Director of Real Estate Development
Salary: $143,616-$192,456/annually
Closing Date: 08/09/2026 11:59 PM Pacific
Lead one of California’s most impactful affordable housing development organizations!
Self-Help Enterprises is seeking an experienced Director of Real Estate Development to oversee a diverse development portfolio.
This executive leadership role directs a multi-million-dollar operating budget, helps shape organizational strategy as part of the Executive Leadership Team, and leads projects that improve housing opportunities for thousands of families each year.
Self-Help Enterprises (SHE) is a nationally recognized community development organization whose mission is to work together with low-income families to build and sustain healthy homes and communities. An original pioneer and ongoing leading provider of mutual self-help housing in the United States, SHE’s efforts today encompass a range of endeavors to build better homes and communities for farmworkers and other hard-working families.
Since 1965, Self-Help Enterprises has become one of the nation’s leading nonprofit affordable housing developers, helping more than 68,000 families through homeownership, affordable rental housing, housing rehabilitation, and community development throughout California’s San Joaquin Valley.
SHE By the Numbers
- 60+ years serving California communities
- 6,700+ families helped build homes
- 3,200+ affordable rental units developed
- 6,900+ homes rehabilitated
- 210+ employees
- $105M annual revenue
- $22M land fund
- 40 active development projects
Real Estate Development Department
SHE’s Real Estate Development Department is responsible for SHE’s real estate development operations. The Department’s core functions include:
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- New construction of affordable rental housing;
- Acquisition/rehabilitation of affordable rental housing;
- Re-syndication and rental housing rehabilitation;
- Construction of resilience centers and other infrastructure in partnership with small community-based organizations in disadvantaged communities; and
- Mobile home park acquisition, development, and stabilization.
The Real Estate Development Department is SHE’s primary financial driver, consistently generating over 60% of the organization’s profit. Its developments serve a wide variety of populations, including members of tribal communities, seniors, farm workers, and residents of permanent supportive housing. Equally as varied are SHE’s funding sources, which include New Markets Tax Credits, Capital Magnet Funds, and California Energy Commission EPIC energy innovation funds, among more traditional sources.
Recent SHE real estate development highlights include:
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- Reaching the milestone of over 3,000 units owned and operated by Self-Help Enterprises;
- Managing 423 units in construction with another 929 in predevelopment as shovel-ready developments;
- Several years on the Affordable Housing Finance Top 50 Developers list;
- SHE holds leadership roles with the National Rural Housing Coalition, Housing California, and the California Coalition for Rural Housing;
- Recent housing innovations include operations of the Bakersfield Community Land Trust, leveraging New Market tax Credits, tribal and senior housing development, and the first mobile home park in California in the last decade.
About The Position
The Director of Real Estate Development (“Director”) is responsible for the departmental functions listed above, which encompass all aspects of real estate development and finance (e.g., site acquisition, development entitlements, financial feasibility planning and implementation, securing capital). The Director will oversee a $4M operating budget and 11 staff members, including 2 Assistant Directors as direct reports, as well as teams of Project Managers and fiscal analysts.
The Director will serve as an active participant on the Executive Leadership Team, which develops, guides, and advances the organization’s goals and mission. The Director reports to the Vice President and has several functions, including new project selection and organizational-level capital financing strategies, developed in direct coordination with the CEO and CFO. The Vice President previously held the Director position for 9 years and has worked at SHE since 2014; she looks forward to working collaboratively with the Director as a thought partner and strategic ally.
This position is based in Visalia, CA, the location of SHE’s headquarters. SHE serves the following counties, and travel to these areas is expected: Kings, Kern, Mariposa, Merced, Madera, Fresno, Stanislaus, San Joaquin, and Tulare Counties. The Director position can be partially hybrid, with several days/week required in the office or on-site for project and partner meetings.
Responsibilities
- Lead a multifaceted team responsible for all aspects of real estate development and housing rehabilitation, including, but not limited to, project feasibility analysis, market research, financing, operating budgets, environmental review, due diligence, risk assessment, land-use approvals and negotiations, community outreach, and entitlement processes.
- Develop cash flow projections; coordinate with the Vice President to manage and direct capital investments and resource allocation priorities; and monitor the overall cash flow needs of the Real Estate Department in tandem with the organization's cash needs.
- Compile and present new multifamily project recommendations, including the financial strategy, site risk analysis, due diligence, and development timeline, to the Vice President, CFO, and CEO.
- Direct searches for appropriate land for single- and multifamily housing developments, negotiate site control, and oversee all due diligence data collection and analysis.
- Create urgency and drive within the Real Estate Development team to ensure projects proceed on schedule and within budget.
- Establish and maintain effective working relationships with and represent SHE to Board members, colleagues, public elected officials and employees, staff from other community organizations, funders, the business community, and the general public.
- Present new projects to SHE’s Board of Directors and public entities for entitlements (City Council, Board of Supervisors, etc.)
- Seek appropriate financial resources to maintain and expand real estate development efforts, including the effective implementation of capital strategies and oversight of funding applications to public and private lenders/funders.
- Oversee an organizational vision for construction standards, product selection, and quality control, collaborating with the Director of Asset Management to ensure operational efficiency and minimize product replacement timelines.
- Prepare Real Estate Development Department program and project budgets; review fiscal data, effectively manage within budget; review and oversee developer fee and equity installment projections to actual.
- Review and analyze program regulations and laws, and coordinate advocacy and outreach efforts at the local, state, and federal levels.
- Perform other duties as required by supervisor.
Must Haves
Candidates well-suited for this position will be able to demonstrate the following skills, experience, and qualities:
- Deep commitment to SHE’s mission, organizational values, and the individuals, families, and communities that SHE serves
- Track record of effective management and leadership of a team, and demonstrated ability to work collaboratively within a complex, fast-moving environment
- Advanced expertise with low-income housing tax credits, and working knowledge of CEQA, NEPA, CUPs, by-right laws and pathways, the Subdivision Map Act, and other codes and regulations
- Ability to understand complex financing issues, including capital accounts, the allocation of losses, a variety of depreciation schedules, tax credit pricing, and loan terms/rates
- Strong written and oral communication skills
- Demonstrated ability to identify, develop, and cultivate partnerships and relationships, and make a variety of public presentations and pitches to a variety of audiences, including City Council, Boards, lenders, foundations, and other partners and stakeholders
- Highly motivated, resourceful, and able to manage multiple overlapping projects, deadlines, and priorities
- Strategic thinker who can also be detail-oriented
Skills
You're passionate
You're a passionate and energetic person who's excited to connect and strategize with communities and residents.
You love people, communities, and problem solving
You're always excited to meet someone new, listen, and help them find solutions to their needs.
You get excited about the details
You're a detail oriented person who is organized and always looking for efficiencies.
You're a creative and strategic thinker
You strive to come up with innovative and creative solutions to problems that seem impossible. You're capable of thinking about the big picture and coming up with a plan to execute.
You're self-motivated
You see something that can be improved and you go after it. You have a strong desire to help others and to be a part of something special at Self-Help Enterprises.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER