Deputy General Counsel – MassHousing

Massachusetts Housing Finance Agency (MassHousing) is an independent, self-sustaining, public authority that provides financing for the construction and preservation of affordable rental housing, and for affordable first and second mortgages for homebuyers and homeowners in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.  Its Legal Department currently includes 7 attorneys and 4 paralegals.

The Deputy General Counsel will report to and work closely with the General Counsel overseeing legal services in support of all aspects of MassHousing’s work, including homeownership and rental lending, rental operations, asset management, community services, finance, policy and all corporate functions.   The responsibilities of the Deputy General Counsel are expected to include, without limitation, some or all of the following, in each case carried out in collaboration with the other attorneys in the Legal Department, outside counsel, internal clients and/or external stakeholders.

•  Lending:  Participate in the structuring, negotiation, documentation and closing of complex affordable and mixed-income multifamily loan transactions, and the provision of strategic advice and counsel with respect to MassHousing’s single family lending programs.  Provide counsel in connection with post-closing matters including asset management, compliance, exercise of remedies and the like.
• Finance:  Participate in the negotiation, documentation and closing of the issuance and refunding of bonds, the issuance of notes, the sale of participation certificates, and related matters.
• Policies, Procedures and Governance:  Play a significant role in the preparation, implementation and interpretation of governance, operations, compliance and risk management policies and procedures.
• Administrative Law, Policy,  Compliance and Litigation:  Strategic management of affirmative and defensive litigation, claims and compliance matters, procurement ethics and public records matters.  Statutory, regulatory and policy interpretation and analysis.
• Department Management:  Assistance to the General Counsel in managing the Legal Department, including setting quality and service standards, arranging appropriate training/professional development opportunities, developing form documents, managing the department’s budget, payables and outside counsel, and managing staffing assignments and workloads.

The Deputy General Counsel will act on behalf of the General Counsel in her absence, will represent her and/or the Department in various internal and external working groups and matters, and will be expected to participate materially in the leadership of the Department and to work closely with Agency staff and stakeholders at all levels.

Qualifications:

• J.D. from an accredited law school and admission to the Massachusetts bar;  Superior academic credentials and excellent analytical, writing, drafting and negotiation skills.
• Record of excellence/success in corporate, law firm and/or government context.
• At least 10 years experience practicing law, including at least 5 years of complex transactions, such as in real estate, structured finance, corporate transactions, and/or affordable housing finance or development.
• Expertise in commercial or residential real estate development/finance, municipal finance, administrative law, legislation, litigation and/or public policy.
• Demonstrated ability to be effective and exercise influence in a complex organization, and to exercise excellent legal and business judgment in a wide variety of contexts;  Excellent problem-solving, communication and consensus building skills; Ability to set priorities, maximize outcomes, manage diverse matters and meet critical deadlines;
• Experience training/supervising legal staff, managing budgets and selecting and managing outside counsel;
• Experience with operations, employment law, compliance, governance, creating and implementing policies and procedures;
• Demonstrated enthusiasm for the creation, preservation and long-term viability of affordable homeownership and rental housing opportunities for Massachusetts residents with modest incomes.

MassHousing offers competitive compensation as well as an attractive benefits package. Serious candidates should forward a letter of interest and a resume to Human Resources, MassHousing, One Beacon Street, BostonMA02108, or faxed to 617.854.1027, or emailed to jobs@masshousing.com.