Executive Director – Black Developers Forum
Position Snapshot
Date Posted: November 14, 2024
Location: Northern California/ San Francisco/Oakland Bay Area
Compensation: $130,000-$150,000, including benefits
Position Details
The Black Developers Forum (BDF) is a non-profit, membership based professional organization, made up of black led affordable housing, market-rate housing, and commercial developers. BDF serves as an industry advocacy group whose goal is to expose inequities and systemic racism in policies, practices and regulations in the State of California’s policies and practices that drive decisions within the real estate development industry. BDF’s area of focus are:
- Advocacy - exposing and eliminating systemic discrimination in California policies and practices
- Education - recruit/train future black developers
- Wealth Building - minimize the black wealth gap in concentrated communities of poverty. This includes identifying program funding inequities throughout communities in California. Make development opportunities of all kinds more equitable in California for Black developers and within the Black community.
- Fundraising – to help with paying personnel and service consultants and for special events, training, advocacy, and marketing to spread the word about the importance of equity in all aspects of real estate development. The Executive Director manages a budget of approximately $1 million.
To accomplish our goals, BDF seeks an Executive Director who will be a strategic thinker and collaborative leader who is passionate about advancing equity in an all areas of real estate development and the role it plays in achieving racial and economic justice.
Job Summary
The Executive Director is a senior level management position responsible for developing and advancing a broad engagement strategy and comprehensive framework that leads BDF’s advocacy and policy strategy, which will be informed by BDF members. The Executive Director will work closely with the Board of Directors, community, political leadership and other policy experts and researchers as they manage all aspects of the advocacy and programmatic activities of BDF. The Executive Director will also be responsible for building brand campaigns regarding equity and inclusion (to be executed at the state and local levels), develop and drive racial and economic communication strategies, and identify policy priorities and community relations needs.
Duties and Responsibilities
- Cultivate relationships with the affordable housing community, the real estate development community in general, the State of California state agency and department staff, legislators, and policy staff to create opportunities to influence program policies and implementation.
- Lead BDF advocacy activities to ensure racial equity in local, state, and federal policy, legislative, and regulatory strategy and implementation.
- Oversee the development of position papers, policy briefs, and public facing communications that establish BDF as an advocate and policy leader within the state.
- Oversee and support policy initiatives, with a racial and economic equity lens.
- Gather BDF member input to determine and implement regulatory advocacy priorities at the state level, including the identification and ratification of inequities at the local, state, and federal programs, as well as their guidelines.
- Lead strategic planning, fundraising, grant applications and reporting, member engagement, and BDF event and program development with an emphasis on fundraising from sponsors who are interested in evening the playing field for Black developers and the Black community.
- Oversee the work of organizational consultants.
- Plan board and membership meetings to engage members as thought leaders on strategic and timely policy issues.
- Oversee BDF working groups and committees.
- Represent BDF at meetings and conferences and make presentations on behalf of BDF.
Skills and Qualifications
- Experience in working with/for a nonprofit affordable housing developer with strong advocacy work, campaign management, outreach, and policy education.
- Strategic thinker and collaborative leader with experience leading programs, coalitions, and/or policy initiatives. Ability to create collaboration among diverse groups and engender a collective commitment to racial and economic equity and justice.
- Ability to facilitate effective meetings and build excellent working relationships with affordable housing developers, community groups, and policymakers.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including public speaking and interpersonal.
- Strong ability to prioritize and problem-solve.
- Experience with high dollar fundraising and with multiple and multi-year sponsors; experience with foundations or banks preferred.
- Bachelor’s degree required Advanced degree preferred in real estate development or public policy with professional experience in affordable housing, real estate development, public policy, or other related fields.
Compensation & Benefits
Salary range is based on prior experience and ability to lead a policy and advocacy organization. This position is an exempt, full-time position. BDF offers a competitive benefit compensation package including paid vacation, holidays, and sick time.
How to Apply
Qualified applicants should email a resume and cover letter to: nennix@communityhdc.org with the subject header: Executive Director Position. Please include a brief writing sample you’ve written from your current or previous work that demonstrates your ability to write an advocacy briefing, specific to the affordable housing industry. The sample should clearly and persuasively highlight your policy analysis skills. (4 pages maximum).
This position is open until filled.
BDF is an Equal Opportunity Employer
BDF is committed to creating a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We encourage women, people of color, LGBTQ persons, people of different levels of physical ability, and all qualified persons to apply for this position.
