Eco District Director Brochure

Since 1976, Capitol Hill Housing (CHH) has worked alongside the community to build and preserve housing affordable to working families and promote the qualities that make Seattle a vibrant and engaged city. Today, we provide secure, affordable homes to over 2,200 of our neighbors across the city while working to make our neighborhoods safer, healthier and more equitable. We are a top performing, high-capacity not-for-profit corporation with an innovative portfolio of 49 buildings throughout the Seattle area. Our buildings have won numerous awards from HUD, Urban Land Institute, Affordable Housing Finance Magazine, Future wise and other community development awards.

The Capitol Hill Ecodistrict is an award-winning neighborhood-based sustainability initiative serving a beloved Seattle community in the most densely populated urban village in the Pacific Northwest. It is led by Capitol Hill Housing, a community development corporation and public development authority with over four decades of experience working alongside over a dozen Capitol Hill neighborhood groups to enhance community health, culture, and affordability.

We are intentional in our hiring processes, seeing it as a chance to interrupt the cycle of racial and economic injustice that limits communities from accessing employment, building skills and investing in their own leadership development. We prioritize applicants who have firsthand experience in navigating the many systems that our residents face which impede their opportunities for success, as majority low-income, LGBTQ, and people of color.

Benefits:

Capitol Hill Housing offers employees working 30 hours or more per week a very competitive package of benefits:

• Full medical, dental and vision coverage for the employee at no charge
• Short-term disability
• Long-term disability
• 11 paid holidays
• Transit benefits
• Sick leave
• 22 days of PTO in the first year and 2 personal days annually
• Medical and dependent care flexible spending plans
• Deferred compensation plan and retirement contribution

Summary:

Reporting to the CEO of Capitol Hill Housing, the Executive Director will be responsible for prioritizing a plan for self-sufficiency, as well as for directing the development, implementation, monitoring, and improvement of local policies, programs, and initiatives that promote local environmental, economic, and social sustainability. This position also includes business development/fundraising, communications, engagement, and other duties as needed.

Program Leadership

• Develop and lead the implementation of the community development programs of the Capitol Hill EcoDistrict in collaboration with the EcoDistrict Team.
• Develop strategic partnerships with other community anchor organizations and sustain strong collaborative relationships with private, nonprofit and public sector entities to advance the Capitol Hill EcoDistrict.
• Provide strategic leadership, manage, and support the EcoDistrict Steering Committee and ad hoc working groups.
• Create and implement annual EcoDistrict work plan, reducing the quantity of projects to 3-4 marquee community projects.
• Plan a path to greater independence from Capitol Hill Housing and greater ownership and buy-in of the EcoDistrict by other partners.

Fundraising

• Develop & implement three-year plan for financial self-sufficiency through grant support, earned income, and individual giving.
• Create and lead vision for EcoDistrict funding, building support with philanthropic and leaders.
• Plan a path towards greater financial contributions from multiple anchor partners.
• Support grant writing, individual giving, and sponsorship efforts.
• Locate, develop, and secure contracts for services that meet the needs of the Capitol Hill neighborhood, promote environmental sustainability, and generate revenue.

Communication/Engagement

• Ground the EcoDistrict brand, mission, and story within the broader community.
• Effectively articulate EcoDistrict vision, goals, CHH’s role, and the opportunities and benefits of the project with diverse audiences and stakeholders.
• Work with Capitol Hill Housing staff on their creation of collateral and other materials to support EcoDistrict programs and initiatives.
• Organize events ranging from regular small community meetings to larger annual gatherings.
• Present EcoDistrict activities to Capitol Hill Housing leadership, boards and to the broader community
• Collaborate across departments at Capitol Hill Housing and serve as a member of the organizations’ Leadership Team.

Management and Collaboration

• Manage two staff, building a team that centers accountability, empathy, and trust.
• Utilize a collaborative style of management as well as mentorship.

Other Duties

• Support grant management and timely, professional communication with funders.
• Support community development efforts in other neighborhoods as appropriate.
• Support community engagement and partnership development for Capitol Hill real estate projects as appropriate.

Qualifications, Knowledge and Skills:

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree and 5 to 7 years of experience in community development, economic development, urban planning, green building, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Ample experience in community development, with a strong equity analysis, as understanding the intricacies of racial equity, environmental justice, and economic disparities.
• Exceptional verbal and written communications skills; and advanced Excel, Word, Power Point, Outlook, project management and organization skills.
• Strong public speaking skills, public presenter and thought leader.
• Ability to work independently and a successful history of effective collaboration.
• Ability to lead effective teams.
• Experience in grant writing and with complex government funding sources.
• Must be willing and able to undertake some travel.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in urban planning or related field.
• Broad knowledge and passion for urban and environmental issues.
• Familiarity with/connection to Capitol Hill.

Capitol Hill Housing is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Candidates of color, LGBTQ candidates, women, candidates with disabilities and candidates of all religions and national origins are strongly encouraged to apply.  Capitol Hill Housing is a “Ban the Box” employer.  However, per Federal Department of Housing and Urban Development requirements, any candidate selected for this position must undergo a criminal history background check prior to employment.