Chief Operating Officer

Title: Chief Operating Officer  
Department: Executive Office
Pay Grade: V
Target Salary : $211,800 - $240,000
 

The Housing Authority of the City of Atlanta, Georgia (AH), is the largest housing authority in Georgia and one of the largest in the nation. AH provides and facilitates affordable housing resources for nearly 27,000 low-income households comprised of approximately 45,000 people, including AH-owned residential communities, tenant-based vouchers, supportive housing, and homeownership opportunities. Programs are funded and regulated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Our vision is a city where all Atlantans have a place they are proud to call home and can thrive, regardless of their income or address. The mission of AH is to open doors to safe, quality affordable homes, build inclusive communities of choice, and create opportunities for economic mobility. We are a team of bold, compassionate, and committed change-makers dedicated to working collaboratively to serve the Atlanta community with our unique resources.

AH was established in 1937, with the primary mission to provide housing and rental assistance to Atlantans who needed it most. Our focus and mission has remained to serve extremely low- to moderate-income households, including but not limited to, families, seniors, veterans, individuals with disabilities, and those experiencing or at-risk of homelessness. Many of our families are considered essential workers, yet they struggle to find affordable housing.

AH doesn’t just house people, we also support economic mobility and provide pathways to building wealth, such as through homeownership. Over time, through our land, investment capital, and expertise, AH evolved to serve local communities and the housing sector, providing for safe, healthy and diverse mixed-income housing options for all, while retaining our specific focus on families at the lower levels of the income scale.

The Role

Location: Atlanta, Georgia

Reports to: President and Chief Executive Officer

Direct Reports:

• Chief Information Officer
• Chief of Facilities & Operations Management
• SVP, Human Resources
• SVP, Policy & Regulatory Affairs
• SVP, Choice Neighborhoods & Resident Empowerment
• SVP, Contracts & Procurement
• SVP, Housing Choice Voucher Program

Overview

The Chief Operating Officer (COO) is a vital leader of Atlanta Housing’s (AH) executive leadership team (ELT) and is responsible for turning the strategic vision of the agency into timely and efficient operational performance. The COO provides strategic and accountable leadership supporting the daily and urgent execution of AH’s mission of preserving and creating safe affordable housing resources and promoting economic opportunity for the nearly 27,000 resident families served by AH throughout the city of Atlanta.

Reporting directly to the President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), the COO is responsible for ensuring the operational excellence, compliance with federal, state, and local regulations, and alignment of agency’s business unit activity with the strategic goals. This role provides visionary leadership, strategic oversight, transparency, guidance, and coordination of several assigned business unit operations. As such, this role drives strategic initiatives, optimizes processes, and fosters a culture of accountability and continuous improvement.

As a member of the ELT, the COO participates in executive and senior management policy deliberations of high-profile, sensitive, complex matters and leads other short- and long-term initiatives of the agency. The COO role requires direct execution and is also responsible for guiding the professional leadership development of senior leaders assigned to the COO.

This is an outstanding opportunity to lead the alignment of Atlanta Housing’s strategic vision and goals with best practice enterprise operations.

Key Responsibilities

Operational Leadership

• Oversee and optimize core business functions by monitoring daily operations, streamlining operations, increasing efficiency and effectiveness, and making recommendations regarding personnel.
• Review policies and recommend changes to ensure operational policies, procedures, and performance standards are in compliance with regulated programs, sound business practices, and the advancement of AH’s objectives.
• Activities include but are not limited to oversight related to operation of several key customer facing and operational business units including: Housing Choice Voucher Program, Information Management, Resident Empowerment/Choice Neighborhoods, Human Resources, Contracts and Procurement, Facilities and Operations Management, and Policy and Regulatory Affairs, ensuring the seamless, efficient, and urgent execution of daily operations

Strategic Planning and Execution

• Collaborate with the CEO, to translate corporate strategy, strategic goals, short- and long-term initiatives into clear operational plans with smooth, efficient and measurable execution.
• Lead the strategic planning process collaborating with the Board of Commissioners (Board) and CEO, focusing on internal and external opportunities for AH, including assistance with strategic relationships.

Service Delivery and Improvement

• Identify service delivery and operational inefficiencies and implement process enhancements to maximize productivity, reduce costs, and boost scalability.
• Develop and implement opportunities for innovation and modernization in housing programs and customer care, ensuring various business units are aligned and executing key performance indicators, tracking progress, driving accountability and reporting that progress to the CEO and the Board.

Compliance and Service Delivery

• Ensure agency operations comply with legal, regulatory, and quality standards including adherence to United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (“HUD”) regulations, state laws, City of Atlanta codes and AH’s internal policies.
• Assist the CEO in the preparation of reports, resolutions and recommendations to the Board in furtherance of the agency’s service delivery.
• Implement quality control measures, oversee program audits, inspections, risk assessments and corrective action plans, as needed, to maintain compliance and mitigate liabilities.

Financial Oversight

• Collaborate with the Chief Financial Officer to manage operational budgets and control costs.
• Support grant management and funding initiatives to sustain and expand housing and economic independence programs.

Stakeholder Communication

• Act as a primary liaison between internal teams, and applicable external stakeholders, to foster alignment, service delivery and transparency in operations and initiatives.

Leadership and Team Development

• Build and maintain a high-performing team through recruitment, training, mentoring, coaching and professional development.
• Guide senior leadership in promoting a culture consistent with the AH’s Culture Guide, as the same may be amended from time to time.

Knowledge & Skill Requirements

Leadership: Ability to lead and motivate teams, inspire confidence, and foster a positive work environment. Experience in managing professionals and guiding them towards common goals.

Communication: Exceptional verbal and written communication skills and the ability effectively to convey complex ideas, build relationships, and represent Atlanta Housing’s interests to various levels of stakeholders.

Strategic Thinking: Demonstrated strong business acumen, strategic thinking and analytical skills and the ability to understand organizational challenges, identify opportunities, and develop actionable plans to achieve long-term objectives, including the ability to read, interpret, analyze and develop strategic initiatives and evaluate departmental policies, procedures and documents.

Problem-Solving: Proven ability to analyze problems, deploy excellent reasoning and analytical skills, generate creative solutions, and make sound decisions under pressure, including the adept ability to anticipate challenges and implement effective solutions.

Project Management: Ability to manage systemic and extremely complex projects in a time-sensitive environment using strong analytical skills and abilities with attention to consummate customer responsiveness.

Interpersonal Skills: Excellent interpersonal skills with the demonstrated ability to build and maintain relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including senior leaders, staff members, clients, and partners, including the ability to be diplomatic, approachable, possess superior judgment and tact, diplomacy, and adept at conflict resolution.

Collaboration: Demonstrated ability to work in a collaborative manner with colleagues, internal clients (across different departments and functions within the organization), partners, vendors, residents, stakeholders and outside professionals, and the ability to facilitate communication and foster teamwork to achieve common goals.

Adaptability: Demonstrated ability to exhibit flexibility and adaptability in a dynamic and fast-paced environment of multiple and possibly shifting priorities, including the ability quickly to adjust to changing priorities, organize and juggle multiple demands to meet established goals and deadlines, navigate ambiguity, and thrive in uncertain situations or in an environment of multiple and shifting priorities.

Ethical Integrity: Adherence to the highest standards of professional conduct and act with honesty, transparency, trust and credibility.

Political Savvy: Demonstrated understanding of organizational politics and dynamics of the agency and key external partners and the ability to navigate complex relationships and influence decision-making processes effectively.

Business Acumen: Knowledge of business principles, fiscal management, and industry trends for understanding the broader context in which the organization operates and makes informed strategic decisions.

Technology: Requires a demonstrated proficiency of current Microsoft office technology and software applications and demonstrated use of such technology/applications on a regular basis.

Professional Experience

At least fifteen (15) years of related progressive managerial/leadership experience in housing, property management, community development, real estate development, resident services, public sector operations, or a related field, with ten (10) or more years in an executive or senior management level experience. A mixture of public and private experience is a plus.

Demonstrated ability to manage complex projects and budgets and deploy a management style that promotes staff development and training while holding senior leaders and staff accountable for outcomes.

Strong management and interpersonal skills, commitment to and delivery of outstanding customer responsiveness, creativity, organizational skills and demonstrated proficiency and use of software application(s).

Strong knowledge of HUD regulations, applicable Code of Federal Regulations, affordable housing programs, public housing operations and compliance requirements are preferred.

Exceptional communication, presentation, negotiation, strategic thinking, financial, problem-solving and critical thinking skills are required.

Education

Master’s degree or higher from an accredited educational institution in public administration, management, business, economics, real estate, or related field.

Compensation

The salary range for this position is $211,800 – $240,000. Compensation will be equitable and commensurate with experience. For further information on Atlanta Housing benefits and culture: here

Organizational Commitments

We are committed to responding to Atlantans’ affordable housing needs with compassion, urgency, and integrity.

We are committed to supporting the health, wellness, social, and economic well-being of our residents.

We are committed to transparency and accountability.

We are committed to collaborating with residents, stakeholders, and public, private, religious, educational and healthcare partners.