Head of Project Management

National Equity Fund, Inc.; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

National Equity Fund, Inc. is seeking a Head of Project Management to lead NEF's underwriting and closing organization across LIHTC, Structured Finance, and Predevelopment.

You will drive strategy, quality, and end-to-end transaction execution with strong collaboration across Legal, Investor Relations, and Asset Management. The role demands 10+ years in real estate underwriting, LIHTC expertise, and superior leadership and communication skills to manage complex multi-line activities in a dynamic

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, Real Estate, or related field; Master's preferred.
• Minimum 10 years of real estate underwriting experience, including at least 5 years in LIHTC.
• Deep knowledge of LIHTC investments, underwriting, compliance, and transaction structuring.
• Demonstrated success leading large professional teams and developing senior talent.
• Strong executive communication, analytical, negotiation, and problem-solving skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop the underwriting and closing organization through Managing Directors, establishing accountability, performance expectations, and talent development across all levels.
• Align staffing, resources, and organizational structure to support business objectives, transaction volume, and evolving market conditions.
• Assign transactions strategically based on capacity, expertise, investor requirements, and deal complexity.
• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, continuous learning, and operational excellence.
• Oversee underwriting and closing activities to ensure timely, accurate, and consistent execution across all business lines.
• Establish and maintain quality assurance standards, operating procedures, and internal controls that minimize risk and support investment objectives.
• Ensure accurate project data, reporting, and visibility into transaction status, key risks, and closing timelines.
• Lead process improvement initiatives that enhance efficiency, scalability, technology utilization, transparency, and execution quality.
• Develop and implement best practices, standardized workflows, and performance metrics across the department.
• Drive continuous improvement to support increasing transaction volume and product complexity.
• Serve as the primary operational liaison between Project Management and Originations, Credit, Legal, Investor Relations, Asset Management, and other business partners.
• Ensure effective communication, coordinated decision-making, and seamless transaction execution throughout the investment lifecycle.
• Oversee successful transition of closed transactions to Asset Management while maintaining an exceptional internal and external client experience.

Skills

Real estate underwriting

LIHTC expertise

Executive communication

Leadership

Analytical problem-solving

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, Real Estate, or related field

Master's degree preferred

Tools

Excel

Proprietary systems

Job description

NATIONAL EQUITY FUND, INC. is a leading non-profit syndicator of Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) with a mission to create and deliver innovative, collaborative financial solutions to expand the creation and preservation of affordable housing.

The Head of Project Management provides strategic leadership for NEF's Project Management department, overseeing the closing investment lifecycle across NEF's LIHTC, Structured Finance, and Predevelopment business lines. This executive is accountable for underwriting quality, transaction execution, operational excellence, and the leadership and development of the underwriting and closing organization while driving continuous improvement and cross-functional collaboration.

Essential Duties And Responsibilities

• Lead and develop the underwriting and closing organization through Managing Directors, establishing accountability, performance expectations, and talent development across all levels.


• Align staffing, resources, and organizational structure to support business objectives, transaction volume, and evolving market conditions.


• Assign transactions strategically based on capacity, expertise, investor requirements, and deal complexity.


• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, continuous learning, and operational excellence.


• Oversee underwriting and closing activities to ensure timely, accurate, and consistent execution across all business lines.


• Establish and maintain quality assurance standards, operating procedures, and internal controls that minimize risk and support investment objectives.


• Ensure accurate project data, reporting, and visibility into transaction status, key risks, and closing timelines.


• Lead process improvement initiatives that enhance efficiency, scalability, technology utilization, transparency, and execution quality.


• Develop and implement best practices, standardized workflows, and performance metrics across the department.


• Drive continuous improvement to support increasing transaction volume and product complexity.


• Serve as the primary operational liaison between Project Management and Originations, Credit, Legal, Investor Relations, Asset Management, and other business partners.


• Ensure effective communication, coordinated decision-making, and seamless transaction execution throughout the investment lifecycle.


• Oversee successful transition of closed transactions to Asset Management while maintaining an exceptional internal and external client experience.

Minimum Knowledge, Skills, And Abilities Required

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, Real Estate, or related field; Master's preferred.


• Minimum 10 years of real estate underwriting experience, including at least 5 years in the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit industry.


• Deep knowledge of LIHTC investments, underwriting, compliance, and transaction structuring.


• Demonstrated success leading large professional teams and developing senior talent.


• Strong executive communication, analytical, negotiation, and problem-solving skills.


• Proven ability to lead cross-functional initiatives and manage multiple complex transactions.


• Advanced Excel proficiency and ability to learn proprietary systems.


• Willingness to travel as needed.

We offer a competitive salary, along with a comprehensive benefits package.

NEF IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER