers. This includes the housing finance/mortgage industry that funds the homebuyer loan initiatives via a variety of executions, including but not limited to the issuance of tax exempt and taxable bonds, sale of seasoned mortgage-backed securities, and sale of loan pools through a market rate approach. The Executive Director must coordinate the participation and review of the professional teams, including investment bankers, bond counsel, bond trustee, liquidity providers, loan servicers, and OHFA staff, on mortgage revenue bond issuances and other financing vehicles used to fund the first-time homebuyer programs. The Executive Director oversees the administration of rental housing production programs, including the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program, the Agency’s multifamily bond and multifamily lending programs, and various gap financing options. The Executive Director further provides oversight in the monitoring of all rental housing units developed using OHFA resources to ensure compliance with Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and OHFA laws and regulations. In addition, the Executive Director is also responsible for the administration of federal funds to support foreclosure prevention activities for the State of Ohio.

The Executive Director performs various other related tasks to promote the Agency’s programs and the affordable housing industry as may be deemed necessary by the OHFA Board of Directors.

Accountability:

MEASURES OF FIRST YEAR SUCCESS:

• Establishes familiarity, comfort and trust with the Agency, staff, industry leaders, constituents, and community partners
• Fosters a smooth transition by listening, learning, and deliberately and strategically managing change
• Builds, cultivates, and maintains relationships with staff; AND maintains staff morale and retains key staff as needed
• Gains a mastery of the Agency’s award-winning programs
• Establishes credibility with federal, state, and local elected officials
• Successfully participates in the current Legislative session
• Recruits and retains a Government Relations staff member, as applicable
• Articulates a clear and cogent vision for the Agency
• Reviews and digests the Agency’s existing Finance Plan
• Maintains operational excellence
• Ensures the Agency’s programs continue to meet or exceed their goals
• Effectively manages change stemming from the planned or prospective retirement or resignation of key staff

OHFA's current Teleworking Policy requires employees to come into OHFA's offices two (2) days a week & they may work from an alternative work location three (3) days per week. OHFA's offices are located at 2600 Corporate Exchange Drive, Columbus, OH 43231.

Why Work for the State of Ohio

At the State of Ohio, we take care of the team that cares for Ohioans. We provide a variety of quality, competitive benefits to eligible full-time and part-time employees*. For a list of all the State of Ohio Benefits, visit our Total Rewards website! Our benefits package includes:

• Medical Coverage
• Free Dental, Vision and Basic Life Insurance premiums after completion of eligibility period
• Paid time off, including vacation, personal, sick leave and 11 paid holidays per year
• Childbirth, Adoption, and Foster Care leave
• Education and Development Opportunities (Employee Development Funds, Public Service Loan Forgiveness, and more)
• Public Retirement Systems (such as OPERS, STRS, SERS, and HPRS) & Optional Deferred Compensation (Ohio Deferred Compensation)

Benefits eligibility is dependent on a number of factors. The Agency Contact listed above will be able to provide specific benefits information for this position.

Qualifications:

The OHFA Board is seeking an Executive Director with the following work experience, education & training:

• 10+ years of staff/team/large group management experience coupled with exceptional listening, engagement, and consensus-building skills; AND possesses a mentoring, coaching, and development spirit and mentality; AND who is adaptable, approachable, accountable and decisive; AND possesses a highly collaborative, nimble, intuitive, and energetic intellect that inspires, empowers and motivates outstanding performance; AND possesses a diverse, equitable, and inclusive leadership style.
• Possesses a strong understanding of legislative and congressional policymaking as well as the economic and political factors influencing the agency’s future; AND possesses the ability to build, cultivate, and maintain positive and productive relationships with state, local, and federal government officials, industry lobbyists, and legislators.

Preference may be given to those with:

• Prior experience with affordable housing programs
• Demonstrated experience working with Ohio's general assembly and other elected officials

Necessary Job Skills: Executive Leadership, Political Savvy, Housing, Real Estate, Economics & Development, Advocacy, Growth Mindset, Establishing Relationships, Priority Setting, Strategic Thinking

Supplemental Information:

Background & Drug Test Requirements:

The final candidate selected for the position will be required to undergo a criminal background check. Criminal convictions do not necessarily preclude an applicant from consideration for a position. An individual assessment of an applicant’s prior criminal convictions will be made before excluding an applicant from consideration.

All final candidates for this position who are not current State of Ohio employees &/or who do not have a qualifying drug test on file will be subject to a pre-employment drug test.

ADA:

OHFA is committed to providing access & reasonable accommodation in its services, activities, programs & employment opportunities in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act & other applicable laws. To request an ADA reasonable accommodation due to a disability, please email DeHavlyn Wainwright at

EEO Statement:

OHFA is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer & does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender/sex, gender identity or expression, national origin (ancestry), military status, disability, age (40 years of age or older), genetic information, sexual orientation, status as a parent during pregnancy & immediately after the birth of a child, status as a parent of a young child, or status as a foster parent as those are defined in applicable Ohio law, federal law & any Executive Order, in admission or access to the operation of its programs, services, activities or its own employment practices. Employment practices are any employment related decisions including, but not limited to hiring, layoff, transfer, termination, promotion, demotion, discipline, rate of compensation, eligibility for in-service training programs, or terms & conditions of employment.

ADA Statement:

Ohio is a Disability Inclusion State and strives to be a model employer of individuals with disabilities. The State of Ohio is committed to providing access and inclusion and reasonable accommodation in its services, activities, programs and employment opportunities in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other applicable laws.

Drug-Free Workplace:

The State of Ohio is a drug-free workplace which prohibits the use of marijuana (recreational marijuana/non-medical cannabis). Please note, this position may be subject to additional restrictions pursuant to the State of Ohio Drug-Free Workplace Policy (HR-39), and as outlined in the posting.