Head of LIHTC Originations

Job Details: Job Location: Corp. Office

• Chicago, IL
• Chicago, IL, Position Type: Full Time, Education Level: 4 Year Degree, Salary Range: Undisclosed, Job Category: Sales, National Equity Fund Inc. (NEF), is a leading non-profit syndicator of Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) with a mission to create and deliver innovative, collaborative financial solutions to expand the creation and preservation of affordable housing. The Head of LIHTC Originations is responsible for the overall leadership, strategy, and performance of NEF’s national LIHTC originations platform. This role oversees regional and specialty LIHTC originations teams, drives national developer relationship strategy, and ensures alignment between production goals, investor needs, and organizational priorities. The Head of LIHTC Originations sets origination policy, ensures consistent execution across markets, and represents NEF as a senior leader within the LIHTC industry.

Essential duties

• Lead, manage, and mentor a national team of originators across regional and specialty product teams.
• Develop and implement national and regional originations strategies aligned with NEF’s production goals, investor demand, and market conditions.
• Oversee creation of annual business plans for each region, incorporating LIHTC, state credit, agency, and other relevant capital products.
• Partner with the Chief Production Officer to align originations strategy with NEF’s broader organizational objectives and annual production targets.
• Establish and maintain NEF’s origination policies, procedures, and performance standards.
• Drive national developer relationship strategy, ensuring NEF maintains and grows relationships with top developers and identifies emerging partners.
• Provide strategic guidance on deal structuring, pricing, and competitive positioning to maximize NEF’s ability to win and execute transactions.
• Support expansion into new markets, product types and financing structures, where appropriate.
• Serve as a senior decisionmaker on project selection, pipeline prioritization, and new business opportunities.
• Oversee the Neighbor. Works origination’s function and ensure alignment with NEF’s broader production strategy.
• Partner closely with Structured Finance and Capital Markets leadership to align relationship strategies, enhance cross-functional product knowledge, and coordinate cross-selling initiatives .
• Work closely with Investor Relations and Capital Markets leadership to match developer opportunities with investor needs and fund strategies
• Collaborate with the Head of LIHTC Production Operations to ensure operational processes, staffing, and systems support originations strategy and execution.
• Partner with Underwriting, Asset Management, Legal, and other internal teams to ensure smooth deal execution and consistent application of NEF standards.
• Oversee NEF’s national marketing strategy for originations, ensuring regional input and consistent messaging.
• Represent NEF externally at national and state housing conferences, industry events, and key stakeholder meetings.
• Serve as a senior spokesperson for NEF within the LIHTC industry, reinforcing NEF’s leadership position and mission.
• Prepare materials and present them regularly at NEF Board meetings and investor meetings. Senior Vice President, LIHTC Originations
• Monitor and report on originations performance, pipeline health, market trends, and competitive dynamics.
• Ensure compliance with internal controls, risk management policies, and regulatory requirements. The ideal candidate:
• Undergraduate or graduate degree in business, finance, economics, real estate, urban planning, or related field.
• Minimum 10-15+ years of experience underwriting, structuring, or originating real estate transactions; LIHTC experience strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated leadership experience managing teams and developing talent .
• Strong analytical skills and proficiency in Microsoft Office and relevant financial applications.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to present complex concepts clearly
• Strong customer service orientation and professional presence.
• Ability to explain complex financing structures to developers, investors, and other stakeholders.
• Prior experience with affordable housing finance, including LIHTC, state credits, and related programs.
• Deep understanding of structuring complex real estate transactions and navigating multilayered capital stacks.
• Proven ability to build and grow business relationships and drive production results.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities, work independently, and make sound decisions in a fast paced environment.
• Strong strategic thinking skills and the ability to anticipate market trends and organizational needs. We offer a competitive salary, along with a comprehensive benefits package. NEF IS AN EQUAL-OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER Qualifications: