The Polk County Housing Trust Fund is seeking a new Director of Advancement & Community Investment.
Position location: Des Moines, Iowa
Position start date: Immediately (position is open until filled)
Competitive compensation: $75,000 - $85,000
The complete position description is available at PCHTF.org/join-our-team.
About PCHTF
The Polk County Housing Trust Fund (PCHTF) has earned a reputation as the “go to” non-profit for all things related to housing affordability in Polk County. Located in downtown Des Moines, the organization provides strategic leadership, expertise, and resources to strengthen area communities through affordable housing. It does this through three areas of actionable focus —comprehensive planning, advocacy, and funding. Learn more at www.pchtf.org.
About the role of Director of Advancement and Community Investment
Essential team member doing the integral work of raising funds and then investing those funds in programs that meet the most critical housing needs in Polk County. This role must also have an eye for detail, a precision mindset and knowledge to secure funds and then invest funds in community programs that support affordable housing initiatives.
Be part of a dynamic team improving housing access/opportunity for people in Polk County. If you believe everyone should have access to affordable, safe housing and the opportunity to thrive, we welcome your application for this leadership position.
Key Priorities
Lead, expand, and optimize the PCHTF donor database and monetary contributions in support of affordable housing community investment.
Responsible for the preparation and creation of the online application for PCHTF program investments followed by the management of the receipt, distribution, and scoring of completed grant applications.
Write and submit all external grant funding requests.
Handle in-person or virtual donor visits with all community stakeholders involved in the PCHTF annual fundraising plan.
Essential Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree with a minimum of 2 years’ nonprofit experience in fund development or project management. Master’s degree a plus
Grant writing experience
Strong interpersonal skills
How to apply
A full job description can be found at www.pchtf.org/join-our-team. Please send your resume, a brief cover letter (up to 500 words) that aligns your experience with key priorities of the role of Director of Advancement & Community Investment to Toby O’Berry at toberry@pchtf.org. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.
The Polk County Housing Trust Fund is committed to cultivating a culture of inclusion, equity, and justice. We are able to grow and learn better together with a diverse team of employees. The collective sum of the individual differences, life experiences, knowledge, innovation, self-expression, and talent that our employees invest in their work represents not only part of our culture, but our reputation as well. We are committed to housing justice in our community, and in recruiting for our team, we welcome the unique contributions that you can bring in terms of your education, opinions, culture, ethnicity, race, sex, gender identity and expression, nation of origin, age, languages spoken, veteran’s status, color, religion, disability, sexual orientation and beliefs. We strongly encourage BIPOC individuals, women, and those with lived experience to apply for this position.
The Polk County Housing Trust Fund is an equal opportunity employer and prohibits discrimination of any kind. The PCHTF is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all employees with a work environment free of discrimination, harassment and intimidation. All employment decisions at PCHTF are based on business needs, job requirements and individual qualifications without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status or any other protected class by federal, state or local laws. PCHTF encourages all applicants to apply.

Toby O’Berry has been selected to lead the Polk County Housing Trust Fund as its new Executive Director. He will continue the Trust Fund’s work to increase collaboration, expand partnerships, and lead strategic planning that results in more affordable and accessible housing options in Polk County. O’Berry, who has worked in finance, real estate, and housing for 20+ years, currently serves as the Director of Iowa Homeless Youth Centers and Associate VP of Transition Services at YSS (Youth and Shelter Services). Prior to shifting his focus to the nonprofit sector, he developed skills critical for the PCHTF Executive Director role working as a real estate portfolio analyst for Principal Financial Group in Des Moines and in corporate real estate for Morgan Stanley in New York City.
O’Berry grew up in Ames, learning about property management from a very young age, as his family owned and managed residential real estate. He earned his degree in Management with a minor in Economics from Luther College and followed that with an MBA specializing in finance and real estate from the University of Denver in Colorado. O’Berry lives in Des Moines and serves on the Board of Directors for United Way of Central Iowa and Orchard Place, as well as the Directors Council for Homeward Iowa.
O’Berry will join PCHTF June 5, 2023, and follows Eric Burmeister who has served as Executive Director for 12 years and will be retiring June 30th.
The Polk County Housing Trust Fund is pleased to announce the creation of a new leadership position, the Director of Housing Development.
Position Location: Des Moines, Iowa
Position Start Date: No later than June 1, 2023
Competitive Compensation: $85,000 - $115,000/annually
The complete position description is available at PCHTF.org/join-our-team.
About PCHTF
The Polk County Housing Trust Fund (PCHTF) has earned a reputation as the "go to" non-profit for all things related to housing affordability in Polk County. Located in Downtown Des Moines, the organization provides strategic leadership, expertise, and resources to strengthen area communities through affordable housing. It does this through three areas of actionable focus - comprehensive planning, advocacy, and funding.
About the role of Director of Housing Development
Essential team member doing the integral work of connecting PCHTF financial resources to projects that meet the most critical housing needs in Polk County. This role must also have an eye for detail, a precision mindset and knowledge to document and navigate terms and conditions of PCHTF funding, as well as ensure ongoing compliance with those provisions.
Be part of a dynamic team improving housing access/opportunity for people in Polk County. If you believe everyone should have access to affordable, safe housing and the opportunity to thrive, we welcome your application for this leadership position.
Key Priorities
Evaluates and works with the Board of Directors to identify affordable housing investment opportunities for significant community impact and improvement.
High-level skill in contract negotiations and document management including but not limited to a variety of grants, mortgage documents, loans and notes.
Collaborates and partners with key stakeholders, maintaining long-term relationships supporting the mission of the PCHTF.
Expert manager, able to be versatile while working on several complex projects, ensuring compliance with policy regulations and portfolio performance expectations.
Essential Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree with experience in at least one of the following areas is required: housing development, real estate lending, or real estate loan servicing.
Familiarity with documentation of real estate loans and grants is essential.
Understanding the requirements of federal and state affordable housing funding programs is a plus.
How to apply
A full job description can be found at www.pchtf.org/join-our-team. Please send your resume, a brief cover letter (up to 500 words) that aligns your experience with key priorities of the role of Director of Housing Development, and 3 references to: Diana Deibler at diana@deiblerandcompany.com. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.
The Polk County Housing Trust Fund is an equal opportunity employer and prohibits discrimination of any kind. The PCHTF is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all employees with a work environment free of discrimination, harassment and intimidation. All employment decisions at PCHTF are based on business needs, job requirements and individual qualifications without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status or any other protected class by federal, state or local laws. The PCHTF encourages all applicants.