Director of Real Estate

Recruitment for this position is being conducted by Bridge Partners, LLC; please review the complete job description and application details here.

The Organization:

Established in 1935, Cambridge Housing Authority (CHA) provides housing and rental assistance to more than 7,800 low-income households — families, elders and individuals with disabilities — through its housing programs and robust social services. Over 5,000 of these households live in Cambridge representing roughly 8% of the city’s population. By focusing on policy innovation and family economic opportunities, CHA’s more than 250 employees meet a shared mission to create, support, and preserve thriving affordable communities where residents have access to enriched services and opportunities that promote upward mobility, educational advancement, and civic engagement.

Designated a Moving to Work (MTW) agency by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in 1999, the CHA is one of only 39 initial MTW agencies in the U.S. MTW provides CHA the administrative flexibility to develop and implement financial, programmatic, and development strategies that are responsive to the unique needs of the populations they serve. This flexibility has assisted the CHA in preserving and expanding their portfolio and services, adding over 2,700 new vouchers to their portfolio and investing over $880 million into their housing stock since 2010. CHA is one of the few housing authorities in the country that owns, develops, and manages its redevelopment activity and housing portfolio.

In addition to its record of success in building residential communities, CHA is widely recognized as among the most visionary and high-performing housing authorities in the nation, one that has expanded its reach and services far beyond housing. CHA’s active and ongoing work includes a comprehensive after-school educational enrichment and work-readiness program for students starting in middle school, support for people experiencing homelessness to transition into permanent housing, an adult education certificate program to supporting careers in property management, and more. In recent years, CHA significantly expanded its professional services by developing a consulting business to provide property management and real estate development services to other public housing authorities and housing organizations in the region.

Last year, CHA adopted a new five-year strategic plan: Shaping a Shared Future: CHA Strategic Plan 2025–2030 – CHA, that highlights priorities to grow its housing portfolio, diversify revenue sources, optimize the agency’s use of data and technology, expand services to residents, and invest in staff development. It is an exciting time to join the agency as they modernize systems and processes, strengthen organizational capacity, and enhance its ability to serve residents and support staff.

The CHA’s annual operating budget is over $210 million, plus an annual construction budget of approximately $190 million (FY 2026).

CHA’s main office is located in the heart of Central Square, Cambridge, just one block from the MBTA Red Line and surrounded by a vibrant mix of restaurants, shops, arts organizations, and community institutions. Within a mile are the main campuses of Harvard University and MIT, as well as Kendall Square, home to leading technology, life sciences, and innovation companies. Although CHA operates independently from the City of Cambridge, the city is one of its closest partners in advancing affordable housing, resident services, and community development goals. Cambridge is a uniquely rewarding place to work—bringing together world-class innovation, strong civic engagement, and a shared commitment to addressing some of the most important housing and social policy challenges facing communities today.

The Role:

The Director of Real Estate at the Cambridge Housing Authority (CHA) presents an exceptional opportunity to

play a critical leadership role in the continued growth and development of one of the country’s most highly regarded housing agencies. CHA is at a pivotal moment in time, and the Director will lead a highly talented team, work alongside recognized leaders in their fields, and in an agency recognized as being at the forefront of innovation and best practices.

The Director of Real Estate oversees the end-to-end execution of CHA’s real estate development and construction pipeline to protect, preserve, reposition, and expand its housing portfolio in accordance with agency policy and goals and applicable federal, state, and local requirements. The position manages responsibilities related to these initiatives including planning, financing, transaction management and delivery, construction management, and quality review and assurance.

The position ensures compliance with CHA’s goals and objectives, and manages all project schedule and budget, design and financing, and transaction execution for the various projects in CHA’s pipeline. First and foremost, the ideal candidate will be an exceptional leader of people and teams leading staff and consultants, and the management of community and resident engagement related to real estate initiatives. In close partnership with the Deputy Executive Director of Development and CEO, they will also act as liaison between CHA and the outside community, funding, and regulatory agencies. All activities must support the agency’s strategic goals and objectives and produce results that advance the goals of the Planning & Development Department, the CHA’s real estate arm.

The Planning & Development Department has an annual capital budget of approximately $190m and a departmental budget of $7m. CHA leverages its MTW designation, public housing consulting practice, and acquisition and land banking strategies to build a development pipeline of over $1 billion. In addition to CHA’s Cambridge pipeline, the team manages approximately 10 consulting clients with scopes ranging from a development advisor to co-development partner. The Planning & Development Department includes all real estate functions, including construction, with 24 employees and two consultants in total. The Director of Real Estate is a newly constructed position, which will accommodate the continued growth and complexity of CHA real estate activities and ensure efficiency, quality, accountability, and promote clear communication, collaboration, and staff development.

The Director of Real Estate will join an exceptional leadership partnership with direct access to both the Deputy Executive Director of Development and Chief Executive Officer. The role is designed for a leader who wants to combine operational responsibility with strategic influence, leading a high-performing team while helping define the future direction of a development pipeline. Reporting to the Deputy Executive Director of Development, the Director will also work closely with the CEO on agency-wide priorities, strategic initiatives, and major development opportunities.

Reports to: Deputy Executive Director of Development

Margaret Donnelly Moran, Deputy Executive Director of Development, has over 40 years of affordable housing operations, development and modernization experience. She has been responsible for garnering and managing over $900 million of public housing modernization and development activities since 2010 including HOPE VI, RAD, LIHTC, Section 18 and Homeownership programs. She was appointed Director of Planning & Development in January 2016, after serving CHA in various capacities for nearly 30 years, and Deputy Executive Director of Development in 2022.

Direct Reports: Director of Construction
Deputy Director(s) of Planning & Development

Other Key Relationships:

• Chief Executive Officer
• Chief Financial Officer
• General Counsel
• Director of Asset Management
• Director of Operations
• Director of Facilities Management
• Project Managers

Location:

• Cambridge, Massachusetts
• Offices are located in Central Square
• Initial period in the office, then hybrid work options available

Compensation:

The compensation range for this position is $225,000 – $250,000 plus a comprehensive benefits package.