Lead Training and Development Specialist (LH)

SALARY: $55,250 - $58,449 per year.

This is a full-time, non-exempt position.

ORGANIZATION:

Metro Housing| Boston is a leading nonprofit dedicated to connecting the residents of Greater Boston with safe, decent homes they can afford. Metro Housing empowers families and individuals to move along the continuum from homelessness to housing stability. Serving more than 25,000 households annually, we work seamlessly to bridge the gaps among government, nonprofits, and corporations to continually increase our impact. With more than 30 years of experience piloting and implementing housing programs, we have solidified our position as an industry-leading expert in navigating affordable housing.

MISSION:

"We mobilize wide-ranging resources to provide innovative and personalized services that lead families and individuals to housing stability, economic security, and an improved quality of life."

OVERVIEW:

Lead Specialists will serve as team leaders within a Leased Housing program area, providing guidance, support and coaching on program rules and requirements to other team members.   Lead Specialists will assist Managers and senior staff in monitoring activities and conducting quality control reviews of staff in their respective units.  The position will also support staff on special projects and initiatives, such as changes in software, new reporting tools and changes in protocols.   

Additionally, the duties of the position include a wide range of activities related to the rental assistance programs administered by Metro Housing, including but not limited to admissions, leasing and moves, special programs, the project based program, portability, continued occupancy, compliance, data and reporting and/or inspections.  Lead Specialists may perform admissions, recertifications, interim recertifications, continued occupancy transactions, inspections as well as deal with applicant, participant and landlord issues. Lead Leasing Specialists will frequently be required to use independent judgment in making recommendations and decisions.

REPORTS TO: Managing Director of Training and Development 

RESPONSIBILITIES MAY INCLUDE:

The statements below are intended to describe the general nature and scope of work being performed by this position. This is not a complete listing of all responsibilities, duties and/or skills required. Other duties may be assigned. 

• Understands and applies HUD regulations, MTW policies and Metro Boston procedures; 
• Answers telephone calls and communicates with applicants, participants, landlords/owners and co-workers in a manner that is courteous and professional; 
• Prepares and transmits applicable correspondence to clients; 
• Responds timely to requests and inquiries from customers and staff, by phone, in person and by written communications; 
• Determines customer needs and provides the information or assistance required to satisfy the customer needs;   
• Enters correct information and completes accurate and timely 50058s for submission to HUD; 
• Completes data entry for all transactions into housing software;
• Prepares and submits required reports;
• Maintains letters, documents and transaction materials in client files per the file organization protocol; 
• Notifies program applicants, participants and owners in a timely manner of the results of program transactions; 
• Keeps supervisor informed of issues as needed; 
• Communicates with other leased housing staff on the progress and status of program transactions;  
• Attends meetings and trainings;  
• Supervision o Under supervision and direction of the applicable Manager, provides oversight and monitoring of activities of staff within their unit; 
• Assists with oversight of special projects to support the goals and objectives of the department; and, o Conducts quality control reviews of the transactions completed by staff within their unit, which will include, but is not limited to, file reviews. 
• Performs other duties as needed.  

Specific Duties 

TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT 

• Conduct new staff trainings for Rental Assistance programs. Training schedules are in place five days a week and run for 3-5 weeks. Programs include:
  • MTW Housing Choice Vouchers, both mobile and project based o Special Housing Choice Vouchers, i.e. VASH and Mainstream 
  • Massachusetts Rental Assistance Voucher Program, both mobile and project based o Continuum of Care 
• Assign, correct, and return post-training assignments to trainees in a timely manner, providing feedback and guidance as necessary;
• Serve as point-of-contact for new staff as they assimilate from training to their caseloads to ensure proper procedures are being followed
• Provide input to management as to needed updates to training materials based off observations in trainings and perceived retention of material 
• Assist with conducting individual retrainings for established staff if an area of concern is identified 
• Be available to assist and answer questions for program specialists in the department 
• Assist with data entry, coverage, auditing, and other tasks and/or special projects assigned during times of minimal hiring 
• Conduct regular check-ins with newly trained staff after they assume their caseloads to discuss what further training may be needed and identify areas where training can be improved 

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree;
• Two (2) years of experience working in Public Housing, Housing Choice Voucher, or other Federal housing programs preferred;
• Knowledge of HUD policies, and other Federal, state and local laws, rules and regulations related to low income housing and policies;
• Knowledge of general office practices and procedures and basic mathematics;
• Ability to understand and implement HUD regulations and DHCD and Metro Boston policies and procedures;
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills. Ability to communicate with and relate to persons of diverse backgrounds and abilities and to establish and maintain effective working relationships with participants, landlords and other employees;
• Ability to complete complex and detailed tasks in a timely manner;
• Ability to plan and prioritize duties;
• Strong written and verbal communication skills;
• Accuracy in making mathematical calculations;
• Strong analytical and problem solving skills;
• Positive approach to work with strong interpersonal and negotiation skills;
• Ability to work independently within a busy and diverse team setting;
• Strong computer literacy skills; working knowledge of Microsoft Office, specifically Word and Excel; and
• Experience using computer software to organize, store, and analyze data;  
• Ability to exercise good judgment;
• Strong time management skills with the ability to handle large caseloads and high volume of work in a busy, fast paced environment;
• Ability to multi-task handling several tasks at once, anticipating and identifying problems and putting forward solutions;
• Ability to handle frequent interruptions without a loss of efficiency/productivity or accuracy;
• Attention to detail in all aspect of work;
• Ability to convey objectives clearly, encourage and motivate trainees, and evaluate learning outcomes.