Senior Counsel

Vantage Oleochemicals, Inc; United States; On-site; USD 175,000 - 195,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Retirement plan

Paid holidays

PTO

Job summary

April Housing is seeking a Senior Counsel to join its in-house legal team. This broad, business-facing role embeds legal support across asset management, investments, capital markets, and leadership, focusing on day-to-day counseling, negotiations, and risk assessment for a national affordable housing portfolio.

The ideal candidate has 5–7 years of experience, a J.D., bar admission, and strong real estate contracting and advisory skills.

Qualifications

• J.D. from an accredited law school.
• Active membership in a U.S. state bar.
• 5–7 years of legal experience in real estate or related field.
• Ability to draft and negotiate complex agreements.
• Excellent written and verbal communication; ability to explain issues to business teams.

Responsibilities

• Advise business teams on legal and operational issues across a national affordable housing portfolio.
• Lead entity management, governance support, and related compliance.
• Support acquisitions, financings, refinancings, restructurings, and LIHTC-related transactions.
• Provide day-to-day legal resource for asset management and contract negotiations.
• Assist with disputes, claims, and risk management with outside counsel.

Skills

J.D. degree

State bar membership

5–7 years experience

Real estate law

Contract negotiation

Communication skills

Project management

Education

J.D. from accredited law school

Job description

At April Housing, we’re building a team of bold, mission-driven professionals who are motivated by meaningful work and energized by collaboration. Our work supports a clear purpose of expanding access to high-quality housing, and each role plays an important part in advancing that mission. You’ll collaborate shoulder-to-shoulder with some of the most talented experts in the industry, gaining hands-on exposure that helps you grow your skills and broaden your perspective from the day one. Our environment is dynamic, fast paced and evolving, designed to support curious, ambitious people as they take on new challenges and develop capabilities that translate throughout their careers. April Housing is a leading owner and operator of high-quality affordable housing across the United States. Founded in 2022 and headquartered in Los Angeles, we are a portfolio company of Blackstone Real Estate, supporting the affordable housing and LIHTC (Low-Income Housing Tax Credit) portfolio. Our mission is clear: preserve critical affordable housing stock while delivering exceptional management and high-quality homes to the communities we serve. We are committed to being a fair, transparent, and responsible owner. Backed by Blackstone Real Estate enabling us to invest in the creation and preservation of affordable housing for the long run. We are making a bold commitment to preserving affordable housing across the country. April Housing is dedicated to ensuring our assets aligned with high standards of excellence, including ongoing property improvements and elevated resident services. We’re looking for individuals who share our commitment to excellence and believe in the impact that thoughtful, well-executed work can have on communities. If you’re driven by purpose, value collaboration, and are excited to grow while contributing to something meaningful, April Housing offers a place to build experience, expand your impact, and do work that matters.

Position Overview

April Housing is seeking a Senior Counsel to join its in-house legal team. This is a broad, business-facing legal role for a lawyer who wants to be embedded in the day-to-day work of owning, operating, preserving, and investing in affordable housing at scale. The Senior Counsel will serve as a practical legal and business partner to teams across asset management, investments, capital markets, and senior leadership. The role includes transaction support, but is broader than a traditional transaction execution role. It emphasizes day-to-day business counseling, commercial negotiations, operational problem solving, dispute management, risk assessment, and strategic initiatives. The ideal candidate is a senior associate with approximately 5 to 7 years of experience who enjoys variety, takes ownership, communicates clearly with non-lawyers, and is interested in developing a strong understanding of how an institutional real estate platform operates. Familiarity with affordable housing or the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program is preferred but not required.

What You Will Do

• Serve as a Strategic Business PartnerAdvise business teams on legal and operational issues arising across a national affordable housing portfolio. Partner with asset management, investments, capital markets, and senior leadership to evaluate risk and develop practical solutions. Provide clear, business-oriented guidance in situations where legal, operational, reputational, and resident-facing considerations intersect. Help translate legal analysis into actionable recommendations for non-lawyer stakeholders. Work directly with senior leaders on cross-functional priorities and projects.
• Lead Legal Operations, Entity Management, and Governance SupportManage entity formation, maintenance, and dissolution. Maintain organizational structure charts and entity records. Prepare incumbency, authority, and related governance documentation. Support delegated authority and approval processes. Support sanctions-related compliance activities and related cross-functional initiatives.
• Support Real Estate Transactions and Preservation InitiativesSupport acquisitions, dispositions, financings, refinancings, restructurings, resyndications, and other strategic transactions. Draft, review, and negotiate purchase and sale agreements, loan documents, easements, access agreements, leases, settlement agreements, and related transaction documents. Manage outside counsel and consultants and coordinate communication across lenders, counterparties, and internal stakeholders. Advise on regulatory agreements, affordability restrictions, housing agency matters, bond issuer requirements, and related affordable housing considerations. Assist with transactions involving LIHTC properties, tax-exempt bonds, and other affordable housing financing structures.
• Provide Asset Management and Operational Legal SupportServe as a day-to-day legal resource for asset management on property operations and risk management. Review, draft, and negotiate commercial agreements, including property management agreements, vendor contracts, consulting agreements, access agreements, nondisclosure agreements, and other operating agreements. Advise on property-level issues, resident-related matters, third‑party relationships, and operational escalations. Support the creation and refinement of legal templates, playbooks, policies, and processes that improve consistency and scalability. Oversee the Company’s legal billing platform, conflicts approvals, and onboarding of legal counsel. Help the Company balance practical business needs, legal risk, resident impact, and long‑term preservation goals. Manage Disputes, Claims, and Risk Issues
• Support Disputes, Claims, and Risk IssuesSupport pre-litigation disputes, claims, investigations, and litigation matters in partnership with outside counsel. Assist with insurance recovery, indemnity issues, property-level disputes, and other risk mitigation efforts. Evaluate potential legal exposure and recommend practical paths to resolution. Coordinate with internal stakeholders to preserve facts, manage communications, and support timely decision‑making.

Qualifications

RequiredJ.D. from an accredited law school.Active membership in good standing with at least one U.S. state bar.Approximately 5 to 7 years of legal experience in a law firm, real estate investment platform, REIT, developer, owner/operator, financial institution, or similar organization.Strong real estate, commercial contracting, or business counseling experience.Ability to draft, review, and negotiate agreements with sound judgment and attention to detail.Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to explain legal issues clearly to business teams.Strong organizational and project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple matters at once.Practical, solutions-oriented approach and willingness to work across a broad range of legal and business issues.

PreferredExperience with commercial or multifamily real estate transactions.Familiarity with affordable housing, LIHTC, tax‑exempt bond financings, HUD programs, regulatory agreements, or other public-private real estate structures.Prior in-house experience or demonstrated interest in moving into a business-facing in‑house role.Experience supporting institutional investors, private equity sponsors, real estate owners, developers, operators, or asset management platforms.Experience with disputes, claims, operational risk, or compliance-sensitive matters.

Success Profile

This individual approaches their work as an owner and strategic business partner rather than solely as a technical lawyer. They thrive in a dynamic environment, comfortably moving between transactions, operations, asset management, disputes, and broader strategic initiatives. They exercise sound judgment by carefully balancing legal risk with business objectives, resident impact, and reputational considerations. Known for being clear, responsive, practical, and composed under pressure, they build credibility and trust with both legal and non-legal stakeholders. They demonstrate strong discernment in knowing when to handle matters independently and when to escalate issues or engage additional expertise. Most importantly, they are genuinely motivated by April Housing’s mission and are energized by the opportunity to help preserve affordable housing at scale.

Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers, the California Fair Chance Act and any other applicable city, county, or local ordinances. Good cause exists for a criminal background check because one of the material duties of this position requires access to sensitive financial information and confidential and proprietary information and accordingly requires the candidate to possess a high level of integrity and discretion. The Company faces a significant risk to its business operations or business reputation if a criminal history check is not performed. A criminal history that has a direct, adverse, and negative relationship with these material duties may potentially result in the withdrawal of a conditional offer of employment.

Base Compensation Range

Base Compensation Range: $175,000.00 To $195,000.00 Annually. This represents the presently-anticipated low and high end of the Company’s base compensation range for this position. Actual base compensation range may vary based on various factors, including but not limited to location and experience.

Total Direct Compensation

This job is also eligible for discretionary bonus and incentive compensation on an annual basis.

Benefits

• health insurance coverage
• retirement savings plan
• paid holidays
• paid time off (PTO)

Job Applicant Privacy Notice

Job Applicant Privacy Notice

EEO Statement

April Housing is an equal opportunity employer.

In accordance with applicable law, we prohibit discrimination against any applicant, employee, or other covered person based on any legally recognized basis, including, but not limited to: veteran status, uniformed servicemember status, race, color, caste, immigration status, religion, religious creed (including religious dress and grooming practices), sex, gender, gender expression, gender identity, marital status, sexual orientation, pregnancy (including childbirth, lactation or related medical conditions), age, national origin or ancestry, citizenship, physical or mental disability, genetic information (including testing and characteristics), protected leave status, domestic violence victim status, or any other consideration protected by federal, state or local law.

We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations, if you need an accommodation to complete the application process, please email [e-mail]