MANAGING DIRECTOR OF HOUSING OPERATIONS

Managing Director of Housing Operations

 

Illinois Portfolio

Location: Chicago, IL (Hybrid)

Status: Full-Time, Exempt

Salary: $150,000-$180,000; commensurate with experience

Benefits: Health, dental, vision, Simple IRA, life and supplemental insurance, short- and long-term disability, PTO, paid parental leave, and more. Relocation assistance may be available for qualified candidates. 

Travel & Work Demands: This role requires frequent travel to property sites throughout the Illinois portfolio (approx. 30-40% travel) to conduct inspections and support site teams.

Please Note: Communications regarding this position may include the company name “Banner Property” and should be deemed legitimate.

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Help Shape the Future of Affordable Housing

Full Circle Communities is a non-profit organization that develops and operates affordable and permanent supportive housing across Illinois, Michigan, and Iowa. We believe that housing is the foundation on which lives are built. Education, employment, health, social connection and well-being are all improved when housing is stable and secure. Our person-centered approach goes beyond housing affordability through the provision of supportive services designed to help residents maintain stable housing and achieve their personal goals. 

Across our portfolio, we serve a diverse range of residents including seniors, families, and individuals with complex experiences such as mental illness, substance use disorders, chronic medical conditions, or histories of homelessness. We support our residents’ needs and goals through crucial services such as case management, healthcare, behavioral health and substance use support, childcare, employment, and education. 

We look for committed and enthusiastic individuals who are energized by our mission and the challenges of creating and operating service-rich affordable housing. We invest in our team members’ growth as we expect them to invest in the growth of the organization.

See our website at http://www.fccommunities.org/ for more information.

Position Summary: 

Full Circle is seeking a Director of Housing Operations to lead and manage the performance of Full Circle’s Illinois property portfolio (1,500+ units) and team (4-5 team members). The Illinois portfolio includes award-winning and community-recognized properties such as 1212 Larkin in Elgin, Milwaukee Avenue Apartments, and the newly re-opened Brained Senior Center. This role is critical as FCC continues to scale its portfolio and strengthen consistency, accountability, and performance across properties.

Reporting directly to the COO, this role serves as a primary strategic advisor on the health of the portfolio. The Director ensures that the portfolio operates efficiently, is responsive to KPIs, and delivers on the organization’s mission by effectively deploying resources, managing team performance, and maintaining high standards for the resident experience.

The Director of Operations will be expected to execute the organization's operational strategy, and will actively shape it, and will work closely with our Finance, Facilities and Compliance teams. They will also work closely with the Mission Impact team. Mission Impact is Full Circle’s department dedicated to strengthening resident well-being and housing stability across the portfolio. The team designs resident-centered programs, manages service partnerships, and works collaboratively to ensure that staff have the training and skills needed to prevent housing instability.

The ideal candidate is an operator who has scaled or stabilized a multi-site portfolio, demonstrates strong systems thinking and can move from data to action, demonstrates expertise in managing people and complexity, and is comfortable balancing mission alongside financial performance. 

Specific duties of the role include:

Portfolio Operations: 

• Serve as a key contributor to the internal committee’s focus on assessing the financial, physical, or cultural performance of assets and creating execution and construction plans
• Assess current data management and reporting systems to uncover inefficiencies, taking ownership of addressing technology gaps to improve workflows, reporting and accountability.
• Manage the operating budget for the Illinois portfolio, ensuring properties meet targets for occupancy, rent collection, and expense control.
• Review weekly performance data including vacancy loss, work order aging, and delinquency trends, directing corrective actions when targets are missed.
• Identify opportunities to optimize operating costs through portfolio-scale purchasing and strategic vendor negotiation, balancing local vendor relationships with economies of scale.
• Assist in the annual budgeting process, providing ground-level data to set realistic income and expense projections.

Mission Integration 

• Act as the primary operational counterpart to Mission Impact leadership, ensuring that Property Management goals work in harmony with resident or service goals. 
• Serve as the operational decision-maker in complex resident cases where lease enforcement and supportive service interventions disagree, negotiating resolutions with the Mission Impact team. 
• Ensure site teams are effectively engaging in blended management processes, holding staff accountable for their collaboration with service providers.
• Align property management workflows to support grant-funded initiatives managed by the Mission Impact team.

Team Leadership

• Establish clear performance expectations and accountability systems and build leadership capacity across the portfolio. 
• Drive greater stability and reduce turnover across the team through actively mentoring staff, managing staff satisfaction, and team cohesion.
• Recruit and provide coaching and mentorship to build a stable leadership structure, ensuring they have the skills to manage their own portfolios effectively.
• Contribute to the development and refinement of property management policies and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), ensuring they are practical and relevant to the Illinois market.
• Ensure that all staff adhere to established procedures, holding the team accountable for consistency in leasing, maintenance, and resident interactions.

Compliance

• Partner with the Compliance team to ensure properties meet all regulatory standards.
• Administer the physical maintenance strategy through the Director of Facilities, ensuring capital plans align with compliance requirements and budget constraints.
• Serve as the accountable party for state agency inspections and investor reporting and audits, coordinating the physical and administrative preparation required for success.

Qualifications and Skills:

Candidates must have:

• 12+ years of progressive experience in Property Management or Affordable Housing Operations.
• 5+ years of experience in a multi-layered team supervising multi-site portfolios and managing other supervisors, specifically mentoring mid-level managers, rather than just serving as the primary supervisor for site-level staff.
• Awareness of affordable housing finance and compliance, including tax credit delivery.
• Advanced proficiency in Yardi or similar property management systems.
• Deep understanding of the regulatory environments for LIHTC, HUD (Section 8), and Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH).
• Sophisticated ability to de-escalate high-stakes resident or community issues.
• Strong written and verbal skills, capable of representing the organization to investors, state agencies, and local political offices.
• Deep commitment to the Housing First model and the flexible, human-centered needs of vulnerable populations.
• Must possess a valid driver’s license, insurance, and a reliable vehicle.

Strong Candidates will meet the above criteria and these qualifications: 

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Real Estate, or a related field; or relevant professional or lived experience
• Certified Property Manager (CPM) designation.
• Illinois Managing Broker License.

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Full Circle Communities headquarters is in Chicago, Illinois, in the West Loop near UIC. Our corporate office functions in a relaxed, business casual environment. This role is hybrid with in-office expectations of at least 2 days per week with in-office requirements flexibility when traveling. 

At FCC, you'll be part of a mission-driven team working to expand access to stable, affordable housing across our communities. We offer a collaborative environment where contributions are valued and professional growth is supported.

Application Requirements: Please include a cover letter with your application. 

 

Pre-Employment Requirements: final candidates will be required to pass a background check and provide professional references.

Full Circle is proud to be an equal opportunity employer, and while we have a set of preferred qualifications listed, if you have other experience that you think is related, please apply.