Lutheran Services in America
Senior Program Manager, Health through Housing/Housing Initiatives
Reports to
Vice President, Program Planning & Growth
Level
Senior Program Manager
Location
Washington, DC preferred (hybrid); remote considered for exceptional candidates
Employment
Full-time
About This Opportunity
Lutheran Services in America is at an exciting inflection point, and we are looking for a new senior leader to join us in meeting this moment.
We are one of the largest nonprofit networks in the country, with 300 member organizations serving 1 in 50 Americans across 1,400 communities in 46 states. Our network delivers housing, behavioral health, aging services, economic mobility supports, and care for people with disabilities. But LSA's national office isn't just a convener or a trade association. We are an active catalyst, building the capital infrastructure, shared learning systems, and field-level relationships that help our member organizations do more, reach further, and lead boldly.
Right now, that catalytic work is gaining real momentum, with new initiatives launching and funders are leaning in while we build the team that will carry this moment forward.
That's where you come in.
We're looking for an exceptional Senior Program Manager to lead Health Through Housing — our national initiative to unlock predevelopment capital and scale service-enriched affordable housing across the LSA network. This is a front-facing, entrepreneurial role at the intersection of affordable housing, community development finance, and faith-based mission. It's the kind of position that doesn't come along often: early enough to shape something, substantial enough to matter, and connected to a network with the scale to make it real.
If you're energized by complexity, motivated by mission, and ready to bring your relationships and expertise to work that has genuine national reach, we encourage you apply.
About Health Through Housing
Health Through Housing is LSA’s national initiative to unlock capital and scale service-enriched affordable housing across the LSA network. The initiative is built on a foundational insight: LSA member organizations have deep community roots, mission alignment, and — through long-standing church partnerships — access to land. What most lack is the predevelopment capital, financial fluency, and development partnerships needed to move from aspiration to execution.
Health Through Housing closes that gap through three integrated components:
• The LSA Flexible Loan Fund — a pilot predevelopment loan fund
• The Health Through Housing Learning Cohort — a structured capacity-building program for LSA member organizations moving a housing project from concept toward financing
• Field-building and communications — including convenings, a capstone investor pitch event, case study development, and a cohort playbook designed to make the model replicable across faith-based networks
The initiative launched its inaugural cohort in June 2026 and is working toward a fully capitalized fund by December 2029. This is a pivotal moment for the initiative, and the person in this role will be central to making it succeed.
The Role
LSA is seeking a Senior Program Manager to serve as the primary operational and relationship driver for Health Through Housing. This is not a back-office project management role. It is a front-facing, entrepreneurial position that requires someone who can hold complex relationships, support fundraising, manage moving parts with precision, think creatively about field-building, and bring genuine enthusiasm for the intersection of faith, housing, and capital.
You will report directly to the Vice President, Program Planning & Growth and work in close partnership with a growing roster of national funders, consultants, investors, and field partners. Internally, you will coordinate across LSA’s development, communications, and policy teams to ensure Health Through Housing is integrated into the organization’s broader strategic agenda.
The right person for this role brings a mix of skills: project management discipline, relationship-building instincts, comfort with capital and finance concepts, and the ability to move between operational details and strategic narrative without losing either.
Key Responsibilities
Loan Fund Management and Borrower Pipeline
• Serve as the primary staff liaison for the LSA Flexible Loan Fund, coordinating around underwriting timelines, borrower communications, and loan documentation
• Support the development and management of the borrower pipeline — tracking cohort participants’ readiness, surfacing organizations ready to access predevelopment capital, and maintaining relationships with prospective borrowers across the LSA network
• Monitor loan portfolio performance and produce regular reporting for LSA leadership and investors
• Support the VP in funder and investor engagement, including preparing materials, coordinating due diligence processes, and managing follow-through on commitments
Cohort Program Management
• Manage day-to-day operations of the Health Through Housing Learning Cohort, including logistics, participant communications, session preparation, and coordination with key consultants
• Track participant progress against loan readiness benchmarks, identify organizations needing additional support, and coordinate technical assistance responses
• Manage cohort documentation: meeting notes, participant resources, deal document library, and the cohort playbook that will make the model replicable for future cycles
• Support planning and execution of the capstone investor pitch event, including outreach to Housing Leadership Circle members and capital partners
Technical Assistance Coordination
• Coordinate the delivery of technical assistance to cohort participants, ensuring project-specific support is responsive, well-sequenced, and advancing participants toward financing readiness
• Identify gaps in TA coverage and work with the VP to develop responses, including connections to legal counsel, architecture partners, and financing advisors within LSA’s partner network
• Track and document TA outcomes as part of LSA’s broader learning and evaluation agenda
Convening Design and Execution
• Lead planning and logistics for Health Through Housing convenings, including virtual sessions, in-person gatherings, and the annual capstone pitch event
• Bring creativity and intentionality to convening design — thinking carefully about who is in the room, what relationships need to be built, and how to structure experiences that accelerate both learning and deal development
• Coordinate with LSA’s communications team on convening communications, including invitations, agendas, post-event summaries, and field-building content
Communications and Field-Building
• Manage external communications for Health Through Housing, in coordination with LSA’s communications team: web content, member updates, case studies, and investor-facing materials
• Support the development and maintenance of the Health Through Housing cohort playbook and resource library, ensuring tools developed in the inaugural cohort are captured and made replicable
• Represent Health Through Housing at external convenings, conferences, and partner meetings, building LSA’s relationships in the affordable housing, community development finance, and impact investment fields
• Support the VP in thought leadership and field-building activities, including content development for op-eds, presentations, and funder narratives
Relationship Management and Partnership Coordination
• Serve as a primary relationship manager for a defined set of external partners, funders, and field contacts relevant to Health Through Housing — maintaining regular communication, following through on commitments, and deepening trust over time
• Partner with executive leadership team (ELT) and consultants on robust fundraising strategy, including funder outreach, research, and cultivation
• Build and maintain relationships within the affordable housing and community development finance ecosystem — including CDFIs, housing finance agencies, mission-driven lenders, and faith-based developers — that can support LSA member organizations in accessing capital and partnerships
• Coordinate with LSA member organizations engaged in housing development, serving as a connector between their needs and the resources, relationships, and capital that Health Through Housing can mobilize
Qualifications
Required
• 6 to 8 years of professional experience, with demonstrated strength in project management, program coordination, or initiative management in a complex, multi-stakeholder environment
• Familiarity with the affordable housing field — including at least a working knowledge affordable housing philanthropy, LIHTC, predevelopment financing, community development finance, and/or faith-based or nonprofit housing development
• Existing relationships or contacts in the affordable housing, CDFI, or community development finance space that can be activated on behalf of LSA and its member organizations
• Exceptional organizational skills and attention to detail, with the ability to manage multiple workstreams simultaneously without losing track of commitments or quality
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to write clearly for diverse audiences — from member organizations to investors to field partners
• Demonstrated relationship-building ability: the capacity to build trust with diverse stakeholders, follow through consistently, and sustain relationships over time
• Comfort working in an entrepreneurial, fast-moving environment where roles evolve and initiative is valued over waiting for direction
Strongly Preferred
• Experience working in or alongside a networked membership organization, national nonprofit, or intermediary
• Experience with loan funds, impact investing, or catalytic capital — even at a basic operational level
• Experience designing or facilitating convenings, learning communities, or cohort-based programs
Compensation and Location
Salary is commensurate with experience. LSA offers a comprehensive benefits package including health, dental, and vision coverage, retirement contributions, and generous paid time off.
LSA’s national office is based in Washington, DC. We are prioritizing candidates in the DC metro region who can work in a hybrid arrangement, but we will consider remote candidates who bring exceptional qualifications and demonstrated ability to work effectively across a distributed team. Travel — primarily to cohort convenings, partner meetings, and national conferences — is expected at approximately 15 to 20 percent.
How to Apply
To apply, please submit a resume, cover letter and salary requirement that speaks specifically to your interest in this role and your experience in the affordable housing field. Applications without a cover letter will not be considered. We are reviewing applications on a rolling basis and encourage early submission.
Lutheran Services in America is an equal opportunity employer committed to building a diverse and inclusive team. Submission: Shaight@lutheranservices.org
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