Chief Housing Officer

About the Role

The Chief Housing Officer (CHO) serves as the executive leader responsible for Habitat Omaha's housing strategy, production systems, real estate development activities, construction operations, and home repair programs. Reporting directly to the CEO and serving as a key member of the Executive Leadership Team, the CHO provides strategic leadership across all housing delivery functions and is accountable for advancing Habitat Omaha's mission through planning, development, acquisition, production, and preservation of affordable housing opportunities.

The CHO serves as a trusted advisor to the CEO, Board of Directors, and relevant Board committees on housing strategy, production goals, land acquisition, real estate development, and major housing-related investments and transactions. The CHO also ensures volunteer and internship resources are strategically leveraged to expand organizational capacity, strengthen community engagement, and support housing production goals.

This role requires an experienced executive capable of balancing long-term strategic planning with operational execution, while leading multiple director-level functions and representing Habitat Omaha with external partners, governmental entities, developers, lenders, and community stakeholders. The successful candidate will benefit from a structured transition period alongside the current COO.

Responsibilities

• Lead Housing Leadership & Organizational Effectiveness
  • Provide executive leadership, direction, coaching, and development for the leaders responsible for Construction, Home Repair, and Real Estate.
  • Build a high-performing housing leadership team focused on accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
  • Provide strategic oversight of volunteer and internship programs within housing functions, ensuring alignment with organizational priorities, workforce needs, and community engagement objectives.
  • Support succession planning, organizational design, and leadership development across housing functions.
  • Foster a culture of safety, quality, innovation, and operational excellence.
• Lead Housing Strategy & Production
  • Establish and execute Habitat Omaha's long-term housing strategy in alignment with organizational goals and mission priorities.
  • Lead annual and multi-year housing production planning, forecasting, and performance management.
  • Establish production targets and key performance indicators across construction, home repair, and real estate functions.
  • Incorporate volunteer and intern resources into housing production planning and workforce strategies to support organizational capacity and long-term growth.
  • Ensure effective coordination and execution across all housing delivery functions to achieve organizational goals.
  • Evaluate opportunities to expand housing production capacity, efficiency, and impact.
  • Provide executive oversight of major housing initiatives, development projects, and strategic investments.
  • Develop and oversee housing-related operating and capital budgets in partnership with the CFAO and executive leadership team.
  • Ensure effective stewardship of organizational resources while balancing production goals, quality standards, and long-term sustainability.
• Lead Real Estate Development & Housing Growth
  • Provide strategic oversight of land acquisition, land development, property disposition, and housing pipeline management.
  • Lead evaluation and negotiation of significant real estate transactions, development agreements, and strategic partnerships.
  • Partner with municipal leaders, developers, lenders, and community stakeholders to advance housing opportunities and neighborhood impact.
  • Support entitlement, zoning, infrastructure, and development activities necessary to achieve long-term production goals.
• Support Governance, Executive Leadership & External Partnerships
  • Serve as a strategic advisor and thought partner to the CEO as a member of the Executive Leadership Team.
  • Prepare and present Board materials, strategic recommendations, housing production updates, development opportunities, and major real estate transactions.
  • Lead discussions related to housing strategy, production performance, land acquisition, development activities, and organizational housing priorities.
  • Represent Habitat Omaha in key external relationships involving housing, community development, public policy, and strategic partnerships.

What Success Looks Like

• Annual housing production goals are achieved through effective leadership, planning, and resource allocation.
• The organization's housing pipeline remains healthy, sustainable, and aligned with long-term strategic priorities.
• Real estate development opportunities are successfully identified, evaluated, and advanced.
• Board members receive clear, timely, and actionable information regarding housing production, development activities, and strategic opportunities.
• Directors and leadership teams are aligned, accountable, and supported through effective executive leadership and succession planning.
• Opportunities that expand Habitat Omaha’s housing impact are identified, shaped, and advanced.
• Volunteer and internship programs effectively support housing production goals while providing meaningful engagement, learning, and community impact opportunities.
• Habitat Omaha is consistently recognized by external partners as a reliable and well-prepared organization.
• Housing production budgets and project timelines are managed effectively and consistently to meet organizational expectations.
• Construction, home repair, and real estate functions operate collaboratively, resulting in efficient project delivery and a positive experience for partner families and stakeholders.
• Habitat Omaha is recognized as a trusted and effective partner in advancing affordable housing opportunities throughout the community.

Skills

• A Long-Term Strategic Planning Focus: Proven experience developing and executing 5–10-year strategic plans that translate vision into actionable roadmaps.
• A systems-minded way of thinking: Naturally see how work fits together, how decisions in one area affect another, and how to keep a complex set of housing functions moving forward in a coordinated way.
• A steady, organized approach to complexity: Bring structure, calm, and clarity to situations with many moving parts, helping others stay focused on what matters most.
• A talent for creating clarity: Help teams understand expectations, timelines, and decision points, making it easier for people to plan well and move work forward.
• A collaborative leadership style: Work alongside people, not above them, building alignment through clear communication, shared ownership, and steady follow-through.
• A practical, forward-moving mindset: Help shape opportunities, frame decisions, and keep work progressing without getting lost in the details or slowing things down.
• A strong sense of operational judgment: Know how to sequence work, use resources wisely, and identify the points where coordination can increase impact.
• A confident, professional presence with external partners: Represent Habitat Omaha well in major housing-related conversations and help move key opportunities toward impactful partnerships.

Qualifications

• Experience
  • 10+ years of progressive leadership experience in housing, construction, real estate development, community development, or related fields.
  • Experience leading multiple departments and senior leaders in a complex organizational environment.
  • Demonstrated success developing and executing organizational strategy while achieving measurable operational outcomes.
  • Experience leading significant development projects, housing initiatives, land acquisition efforts, or real estate transactions.
  • Experience presenting to Boards of Directors and executive leadership teams.
  • Strong understanding of affordable housing, community development, construction, and real estate principles.
• Additional Experience
  • Non-profit experience preferred.
  • Experience with affordable housing, lending, or mission-based work strongly preferred.
  • Experience working within volunteer-driven, mission-based, or community engagement organizations preferred.
• Education
  • Bachelor's degree in Construction Management, Engineering, Real Estate, Business Administration, Urban Planning, Community Development, Public Administration, or a related field required.
  • Advanced degree and/or relevant professional certifications preferred.

Why It Matters

The Chief Housing Officer serves as the executive leader responsible for Habitat Omaha’s primary mission-delivery system. This role ensures the organization’s housing strategy, production capacity, real estate investments, and development initiatives are aligned to achieve long-term community impact and organizational sustainability. Through strategic leadership, cross-functional collaboration, volunteer and community engagement, and strong external partnerships, the CHO advances affordable homeownership opportunities, expands housing production, and positions Habitat Omaha to meet the evolving housing needs of the communities it serves. By balancing visionary planning with operational excellence, this role helps shape the future growth, impact, and legacy of Habitat Omaha.