Technical Assistance Program Coordinator

About Us 

Grounded Solutions Network is a national nonprofit dedicated to shaping communities to be equitable, inclusive, and filled with opportunity for all. Where we live matters. It determines what opportunities we have and how our kids grow up. Everyone should be able to live in a place that offers opportunity: access to jobs, parks, public transit, quality schools and stable homes. Strong and inclusive communities provide the foundation that people and families need to thrive, both in the present and for future generations.

As a national membership organization, we support nonprofit and government practitioners, community resident leaders, advocates, elected officials, and other housing professionals with the tools and knowledge they need for success. We promote the creation and preservation of quality housing that remains affordable for generations. Our work specifically targets creating and expanding housing with lasting affordability, using a racial equity lens.

Grounded Solutions Network is committed to fostering an organizational culture rooted in critical thinking and consciousness about race and class. We seek candidates who are dedicated to achieving racial equity as both a process and outcome. We are committed to building a staff team that is as racially and culturally diverse as the communities that we serve. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status. 

About the Position:

We are seeking a well-organized Program Coordinator to provide general program support and project coordination to the Technical Assistance team, including research into affordable housing needs and policy solutions. Grounded Solutions’ technical assistance program works alongside public agencies and nonprofit organizations to adopt and improve more inclusive housing policies and develop strong, scalable shared-equity homeownership programs. Our goal is to produce and preserve 1 million homes with lasting affordability over the next 10 years in a racially equitable way.

Our current Technical Assistance team has deep subject matter expertise around housing with lasting affordability, community land trusts, public land disposition, community engagement, and the mortgage finance system. We are looking for someone to balance out our team by bringing their skills and enthusiasm for project coordination and support as well as a curiosity for how to advance racial equity through housing. This is an excellent role for someone who is looking to grow their project management skills and deepen their expertise in affordable housing policies and programs. 

Grounded Solutions is committed to providing professional growth opportunities for all employees. In addition to growing project management skills, this position offers the opportunity to deepen subject matter expertise by joining team members on technical assistance calls and producing the first draft of memos, reports and PowerPoint presentations, honing data analysis skills by producing housing market forecasts, and deepening racial equity analysis and approach to community engagement and place-based technical assistance alongside teammates. 

Key Responsibilities: 

Under general supervision from the Director of Technical Assistance and with additional support from teammates: 

Program, Project, and Initiative Support (70%)

• Act as the project coordinator for the TA team and be point person in tracking deliverables, contract fees, and reporting deadlines. 

• Work with the rest of TA team on business development proposals and activities for Fee for Service Engagement or similar initiatives, including coordination with Operations Team on contracting and invoicing. 

• Coordinate, support, and schedule meetings with clients, partners and cohort members, including agenda preparation, note-taking, participant management (chats, audience participation, etc.), and documentation of key take aways and recommended next steps.

• Participate in and coordinate planning of virtual and in-person events, including scheduling, invitations, reservations, contracts, vendor engagement, and other logistics

• Support impact measurement efforts in coordination with clients and partners

• Support community engagement—including coordinating activities and compensation to community members, such as stipends and honoraria  

• Support travel arrangements for Technical Assistance Team staff, grantees and presenters, as necessary

• Make recommendations on workflow improvements for better project management to help improve internal processes for TA team

Research Support (30%)

• Provide ongoing research support for various projects and initiatives, as it relates to local housing needs, market trends and emerging policies that help shape technical assistance outcomes and impact

• Use the US Census, published reports, and other data to provide “snapshots” to the technical assistance team about the housing needs in a particular place, especially in relation to households and BIPOC communities 

• Collaborate with TA staff in support of project proposal review 

• Research and summarize different local housing policies 

Qualifications for Entry into this Position: 

Grounded Solutions believes that our team should reflect, respect, and understand the diversity of backgrounds, identities, and experiences of the communities that we serve. We strongly encourage people of color, people of all gender identities, people with disabilities, and LGBTQ+ candidates to apply. Not sure if you meet all of the qualifications below? That is okay; if you are truly excited by this position, we encourage you to apply anyway! Studies have shown that men apply for jobs when they only meet 60% of the qualifications, but women only apply if they meet 100% of them. 

• 3+ years of relevant experience, particularly in coordinating projects

• Experience in conducting research and analyzing data to support project goals.

• Excellent time management skills, able to independently manage multiple time-sensitive projects by identifying interim activities and deadlines and using sound judgement to prioritize changes and seek assistance when needed.

• Basic knowledge of affordable housing programs and policies and interest in advancing racial equity through housing

• Strong written and oral communication skills.

• Able to maintain motivation and self-direction working remotely and embrace teamwork and collaboration. 

• Tech-positive attitude and willingness to learn and adopt multiple technologies to support our work. Familiarity with Zoom, Dropbox, Salesforce, and Microsoft Teams a plus.