Careers at Habitat for Humanity International

About the Role:

• Habitat for Humanity International (HFHI) is seeking an accomplished and visionary leader to serve as Managing Director, MicroBuild Impact and Innovation Hub. This leadership role is responsible for advancing the strategic growth, innovation, and operational excellence of the MicroBuild Initiative which is dedicated to expanding access to affordable housing finance for underserved communities around the world. The Managing Director will provide executive oversight of the product development, program management, and innovation functions of the MicroBuild Initiative, establishing the strategic vision, priorities, and governance frameworks necessary to drive the successful development and delivery of impactful products, programs, and investment initiatives. This leader will shape and execute the long-term strategy of the Microbuild Initiative, ensuring alignment between organizational objectives, market opportunities, and mission-driven outcomes.
• Working across a diverse network of internal and external stakeholders, the Managing Director will lead the execution of MicroBuild’s strategic objectives by aligning resources, fostering cross-functional collaboration, and driving operational effectiveness. The role will be accountable for delivering measurable social and financial impact, strengthening partnerships with financial institutions and investors, identifying opportunities for innovation and growth, and expanding the reach of housing finance solutions that empower low-income families to build, improve, and secure adequate housing.
• This position may be based in Washington, DC, Atlanta, Georgia, Nairobi, Kenya, or London, United Kingdom, and follows a hybrid work arrangement, requiring a combination of in-office and remote work with up to 40% international travel.

Key Responsibilities:

Oversight of Hub Commitments & Support Services (25%)

• Ensure quality delivery of all Hub commitments and agreed services.
• Ensure Hub services evolve to meet changing Fund needs and strategic priorities.
• Establish and maintain systems to track delivery against agreed commitments, performance expectations, funding arrangements, governance decisions, and stakeholder expectations.

Relationship Management & Fund Coordination (25%)

• Serve as Habitat's primary day-to-day counterpart to Symbiotics regarding Hub-supported activities and delivery of commitments to the MicroBuild Fund and for the MicroBuild Initiative.
• Lead regular planning, coordination, and implementation review discussions with Symbiotics to monitor delivery of Hub-supported services, assess progress against agreed commitments, and identify emerging resource needs, risks, lessons learned, and opportunities for continuous improvement.
• Lead the annual pipeline planning process with Symbiotics, in partnership with the Senior Director, Terwilliger Center Innovation in Shelter (TCIS) Housing Finance Systems and relevant Housing Finance Solutions (HFS) and other TCIS leaders.
• Coordinate with the Senior Director, TCIS Housing Finance Systems and relevant Habitat teams to align technical expertise, staffing capacity, budget requirements, and technical assistance resources with anticipated Fund pipeline needs.
• Ensure effective coordination between the Fund, Hub, TCIS, and Housing Finance Systems teams to support deployment of resources and successful delivery of agreed commitments.
• Identify emerging risks, opportunities, and institutional support needs and facilitate timely decision-making.
• Establish and maintain annual and quarterly planning processes with HFS leadership, together with mechanisms for technical collaboration, knowledge transfer, and coordinated deployment of resources in support of Fund priorities.

Hub Governance, Compliance & Organizational Leadership (20%)

• Lead overall management and performance of the Hub LLC.
• Develop annual operating plans, budgets, and strategic priorities.
• Prepare Board materials, performance reports, and strategic recommendations.
• Ensure compliance with all contractual, legal, operational, financial, governance, and reporting requirements.
• Lead staffing, organizational development, and resource allocation processes.
• Ensure appropriate risk management practices are established and maintained.

Operational Platform & Shared Services Leadership (15%)

• Lead establishment and continuous improvement of the Hub's operational platform.
• Coordinate with Finance, Legal, Human Resources, Information Technology, Procurement, Compliance, Risk Management, and Communications functions.
• Establish and oversee service agreements between the Hub LLC and Habitat support functions.
• Ensure strong operational controls, compliance standards, and governance procedures are maintained.

Impact Reporting, Learning & Performance Management (10%)

• Oversee preparation and publication of the Hub's annual report and oversee periodic reporting to the MicroBuild Fund on the implementation, effectiveness, outcomes, and lessons learned from technical assistance and other Hub-supported services.
• Partner with the MEAL Manager and Head of Technical Assistance to establish frameworks that measure technical assistance quality, effectiveness, scalability, and impact.
• Present findings, recommendations, and strategic insights to the Hub Board of Directors and Fund stakeholders.
• Ensure Fund-generated insights inform Habitat's broader housing finance programming and strategic priorities.

Risk Mitigation Facility Coordination (5%)

• Serve as Habitat's primary coordination point with Symbiotics regarding the Risk Mitigation Facility.
• Monitor facility utilization, lessons learned, and portfolio-level outcomes.
• Ensure relevant facility performance information is incorporated into learning

Key Requirements:

• Master's degree in Finance, Economics, Business Administration, International Development, Public Policy, or a related field.
• At least 10-12 years of progressively responsible experience in impact investing, blended finance, affordable housing finance, international development finance, or a related field, including leadership of complex global programs and investment initiatives.
• Demonstrated success partnering with cross-functional stakeholders across legal, finance, compliance, and program functions, building strategic partnerships, managing diverse stakeholder relationships, and delivering measurable social and financial impact, particularly within emerging markets and international settings.
• Proven people management experience, including the ability to lead, coach, and develop high-performing teams in a global and geographically dispersed environment.
• Demonstrated ability to drive innovation, operational excellence, and measurable impact within mission-driven organizations.
• Understanding investment management, technical assistance delivery, financial institution strengthening, portfolio performance monitoring, and risk management.
• Experience developing partnerships that generate both social impact and financial sustainability.
• Ability to translate market opportunities into scalable products, programs, and investment solutions.
• Strong communication skills for leading teams and building coalitions.

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About the Role:

• The Senior Director, Technical Assistance & Innovation reports to the Managing Director, MicroBuild Initiative Impact & Innovation Hub and is responsible for the design, coordination, delivery, quality assurance, and performance management of all technical assistance delivered through the Hub. The position is responsible for ensuring that the specific capacity building needs of MicroBuild Fund 2 investees are met. Services may include but not be limited to housing readiness assessments, product development support, and other investee capacity-building.
• The role serves as the primary operational bridge between the Hub and the Housing Finance Systems (HFS) team within Habitat's Terwilliger Center for Innovation in Shelter (TCIS) and is accountable for ensuring technical assistance activities contribute to stronger institutional performance, achievement of Fund objectives, and fulfillment of Habitat's commitments to the MicroBuild Initiative.
• The Senior Director works closely with the Managing Director, MicroBuild Impact & Innovation Hub, TCIS and HFS leadership, technical specialists, consultants, and external partners to ensure technical assistance assignments and TA innovations generate measurable results, institutional learning, and scalable market impact.
• During the initial years of Fund implementation, the Sr. Director is expected to oversee and coordinate a portfolio of approximately 15-30 technical assistance engagements annually, requiring effective portfolio management, technical resource coordination, consultant oversight, performance monitoring, and close collaboration with internal and external partners.
• The incumbent will play a key role in identifying, informing, and supporting Technical Assistance (TA) innovation to achieve more efficient and effective TA delivery that delivers sustained results at institutional and systems levels. Leveraging insights from MicroBuild 1 (MB1) TA feedback and from new MicroBuild TA delivery, and working closely with the Director, Global Program Design and Execution - HFS, the incumbent will participate in the development and oversight of 2–3 TA innovation pilots annually designed to benefit multiple institutions and advance the broader housing finance market.
• This position may be based in Washington, DC, Nairobi, Kenya, London, United Kingdom, or San Jose, Costa Rica and follows a hybrid work arrangement, requiring a combination of in-office and remote work with up to 40% international travel.

Key Responsibilities:

Technical Assistance Strategy, Delivery & Portfolio Management – 40%

• Develop and implement the Hub's technical assistance strategy and tools
• Manage the overall technical assistance portfolio and annual workplan.
• Align technical assistance priorities with annual Fund pipeline plans and emerging institutional needs.
• Participate in annual and other periodic pipeline planning discussions with the Hub Managing Director, Symbiotics, Senior Director HFS, and other relevant stakeholders.
• Oversee the full lifecycle of technical assistance engagements, from identification and design through implementation and close-out.
• Manage technical assistance budgets, timelines, risks, resource requirements, and performance expectations.
• Ensure technical assistance resources are allocated efficiently across institutions and markets.
• Monitor portfolio performance and recommend adjustments based on evolving needs, lessons learned, and Fund priorities.

Consultant & Partner Management – 20%

• Build and manage a network of consultants, advisors, and implementation partners.
• Coordinate internal and external technical resources to support delivery of high-quality services.
• Support development of scopes of work, procurement processes, and engagement strategies.
• Oversee consultant performance and quality of deliverables.
• Support contracting, budgeting, and resource planning related to technical assistance delivery.
• Support transfer of lessons learned from Fund-supported institutions into TCIS programs, tools, and broader housing finance initiatives.

Learning & Knowledge Management – 15%

• Drive continuous improvement of the Hub's technical assistance and innovation approaches by incorporating field experience, implementation evidence, investee feedback, and lessons learned into technical methodologies, tools, and delivery models, while contributing to the ongoing development of Habitat's housing finance advisory capabilities
• Contribute to annual country housing finance analyses and learning products.
• Support evaluation and documentation of innovative approaches and solutions.
• Contribute technical expertise to joint Hub-TCIS innovation and market development initiatives.
• Support development of learning papers, case studies, toolkits, conference presentations, and thought leadership materials.
• Promote application of lessons learned across the technical assistance portfolio.

Impact Measurement & Reporting – 15%

• Work closely with the Research and Learning (MEARL) Manager to establish and monitor technical assistance performance indicators.
• Track institutional, portfolio-level, and market-level outcomes resulting from technical assistance delivery.
• Evaluate effectiveness, scalability, and impact of technical assistance and innovation interventions.
• Contribute to annual reporting and Fund reporting processes.
• Provide analysis of program and service effectiveness, lessons learned, institutional outcomes, and portfolio trends.
• Support evidence-based decision making regarding future technical assistance and innovation investments and priorities.
• Contribute information and analysis required for Board reporting, annual reports, stakeholder communications, and Fund reporting requirements.

Innovation Catalyst – 10%

• Collaborate with TCIS and other stakeholders to conceptualize, design, and implement pilots focused on innovations in housing finance that can be applied across multiple institutions and geographies.
• Partner with TCIS, financial institutions, external partners, and other HFHI stakeholders to co-create solutions that address emerging market needs and opportunities.
• Coordinate engagement with external partners to support innovation initiatives and pilot implementation.

Key Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Economics, Business Administration, International Development, Public Policy, Housing, or a related field required.
• Minimum 12 years of progressively responsible experience providing technical assistance and capacity-building support to financial institutions (including banks, microfinance institutions, community lenders, and other emerging financial intermediaries) in emerging and developing markets.
• Demonstrated expertise in assessing institutional capacity; designing and delivering technical assistance programs that strengthen housing finance and lending operations, design new products; and building relationships with financial institution partners across regions.
• Experience working in developing and emerging economies, with a proven ability to build and manage relationships with people and organizations across cultures.
• Proven track record managing multi-country technical assistance portfolios, including strategy development, work planning, budgeting, implementation oversight, quality assurance, and performance improvement.
• Experience working directly with financial institutions to assess organizational capacity, identify performance gaps, and implement operational, financial, product, and risk management improvements.
• Experience facilitating collaboration across cross-functional teams, including program, finance, legal, compliance, monitoring and evaluation, MEARL and communications.