This position provides training and support to existing and established resident cooperatives as well as newly formed cooperatives seeking to acquire the land under their homes, working with Resident Owned Communities (ROCs) and their Boards under ROC USA Direct, a customer-facing business unit of ROC USA. This position will cultivate and manage relationships, training, organizational development, and support Resident Owned Communities (ROCs) through the pre and post-purchase operations.
ROC USA Direct is a business unit of ROC USA, LLC, that operates in a complex and dynamic market. The Service Unit is responsible for identifying and implementing ROC conversions using the ROC USA model. ROC USA Direct operates in selected states where ROC USA does not have Certified Technical Assistance Providers (CTAP) partners.
Job Duties and Responsibilities
Post-purchase support to resident-owned manufactured housing communities through the following activities:
Consult with resident association board meetings, including preparation, agenda assistance, coaching in running efficient meetings, parliamentary procedure, effective follow-up, and review of minutes and financial statements.
Coaching, mentoring, and training ROC Boards with topics related to governance, Board process and effectiveness, teamwork, problem-solving, and fiduciary responsibility.
Monitors ROC performance and identifying remediation, if required, through data collection, management, and analysis. This includes all aspects of their financial and loan compliance responsibilities.
Facilitate peer networking, community of practice, and convenings with ROC residents and Board Members.
Support, develop, and/or recommend risk management and economic and operational efficiency strategies catered to the specific needs of each ROCs.
Pre-purchase support to residents seeking to acquire the land under their homes as a resident-owned manufactured housing cooperative.
Consult with resident association board members to create the framework for a new corporation: developing community rules, pre & post-purchase corporate bylaws, and all organizational policies.
Develop and train new board and cooperative members on what a co-op is, what it means to be a member, and understand the basic business model of a cooperatively owned manufactured housing community.
Work with the Cooperative Coordinator: Project Specialist, to bring back project management aspects of the acquisition to the board and community: loan application, due diligence coordination & findings, third-party management coordination & selection, etc.
Further, establish ROC USA Direct as a line of business for ROC USA through the following activities:
Assist ROC USA Direct as they identify and work with brokers, manufactured housing community owners, resident cooperatives, and individual homeowners to effectively convert the park to a resident-owned community.
Become a subject matter expert on ROC USA's process and model.
Document stories of ROC successes and work with ROC USA colleagues to make these more generally known
Develop and maintain strong, collaborative working relationships
Communicate complex concepts and plans to diverse groups of individuals, resolve conflict, and secure collaboration.
Build teams and encourage the growth of individuals that allows them to see their full potential.
Develop and maintain excellent working relationships with staff, affiliates, and customers by phone, email, or in person.
Influence and persuade without holding formal authority.
Show respect and sensitivity for cultural differences, promote a harassment-free environment, uphold equity, diversity, and inclusion as a core value.
Develop strategies to achieve organizational goals
Understand the organization's strengths and weaknesses with the ability to identify external threats and opportunities.
Make an informed decision based on the market and competition within the market, adjusting your strategy based on the changing conditions.
Develop project plans, coordinate the different activities, and communicate the changes and/or progress of the plan. Complete projects on time and within budget.
Instigate and manage change with individuals and groups; Build commitment and overcome resistance; Prepare and support those affected by change; Monitor transition and evaluate results.
Required Skills/Abilities
Ability to focus on problem-solving; Maintain confidentiality; Be an active listener; Remain open to others' ideas and try new things.
Maintain poise and professionalism while working closely with individuals in-person and remotely via phone and electronic communication.
Be attentive to detail, coordination of multiple projects, and ability to set priorities and meet deadlines under pressure.
Strong written and verbal communication skills.
Ability to work individually with little direction or collaboratively in a team environment.
Ability to use and participate in organization-wide systems, including SLACK, Salesforce, Box, Zoom and other video conferencing, Outlook, Microsoft Office and Monday.com and other company systems.
Demonstrate a commitment to ROC USA's mission, and to its values of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Education and Experience:
Proven experience in community organizing within diverse populations
Progressively responsible job duties
Experience with customer service, hospitality, willingness to engage with people and public engagement.
Physical Requirements:?
Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer and video conferencing
Use of standard office equipment. Reasonable accommodation will be made to enable individuals to be able to perform essential functions.
Moderate travel is required. Employee must be able to drive and have their own vehicle to travel. Employee must have a valid driver's license, current auto insurance, and vehicle registration. Air travel will be required depending on the event or meeting location.
Location:
The position is a full-time exempt position and is remote-based with a preferred location in New York.
Travel:
The role requires moderate travel throughout the U.S. - an average of once or twice per month, with minimum multi-state/multi-day trips, an average of three (3) days.
Who We Are?
ROC USA is not your typical affordable housing organization. We are a non-profit social enterprise with a mission to support?homeowners in manufactured home communities to achieve affordable and environmentally sustainable self-governing cooperatives.?
Resident ownership is achieved when homeowners in Manufactured ("Mobile") Home Communities form a Co-op and acquire the underlying land from a commercial owner. To make ownership possible, ROC USA creates purchase opportunities through market development in industry and negotiations with investor-owners, provides training and Technical Assistance through a Network of affiliated non-profits and our own national team in states not served by an affiliate, and provides financing through ROC USA® Capital, a U.S. Treasury certified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI).?
ROC USA and affiliates serve customers and support our mission with a national team of more than 30 and 50 affiliate team members, who stand proudly with low- and moderate-income homeowners who want control of the land under their neighborhoods. Our faith in these homeowners and the democratic cooperatives they operate is based on nearly 40 years of experience and success.?We use this history and track record to inform and advance public policy at the local, state, and national levels.?
Our networked business model allows us to achieve economies of scale and deliver consistently high-quality services and earnings that sustain the whole enterprise - individual ROCs, CTAP affiliates, and ROC USA itself. Working in a niche commercial real estate market that transacts time-sensitive projects through market-rate financing, operational efficiencies are critical.?
Today, ROC USA represents 317 ROCs and nearly 22,000 Member-owners in 21 states. ROC USA Capital has provided more than $300 million in community financing. This track record of success has us well-positioned for significant growth.?
Our success has been recognized by The Financial Times ("Why Big Investors are Buying U.S. Trailer Parks," Feb. 2020) and Last Week Tonight with John Oliver ("Mobile Homes," April 2019) along with numerous other national publications, television and radio news, and podcasts.?
Our Vision: We envision a country in which the owners of efficient and affordable homes are economically secure in healthy and socially vibrant resident-owned communities.?
Our goals are to:?
Preserve and improve affordable communities.?
Build individual assets.?
Foster healthy, mutually supportive communities and leaders.?
Our Cultural Norms:?
We insist on deep collaboration and accountability to one another, our internal and external customers, and the mission.?
Trustworthiness and transparency are essential to our success.?