Development Finance & Industry Partnerships Manager

Job Title: Development Finance & Industry Partnerships Manager
Location: California (Hybrid) or Remote, dependent on location
Position Type: Full-time, Exempt
Reports to: Senior Policy Advisor

About the Organization

California YIMBY is a statewide housing advocacy organization dedicated to ending the housing shortage and making California an affordable place for everyone to live, work, and raise a family. California YIMBY is not a traditional non-profit: we reject the policy and political status quo and work to realize fundamental evidence-based change to California’s housing policies, which would benefit tens of millions of people. Founded in 2017, California YIMBY has redefined the national housing debate by proposing transformative state-level housing policy and helping draft and pass dozens of bills that break down exclusionary barriers and will enable millions of new homes to be built.

Position Overview

California YIMBY is hiring a seasoned housing development and finance practitioner to lead our work at the intersection of capital markets, project feasibility, housing law implementation, and industry partnership engagement. This role is designed for someone with direct experience in larger market-rate or mixed-income multifamily development and who is comfortable with operating pro formas, capital stacks, entitlement risk, construction constraints, and debt/equity dynamics.

The ideal candidate will be a former developer, project manager, capital markets practitioner, or housing finance analyst with hands-on experience delivering projects.

This is a highly collaborative, externally-facing role. The Manager will serve as California YIMBY’s primary bridge to the housing development and finance industries, ensuring that housing laws not only pass, but translate into real projects delivered on the ground.

Core Responsibilities:

Development & Finance Analysis

• Build, refine, and review project pro formas across a range of project types to identify feasibility barriers, capital stack gaps, and reasons construction moves forward or stalls.
• Develop an ongoing analytic body of work that diagnoses structural barriers to development (financing terms, risk allocation, defect liability, fee exposure, exit risk, pre-sale structures, insurance environment, etc.).
• Draft housing finance “big picture” shifts (loan guarantees, revolving loan funds, impact fee reduction, etc.) to increase development across the state.
• Translate findings into clear, implementable recommendations to accelerate project delivery statewide.

Legislative & Internal Education

• Educate legislative staff, committee consultants, and state partners on construction economics, pro formas, and capital stack risk dynamics.
• Support the policy and implementation teams by grounding emerging legislative proposals in real-world development practice and feasibility analysis.
• Draft memos, reports, and presentations that translate complex financing and development topics for policymakers.

Implementation & Industry Education

• Serve as the point person for developers, architects, and capital partners seeking to utilize new housing laws and state-level reforms.
• Provide hands-on guidance to developers navigating entitlement flexibilities, financing constraints, and implementation pathways.
• Design and lead industry-focused educational events, workshops, and briefings on housing law implementation to increase development feasibility.
• Represent California YIMBY as a subject-matter expert at conferences, panels, and convenings.

Housing Innovation Partnership & Industry Relationships

• Manage and grow the Housing Innovation Partnership, including relationship cultivation with developers, lenders, architects, and technical experts.
• Support fundraising strategy through relationship management and convenings.
• Report to the Senior Policy Advisor on emerging challenges and opportunities created by the passage of new state housing laws.

Minimum Qualifications

• Deep commitment to ending California’s housing shortage.
• Strong quantitative reasoning skills
• Strong fluency in:
  • Construction and soft-cost drivers
  • Lender underwriting constraints
  • Mezzanine vs preferred equity dynamics
  • Insurance and defect liability exposure
  • Disposition and exit risk
• Demonstrated ability to communicate technical financial concepts to non-experts (legislators, staff, stakeholders).
• Comfortable operating in both industry environments and policy environments.

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior experience speaking at conferences, industry events, or policy forums
• Prior work engaging state or local government on housing or economic policy
• Experience fundraising, managing partnerships, or leading collaborative initiatives

Travel

Some in-state travel for legislative meetings, industry convenings, and events should be expected.

Compensation

The salary range is $130,000 to $150,000, based on experience and performance. Benefits include comprehensive health coverage, employer retirement contributions, and generous paid time off.

How to Apply

Please complete the application via our Google Form, where you’ll provide your information and upload your resume and cover letter.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, with priority given to early submissions.

We welcome candidates from all backgrounds, including those historically underrepresented in nonprofit leadership, to apply. California YIMBY is an equal opportunity employer.

If you have any questions or need assistance with the application, please email our Manager of Operations & Culture at misti@cayimby.org.