Real Estate Development Intern Jobs in Waukee, IA

General Position Summary:

Greater Des Moines Habitat for Humanity’s Real Estate and Compliance Manager coordinates pre-award and post-award grant activities in direct support of the organization’s real estate acquisition, land development, construction, and affordable for-sale homebuilding operations. This position is responsible for identifying and pursuing funding sources aligned with Habitat’s development pipeline, preparing and submitting grant applications, and ensuring long-term compliance with all grant conditions and regulatory requirements.

Core Responsibilities:

Funding Identification and Application

• Conducts ongoing research to identify federal, state, municipal, and private funding sources whose guidelines and priorities align with Habitat’s real estate development and homebuilding programs, including sources such as WFHTC, HOME Investment Partnerships, CDBG, Iowa Finance Authority programs, and FHLB AHP.
• Develops a working knowledge of Habitat’s real estate development pipeline including property acquisition, land development, subdivision platting, construction, homebuyer qualification, and closing processes.
• Prepares and submits persuasive, complete, and error-free grant applications and requests.
• Coordinates with the Director of Real Estate, Real Estate Project Manager, and other relevant staff to develop project narratives, budgets, and supporting documentation required by funders.
• Maintains a proposal and reporting calendar to ensure all application deadlines, reporting requirements, and draw request windows are met.
• Manages and tracks an active portfolio of grant opportunities across multiple funding cycles simultaneously.
• Works closely with Real Estate team to align grant application and funding strategy with the active development pipeline, including acquisition target dates, construction milestones, buyer data, and overall budgets for individual developments.
• Pursues grant opportunities that support Habitat’s funding priorities, including from an existing base of grantors, and engages organizational leadership in the cultivation of key funding relationships as appropriate.

Grant Compliance

• Serves as the organization’s subject matter expert on grant compliance requirements applicable to real estate development activities, including all relevant regulations governing WFHTC, HOME Investment Partnerships Program funds, and CDBG, environmental reviews, Davis-Bacon, and Section 3 requirements.
• Reviews award agreements, documents, assigns, and communicates all compliance obligations to relevant internal departments.
• Provides ongoing guidance to Real Estate, Construction, and Homeownership staff on the practical implications of grant restrictions, including property eligibility, income targeting, affordability period requirements, resale and recapture provisions, procurement standards, and buyer qualification criteria.
• Monitors grant expenditure timelines and works with Real Estate and Finance staff to ensure funds are drawn and expended within contract periods.
• Prepares and submits draw requests and reimbursement requests as grant milestones are accomplished.
• Manages funder relationships and communications throughout the award period, including responding to funder inquiries, requesting contract amendments or extensions, and coordinating site visits or monitoring reviews.

Reporting, Documentation, and Record Management

• Leads the design and maintenance of grant file documentation systems. Ensures all applicable grant documents, correspondence, certifications, and property-level records are complete, organized, and retained per funder requirements.
• Coordinates audit preparation, including reviewing project files for completeness, identifying and resolving documentation gaps, and serving as the primary point of contact during external grant monitoring reviews and audits.
• Manages grant closeout procedures, including submission of final reports, reconciliation of grant expenditures, and implementation of post-award record retention plans.
• Tracks and administers long-term obligations associated with funded properties.
• Maintains accurate and current grant data in Salesforce and other organizational tracking systems.

Cross-Departmental Coordination

• Collaborates with Finance to develop grant budgets and pro forms, track grant-funded expenditures, and ensure accurate financial reporting to funders.
• Coordinates with Finance on cash flow planning related to draw request timing.
• Coordinates with Construction and Homeownership teams to gather documentation needed for compliance submissions, including project status updates, homebuyer income certifications, and cost documentation required by specific funding programs.
• Work with other grant and funding staff within the organization to align application strategies across teams.

We believe in taking care of our employees. Our comprehensive benefits package includes:

• 403(b) retirement plan with employer match
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Employer-paid long-term disability
• Voluntary life insurance options
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Pet insurance
• Paid Time Off (PTO)

Greater Des Moines Habitat for Humanity (GDMHFH) is part of a global, nonprofit housing organization operated on Christian principles that seeks to put God’s love into action by building homes, communities and hope.

We are an equal opportunity employer and welcome applicants from all backgrounds to apply. If you are passionate about customer service and making a difference in your community, we encourage you to apply for this opportunity.

Required

• Proven success defining and documenting business program requirements while managing multiple projects simultaneously.
• Proven ability to problem-solve effectively in a shifting environment.
• Ability to understand and interpret grant award agreements, federal regulations, and compliance requirements, and translate them into actionable internal procedures.
• Excellent writing and editing skills; ability to produce accurate, well-organized narrative content for a technical audience.
• Strong attention to detail and a high degree of accuracy in managing documentation, reporting data, and regulatory deadlines.
• Experience creating and maintaining project tracking workflows.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite, including Excel; able to work with financial data and budgets.
• Well organized, self-starting, and able to work independently with limited direction.
• Proven ability to communicate effectively with internal staff and external partners.

Preferred

• Experience in grant writing and compliance management, preferably in a nonprofit housing, community development, or real estate.
• Knowledge of federal, state, and county affordable housing funding programs and the regulatory frameworks governing their use in real estate development and homeownership programs.
• Experience with Habitat for Humanity programs and/or affordable housing development.
• Experience with Salesforce, SharePoint, Power BI, Teams, and similar business intelligence, database, and document management platforms.
• Experience with contract review, real estate transactions, or regulatory compliance in a legal capacity.