Join the ORHA Team!

Now Hiring: Associate Program Manager

Updated February 14, 2024

If you haven’t heard, there have been some changes here at ORHA. Our former Executive Director, Tim Peters, has moved on to a well-deserved retirement, and Bridget Stith, who joined ORHA as an Associate Program Manager, has been appointed ORHA’s new Executive Director! As a result, ORHA is yet again hiring: this time for a new Associate Program Manager. We’re looking for a candidate who’s passionate about our mission and eager to grow in this new chapter of our organization.

Target Start Date: ASAP
Starting Salary: $40,300 per year

Full Job Description

Founded in 1984, Otsego Rural Housing Assistance, Inc. (ORHA) is a registered 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing and preserving affordable housing in Otsego County. ORHA achieves its mission through a two-fold approach: providing rental assistance to low-income Otsego County renters and providing home repair and rehabilitation to low-income Otsego County homeowners.

Our work involves a combination of project management, grants administration, and client support services, with frequent telephone, email, and in-person engagement with clients, landlords, contractors, and granting organizations. We frequently deal with both New York State and local government agencies and their staff.

The Associate Program Manager will be responsible for assisting with the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program and with administering ORHA’s repair and rehabilitation grants. The exact distribution of time between each of these two work areas can be adjusted to suit the right candidate’s interests and strengths. As a member of our small team, the Associate Program Manager will also have the opportunity to assist with fundraising, grant-writing, promotion and social media management, and all other aspects of ORHA’s business, as suits their individual skills. The right person in this position will find plenty of room to grow in both responsibility and compensation in the future.

This is an eclectic position at Otsego County’s only rural preservation company. We are ready to train the right candidate!

Benefits

  • 35 hours per week with a flexible schedule, including a 4-day week option and flexibility for occasional work-from-home
  • Three weeks paid vacation, accruing from start
  • Paid sick leave
  • Paid holidays: all national holidays, the employee’s birthday, and half days for both Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve
  • Fully paid health insurance (employee only) and dental insurance
  • Retirement saving with 3% employer match
  • Friendly, informal professional workplace

Required Skills/Qualifications

  • Excellent oral and written communication skills
  • Excellent interpersonal skills, particularly those needed to provide compassionate, culturally competent, high-quality service to ORHA clients
  • Strong organizational skills and attention to detail
  • Ability to comprehend complex policy/regulations in order to implement their requirements accurately and efficiently
  • 2+ years’ experience with housing, non-profit, or governmental organizations
  • Proficiency in Microsoft Office, Google Workspace, and other common business software applications
  • Excellent problem solving and project management skills
  • Ability to multi-task and work independently
  • Valid NYS driver’s license and reliable transportation

Desirable Skills/Qualifications

  • Knowledge of Otsego County and its housing needs
  • Familiarity with building trades and/or procurement & competitive bidding processes
  • Familiarity with housing and accessibility issues
  • Education, training, or work experience in human services fields
  • Strong technological skills, such as: proficiency with WordPress, adaptability to new technology/software, proficiency with mail merges in Microsoft Office, etc.

Specific Duties

  • Assisting the Section 8 Program Manager with all aspects of the HCV program, including income and eligibility calculations, waiting list management, client intake screenings and briefings, Housing Quality Standards (HQS) inspections
  • Assisting with the administration of home repair and rehabilitation grants, including income and eligibility calculations, client intake screening and briefings, meeting program compliance requirements, procurement of contractors, project management, and liaising with state and county government agencies
  • Answering office telephone and providing information and resources as appropriate
  • Maintaining program files to ensure accuracy and consistency of record keeping
  • Assisting in completion of grant applications and contract documentation
  • Participating in or performing Section 8 HQS and home repair/rehab client site inspections (most travel is in company car, but not all)

How to Apply

Please submit a cover letter, resume, and references to Bridget Stith, Executive Director, by email to orha@otsegoruralhousing.org. No phone calls, please.

Passionate about affordable housing but hesitant to apply because you don’t meet every single required or desirable bullet point? We encourage you to apply anyway. ORHA is looking for a creative, driven person who is excited to help work toward a future where everyone in Otsego County has a safe, decent place to live, not just someone who “checks all the boxes.” Your cover letter is the perfect place to tell us why you’re the perfect candidate!

ORHA is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will be afforded equal opportunities without discrimination because of race, creed, color, national origin, sex, disability, marital status, or any other factors prohibited by applicable law.