Managing Director, Housing Solutions

OverviewDignityMoves seeks an experienced development, planning, building, or construction professional to reimagine innovative ways to build and deliver interim housing that is fast, cost-effective, and scalable. DignityMoves identifies unused or under-utilized properties and manages their transformation into communities that quickly house those who are homeless and unsheltered. The Managing Director, Housing Solutions will collaborate and develop solutions with municipal officials, private landowners, nonprofits, architects, and workers and contractors from different construction trades and disciplines. Desired experience includes building or construction of temporary shelters after disasters or for military encampments and mobile command centers, field hospitals, or temporary facilities for Olympic and sports villages, concerts, festivals, etc.BACKGROUNDDignityMoves is pioneering Interim Supportive Housing (ISH) to address California’s unsheltered homelessness crisis. Its innovative model uses temporarily vacant land, relocatable prefabricated housing units, and emergency building codes to build communities quickly, cost-effectively, and at scale. By harnessing public-private partnerships and tapping private capital, land, and creative funding strategies, DignityMoves empowers municipalities to move toward functional zero unsheltered homelessness. The organization’s DignityNOW model challenges cities to provide enough placements for everyone living unsheltered.Headquartered in San Francisco, DignityMoves partners with municipal and private stakeholders to rapidly deliver interim housing and supportive services. Leveraging “Shelter Crisis” declarations—under which municipalities can waive regulatory barriers—DignityMoves guides governments in deploying emergency authority to accelerate housing solutions. This approach enables communities to be built for $50,000 per unit in just months. Its advocacy has helped shape policy, including co-sponsoring California’s Interim Housing Act (SB 1395).DignityMoves currently works with cities across the state, with a focus on the Bay Area, San Diego, and Los Angeles. After launching projects in San Francisco and Santa Barbara in 2022, momentum surged statewide. As of August 2025, its portfolio includes 732 beds across 622 units in ten sites, with another 696 beds / 599 units in ten additional sites in development.To meet surging demand, DignityMoves is scaling organizational capacity and experimenting with new building technologies such as 3D printing, sustainable materials, and innovative foundations. The relocatable nature of the units requires minimizing site-specific costs when units are moved.With a total program budget over $60M and an operating budget of $5M, DignityMoves has a staff of 12. Reporting to the Co-Founder and Chief Real Estate Officer, the Managing Director, Housing Solutions (MDHS) oversees four direct reports (VP Real Estate Development, VP Design Innovation, VP Construction & Project Manager, and Associate Project Manager) and collaborates with partners and vendors. This role works closely with the business development team responsible for bringing in new projects.THE POSITIONThis position will be a fascinating adventure for someone who has felt constrained by the “normal” way of building, hamstrung by red tape and multi-year processes. The MDHS provides strategic leadership, oversight, project execution, and operational management for DignityMoves’ end‑to‑end handoff to client and operator. The MDHS and their team are responsible for managing and delivering multiple projects simultaneously, with unprecedented timelines for delivery. The MDHS will have a dealmaker’s sensibility and the tenacity and foresight to anticipate issues, cost overruns, and any red flags that delay opening.Priorities in the first year will be to:Create a dashboard/tracking system for instant visibility over numerous projects for seeing budgets, timelines, and flagging issuesCreate a system to accurately project true project budgetsConduct a project recap assessment of lessons learnedIdentify the major cost drivers and develop alternative solutionsBuild on the analysis already completed by the teamCollaborate with the Chief Real Estate Officer in identifying the most promising innovative opportunitiesManage the team of project managers to ensure they are high performing, working with urgency, and pushing the envelope on speed and costTry new approaches – experimenting, risking new strategies while ensuring successfully deliveryKey KPIs owned by the MDHS include:Speed to opening: LOI → Opening cycle time; schedule adherence; % on time openingsSafety and quality metrics; change‑order ratePost‑occupancy outcomes (handoff completeness, warranty performance)PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIESLEADERSHIP & MANAGEMENTHire, coach, and retain a high-performing, mission-aligned teamDrive a culture of professionalism, urgency, candor, and consistent deliveryDevelop multi-year market and site strategy (site archetypes, go/no-go criteria)PROJECT DEVELOPMENT & DELIVERYMaintain a 12–24 month development pipeline with probabilities and capital needsManage all preconstruction phases through to opening, including modular/traditional buildsEnsure quality assurance, quality control, and system commissioningSet and enforce trauma-informed design standardsTRANSACTIONS & ENTITLEMENTSLead LOIs, DMAs, ground leases, and site licensesOversee permits, environmental reviews, and utility coordinationStandardize deal documents and terms across projectsBuild and manage detailed project pro forma financial statementsAlign sources/uses with a mix of public funding, philanthropy, and impact capitalManage compliance, reporting, and drawdowns with internal finance and development teamsSet preventive maintenance standards, warranties, and service-level agreements (SLAs)Plan for long-term capital expenditures across the asset portfolioDATA & OPERATIONAL CONTROLSImplement project controls, dashboards, and document management systemsUse geographic information system-based tools for pipeline tracking and site analysisEXTERNAL PARTNERSHIPS/RELATIONSBuild and maintain partnerships with city, county, and state agenciesPresent at public hearings and secure entitlements, MOUs, and approvalsIDEAL EXPERIENCE & CHARACTERISTICSThe Managing Director, Housing Solutions will be an individual with sound judgment, a bias for action, and resourcefulness to find creative solutions as situations arise. The MDHS will also have the heart of someone who deeply understands the lives of people who will benefit from interim housing, with a commitment to equity, accessibility, and trauma-informed design. A combination of the following will be considered:10+ years leading complex building, construction, or real estate development (affordable/supportive housing, modular/prefab, civic, or related); 5+ years at VP/SVP/Head level.Knowledge of construction and design issues in affordable housing development from concept to completion; record of multi-site delivery under tight timelines and public scrutiny.Deep experience with site control, public land deals, utilities, and entitlements. Strong construction oversight (schedule, GC/vendor management, QA/QC, change control).Strong financial modeling skills with the ability to perform complex analysis; fluency in affordable housing financing mechanisms and real estate finance (pro formas, sources/uses, grants/compliance); data literacy; ability to manage by KPIs and dashboards.Public-sector partnership experience (cities/counties, housing authorities, state/federal programs); urban municipalities; political savvy; effectiveness with elected officials, staff, and communities.Team builder; skilled in planning, organizing, directing, coordinating, and training staff; adept at work planning, assignment, and anized, self-directed; able to prioritize multiple projects and tasks effectively; makes sound recommendations; prepares strong technical reports; values high customer service; skilled with public, vendors, contractors, and staff.Exceptional oral/written communication, including presentations to diverse audiences; record of garnering support across cultures and backgrounds.Respects expertise and opinions of others; collaborative, collegial, intrepid yet tactful; negotiates skillfully; unquestionable integrity, judgment, and self-awareness.Hard worker with high energy; a “doer” willing to work hands-on in developing and executing projects.California experience (e.g., CEQA, HCD programs) plus at least one additional state.Familiarity with tools such as Procore (or similar), GIS, and modern workflow/reporting stacks.Bachelor’s in real estate, planning, engineering, construction management, or related; advanced degree/professional licensure a PENSATION & WORK CONDITIONSThe salary range for this position is $220,000 - $250,000, including comprehensive benefits. Final compensation range based on experience, market, and scope. This is a hybrid role with regular site/partner visits and occasional evening public meetings; the MDHS must be able to access active construction sites and comply with safety requirements.DignityMoves is an equal opportunity employer and strongly encourages applications from candidates who reflect the communities we serve.Seniority levelExecutiveEmployment typeFull-timeJob functionBusiness Development and SalesIndustriesNon-profit OrganizationsWe’re unlocking community knowledge in a new way. Experts add insights directly into each article, started with the help of AI. #J-18808-Ljbffr

Created: 2025-09-21