Contract Specialist

Job Description

Contract Specialist | Housing Authority of the City of Austin

The Tone:
This is a contract role at Southwest Housing Compliance Corporation (SHCC), a subsidiary of the Housing Authority of the City of Austin (HACA), located in Austin, TX with a hybrid work schedule. HACA, established in 1937, is dedicated to cultivating sustainable affordable housing communities, inspiring self-reliance and growth. SHCC has proudly served the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) as a high-performing Contract Administrator for over 25 years. This role is crucial in ensuring that over 800 properties in Texas and Arkansas provide healthy and safe housing, and that rent subsidies are accurately calculated in accordance with HUD’s mission.

The TL;DR
• Role: Contract / Early Career
• Type: Full-time, Hybrid
• Location: Hybrid, Austin, TX

• Team: Contracts Department at Southwest Housing Compliance Corporation (SHCC)
• Mission: To ensure compliance with HUD regulations for affordable housing properties and accurate rent subsidy calculations.
• Tech Stack: Google Suite, Microsoft Office Suite, Adobe Acrobat, DocuSign, Emphasys ELITE, Laserfiche

What You’ll Actually Do
• Review & Recommendation: Review owner/agent renewal and rent adjustment submissions for completeness and accuracy, identify discrepancies, and provide clear recommendations based on HUD requirements.
• Regulatory Compliance: Ensure all processing aligns with current HUD rules and guidance, stay updated on regulatory changes, and maintain accurate documentation to support compliance and audits.
• Customer Service & Communication: Provide professional, responsive support to owners, agents, and HUD staff, communicate decisions and requests clearly, and offer guidance on requirements and processes.
• Data Entry & System Management: Enter and maintain accurate data in SHCC and HUD systems, upload and organize required documents, and identify opportunities to strengthen accuracy and workflow efficiency.
• Portfolio Management: Manage an assigned portfolio of properties, track all associated deadlines, conduct multi-level reviews to ensure quality and compliance, and monitor trends to elevate issues as appropriate.

The Must-Haves
• Background: At least two years of college or equivalent combination of education and experience. Knowledge of HUD programs, regulatory compliance, and the affordable housing industry.
• Experience: Ability to provide compassionate and professional customer service to diverse clientele. Prior experience reviewing owner/agent contract renewals and rent adjustment requests is preferred.
• Skills: Strong computer skills across Google Suite, Microsoft Office Suite, Adobe Acrobat, DocuSign, Emphasys ELITE, and Laserfiche. Critical ability to communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing.
• Bonus: Experience managing a portfolio of properties and meeting strict HUD deadlines, familiarity with data entry and system management in HUD or housing compliance systems, experience providing guidance or training to property owners/agents, and knowledge of multi-level review processes and quality assurance procedures.