Director of Housing

Job Summary:

The Director of Housing serves as the senior executive responsible for the overall administration, operation, leadership, and regulatory compliance of the Housing Department. The Director exercises independent judgment, decision-making authority, and full accountability for all departmental functions, including federal housing program compliance, fiscal management, personnel supervision, tenant services, procurement, and strategic housing initiatives. This position has a dual reporting structure: for day-to-day administrative operations, personnel supervision, budgeting, purchasing, compliance oversight, and departmental management, the Director reports directly to the Tribal Administrator. The Director is responsible for ensuring that the Housing Department operates in full compliance with federal law, including the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act (NAHASDA), the Indian Housing Block Grant (IHBG) program, HUD’s Office of Native American Programs (HUD-ONAP), federal procurement standards, environmental review requirements, audit standards, and annual reporting obligations. The Director is expected to perform with initiative, independent management ability, regulatory expertise, organizational discipline, and unwavering leadership accountability. Identifying deficiencies without independently developing and implementing corrective measures shall be considered insufficient performance for this position.

Executive Leadership and Departmental Administration

• Serve as the executive responsible for the overall administration, direction, and performance of the Housing Department, exercising independent judgment and full leadership accountability for departmental operations.
• Direct the day-to-day operations of the Housing Department, including planning, organizing, staffing, supervising, and evaluating all departmental functions.
• Establish, implement, and maintain departmental policies, procedures, internal controls, and operational standards that ensure efficient, accountable, and audit-ready performance.
• Develop annual departmental goals, work plans, performance benchmarks, corrective action plans, and strategic housing initiatives, and execute them through to completion.
• Function with initiative, independent management ability, and organizational discipline; identifying deficiencies without independently developing and implementing corrective measures shall be considered insufficient performance.

Federal Housing Compliance and Regulatory Oversight

• Ensure compliance with the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act (NAHASDA), the Indian Housing Block Grant (IHBG) program, and all applicable HUD Office of Native American Programs (HUD-ONAP) requirements.
• Administer and oversee federal procurement standards, environmental review requirements (including NEPA and HUD Part 58 review when applicable), Davis-Bacon and labor standards, and all other federal cross-cutting requirements applicable to Tribal housing programs.
• Prepare, submit, and maintain the Indian Housing Plan (IHP), Annual Performance Report (APR), and all required NAHASDA, IHBG, and HUD-ONAP submissions in accordance with federal deadlines.
• Coordinate and respond to federal monitoring reviews, single audits, financial audits, and program audits, and develop and execute corrective action plans for any findings.
• Maintain current knowledge of federal regulations, agency guidance, program notices, and policy updates affecting Tribal housing, and proactively adjust departmental practices to remain in compliance.

Personnel Supervision and Maintenance Coordination

• Supervise Housing staff, including assigning duties, evaluating performance, providing direction and training, addressing personnel issues, and recommending hiring, discipline, and termination actions in accordance with Tribal personnel policies.
• Coordinate and oversee maintenance operations, work orders, preventive maintenance, unit turnover, emergency repairs, and modernization activities, ensuring quality, timeliness, and cost control.
• Promote a professional, accountable, and service-oriented work culture within the department that reflects the values of the Moapa Band of Paiute Indians.
• Provide leadership, mentorship, and clear performance expectations to subordinate staff, fostering professional development and operational reliability.

Tenant Services, Occupancy, and Lease Administration

• Administer all tenant and occupancy functions, including applications, eligibility determinations, waiting list management, unit assignments, recertifications, and lease execution.
• Conduct or oversee unit inspections, including move-in, move-out, annual, and housing quality standards (HQS) inspections, and ensure timely correction of deficiencies.
• Administer rent collection, lease enforcement, delinquency follow-up, and lease compliance in accordance with departmental policies and applicable federal requirements.
• Receive, investigate, and resolve tenant grievances and complaints in a fair, documented, and policy-compliant manner, and refer unresolved matters through the proper grievance process.
• Ensure tenant files, occupancy records, and lease documentation are accurate, complete, current, and audit-ready at all times.

External Coordination with Consultants, Auditors, and Agencies

• Coordinate directly with financial consultants, independent auditors, engineers, architects, contractors, environmental review professionals, and legal counsel as required to support Housing Authority operations and compliance.
• Serve as the point of contact with HUD-ONAP, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, USDA Rural Development, and other federal, state, and local agencies and partner organizations.
• Review consultant and contractor work products, deliverables, invoices, and reports for accuracy, regulatory compliance, and consistency with Housing objectives.
• Manage procurement, solicitation, contract award, contract administration, and contractor performance in accordance with federal procurement standards and Tribal procurement policy.

Budget Development and Fiscal Accountability

• Develop, recommend, and administer the annual Housing budget, including IHBG and other federal grant budgets, program income, and any Tribally-funded housing allocations.
• Monitor grant expenditures, drawdowns, obligations, and available balances; track invoices, purchase orders, and encumbrances; and ensure expenditures are allowable, allocable, reasonable, and properly supported.
• Maintain strong internal controls over financial transactions, procurement, cash handling, and fixed assets, and ensure full segregation of duties consistent with federal requirements.
• Coordinate with the Tribal Finance Department and financial consultants to ensure accurate accounting, timely financial reporting, and proper closeout of grants and contracts.
• Take full fiscal accountability for the Housing Department, including responsibility for identifying budget variances, cost overruns, and fiscal risks and implementing corrective measures.

Recordkeeping and Audit-Ready Documentation

• Maintain all Housing Department files, tenant files, personnel files, procurement and contract records, environmental review records, and grant documentation in complete, accurate, organized, and audit-ready condition.
• Ensure proper records retention, confidentiality, and security in accordance with Tribal policy, federal regulations, and applicable privacy requirements.
• Establish and maintain documentation systems sufficient to demonstrate full compliance during audits, monitoring reviews, federal site visits, and Tribal Council reviews at any time and without advance notice.
• Review departmental records on a continuous basis, identify documentation gaps or deficiencies, and implement corrections without delay.

Independent Problem Identification and Corrective Action

• Independently identify operational, financial, compliance, programmatic, and personnel deficiencies within the Department and develop solutions without waiting for direction.
• Implement corrective measures, monitor their effectiveness, and adjust as needed until the deficiency is fully resolved and documented.
• Escalate matters to the Tribal Administrator when the matter exceeds the Director’s authority or requires governance-level decision; raising a problem without a recommended solution and an implementation plan is not acceptable performance.
• Document all corrective actions, decisions, and outcomes to support continuous improvement and audit readiness.

Minimum Qualifications:

Minimum Qualifications (Education and Experience)

• High School Diploma
• Demonstrated experience and/or knowledge of administering federally-funded programs, with strong preference for direct experience administering NAHASDA, IHBG, and HUD-ONAP requirements within a Tribal Housing program or Tribal Designated Housing Entity (TDHE).
• Demonstrated experience with federal procurement, environmental review, single audits, grant management, fiscal accountability, and federal reporting.
• Must possess a valid driver’s license, an insurable driving record, and the ability to be covered under the Tribe’s vehicle insurance.
• Must successfully pass a background investigation, drug and alcohol screening, and any clearances required for access to confidential tenant, financial, and program records.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Comprehensive knowledge of NAHASDA, IHBG, HUD-ONAP regulations, federal housing program requirements, federal procurement standards (2 CFR Part 200), environmental review requirements, and federal grant administration.
• Working knowledge of Tribal government structure, Tribal sovereignty, Tribal department operations, and the regulatory environment in which Tribal housing programs operate.
• Strong knowledge of budget development, grant accounting, fiscal monitoring, internal controls, audit standards, and federal cost principles.
• Demonstrated ability to lead, supervise, and develop staff; to set performance expectations and hold staff accountable; and to manage personnel matters in accordance with Tribal policy.
• Demonstrated ability to exercise independent judgment, make sound executive-level decisions, and accept full accountability for departmental outcomes.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, including the ability to independently identify deficiencies, develop solutions, and implement and document corrective measures.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to prepare professional reports, policy documents, correspondence, and presentations for the Tribal Administrator, Tribal Council, federal agencies, and other audiences.
• Strong organizational, planning, and time-management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities, deadlines, and regulatory obligations simultaneously.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint), housing management software, and electronic recordkeeping systems.
• Ability to maintain strict confidentiality of tenant, personnel, financial, and program information.
• Ability to work cooperatively and professionally with Tribal members, tenants, staff, the Moapa Housing Board, the Tribal Administrator, the Tribal Council, federal officials, consultants, contractors, and the general public.

Physical Demands

• The work is primarily performed in an office setting and involves prolonged periods of sitting, standing, walking, and operating standard office equipment, including a computer, telephone, and copier.
• The position requires the ability to occasionally lift, carry, and move files, boxes, supplies, and equipment weighing up to twenty-five (25) pounds.
• The position requires sufficient mobility to conduct site visits and inspections of housing units, including the ability to walk on uneven terrain, climb stairs, enter crawl spaces or attics if needed, and remain on-site for extended periods.
• The position requires sufficient visual acuity, hearing, and manual dexterity to read documents, review plans, conduct inspections, and operate office and inspection equipment.
• Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position.

Working Conditions

• Work is performed in a Tribal government office environment, with regular field work at Housing units and project sites on the Moapa River Indian Reservation.
• Field work may expose the incumbent to outdoor weather conditions, dust, construction sites, occupied housing units, and varying environmental conditions.
• The position requires occasional travel for training, conferences, federal monitoring reviews, vendor meetings, and other business, including overnight travel.
• The position requires availability outside of standard business hours to respond to housing emergencies, attend Housing Board meetings, attend Tribal Council meetings, and meet federal or grant deadlines.
• The position routinely involves exposure to confidential and sensitive tenant, personnel, and financial information, which must be handled with the highest level of professionalism and discretion.

Performance Expectations

• The Housing Director is expected to function as a senior executive department head, exercising independent judgment, decision-making authority, and full responsibility for operations.
• The Director is expected to demonstrate initiative, regulatory knowledge, organizational discipline, and leadership accountability at all times.
• The Director is expected to maintain the department in continuous audit-ready condition, with no reliance on advance notice of audits, monitoring reviews, or Council inquiries.
• The Director is expected to identify deficiencies independently, develop solutions, and implement corrective measures; raising problems without proposed and implemented solutions shall be deemed insufficient performance.
• The Director is expected to model professional conduct, ethical decision-making, sound stewardship of Tribal and federal resources, and respect for the cultural values and sovereignty of the Moapa Band of Paiute Indians.
• The Director’s performance shall be evaluated by the Tribal Administrator, with input from the Moapa Housing Board on policy and governance matters, against measurable benchmarks including regulatory compliance, fiscal accountability, audit results, program performance, tenant services, staff supervision, and timely reporting.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Public Administration, Business Administration, Tribal Policy, Housing Administration, Urban Planning, Finance, or a related field is preferred.
• Direct experience as an Executive Director, Housing Director, or senior administrator of a Tribal Housing Program or Tribally Designated Housing Entity.
• Completion of NAHASDA, IHBG, HUD-ONAP, or comparable federal housing administration training and certifications.
• Familiarity with the Moapa Band of Paiute Indians’ history, culture, traditions, and community.
• Experience working in a Native American or Alaska Native community, with a demonstrated ability to engage respectfully and effectively with Tribal government and Tribal members.