Austin, Texas is working to improve how its housing programs advance economic mobility and expand access to long-term financial opportunity for all residents. The FUSE Executive Fellow will develop data-driven strategies to evaluate program effectiveness, strengthen housing initiatives, and explore sustainable financing models to support first-time homebuyers and income-restricted renters. Ultimately, this will help Austin enhance its housing system, support upward mobility, and foster a more inclusive and financially resilient community.

Fellowship Dates: October 27, 2025 – October 23, 2026

Salary: Executive Fellows are FUSE employees and receive an annual base salary of $80,000. Fellows can also access various health, dental, and vision insurance benefits. Compensation for this year of public service is not intended to represent market-rate compensation for the experienced professionals in our program.

ABOUT THE FUSE EXECUTIVE FELLOWSHIP

FUSE is a national nonprofit dedicated to increasing the capacity of local governments to work more effectively for communities. We embed private sector executives in city and county agencies to lead projects that improve public services and accelerate systems change. Since 2012, FUSE has led over 400 projects in 58 governments across 26 states, impacting a total population equivalent to 1 in 10 Americans.

When designing each fellowship project, FUSE works closely with government partners and community stakeholders to define a scope of work that will achieve substantive progress toward high-priority local needs. Projects address today’s most pressing challenges and opportunities, including affordable housing, economic mobility, climate resilience, public safety, infrastructure, technology, and more.

FUSE conducts a full executive search for each individual project to ensure that the selected candidate has at least 15 years of professional experience, the required competencies for the role, and deep connections to the community being served.

Executive Fellows are embedded in government agencies working with senior leaders for at least one year of full-time work. Prospective responsibilities may include thorough data analytics and research, developing enhanced operations and financial models, building change management and strategic planning processes, and/or building broad coalitions to support project implementation efforts. Executive Fellows are data-driven and results-oriented and able to effectively manage complex projects. They build strong relationships with a broad array of stakeholders, foster alignment within and across various layers of government, and build partnerships between governments and communities.

Throughout the fellowships, Executive Fellows receive training, coaching, and professional support to help achieve their project goals.

PROJECT CONTEXT

Access to stable, affordable housing plays a vital role in supporting residents’ financial well-being and upward mobility. When thoughtfully designed and fairly implemented, housing programs can help families build long-term assets, preserve intergenerational wealth, and remain rooted in their communities. However, many low- and moderate-income households (especially those in historically underserved neighborhoods) face persistent barriers to achieving economic mobility through housing. These challenges are especially acute for communities of color, who have experienced limited access to homeownership opportunities and higher risks of displacement due to rising housing costs and historical disinvestment.

In Austin, TX, the Housing Department manages a broad portfolio of programs that support both renters and homeowners, including down payment assistance for first-time buyers, home repair and reconstruction loans, estate planning education, and the Community Land Trust. These efforts are designed to increase access to affordable housing and stabilize existing households. The city is also engaged in broader strategic planning efforts to improve economic mobility, including a new partnership with the University of Texas to study citywide impacts of social programs. In order to build on these important initiatives, the Housing Department needs a clear framework for measuring how its specific programs contribute to residents’ financial growth or help narrow economic opportunity gaps.

Austin will partner with FUSE to evaluate and strengthen the impact of its housing programs on economic mobility. The FUSE Executive Fellow will: conduct a listening tour with stakeholders and landscape analysis of current programs and gaps, analyze the outcomes of current key housing initiatives in coordination with UT Austin, analyze national models and best practices, explore the feasibility of financial mobility strategies that support first-time homebuyers, and develop a data-informed strategy to align programs with the city’s broader mobility goals. Ultimately, this will help Austin improve how its housing investments support financial progress for residents, expand access to homeownership and long-term stability, and ensure more residents—regardless of income or background—can benefit from the city’s growth.

PROJECT SUMMARY

Beginning in October 2025, the FUSE Executive Fellow will work with the City of Austin Housing Department, internal city partners, and community stakeholders to evaluate and strengthen how the city’s housing programs support residents’ financial progress. This work will help Austin build on its existing housing and anti-displacement strategies by improving measurement, aligning programs with upward mobility goals, and identifying sustainable tools to expand housing opportunities.

The fellow will begin by conducting a comprehensive listening tour involving key stakeholders from across the Housing Department, partner agencies, the University of Texas at Austin research team, and community-based organizations involved in housing access, financial counseling, and anti-displacement efforts. The fellow will engage with staff overseeing core housing programs such as down payment assistance, home repair loans, and the Community Land Trust, as well as stakeholders working on estate planning initiatives and renter stabilization strategies. This listening tour will gather critical input on current program operations, community needs, and opportunities to better track economic outcomes. The fellow will ensure a range of perspectives are included, particularly from groups serving low- and moderate-income households, to help surface comprehensive solutions rooted in resident experience.

The fellow will also conduct a landscape analysis of Austin’s current housing initiatives and data collection practices, with a focus on evaluating the impact of housing investments on household economic mobility. The fellow will coordinate with the University of Texas at Austin research team to align with the city’s broader mobility measurement efforts and will research national best practices from cities that have implemented similar programs. The fellow will explore financial models such as revolving loan funds that could expand support for first-time homebuyers without relying solely on federal funding. Based on this initial work, the fellow will develop a set of specific project goals and deliverables for review and approval by Housing Department leadership for the remainder of the fellowship.

The fellow will then work to develop and apply performance metrics to assess the outcomes of existing and potential key housing programs. The fellow will create evaluation tools to capture both quantitative and qualitative measures of success, drawing on insights from the listening tour and data research. The fellow will analyze the impact of programs like down payment assistance and home repair loans and then, based on their performance, recommend enhancements to program design or delivery. They will specifically identify renter-focused strategies and tools that promote financial mobility in income-restricted housing and coordinate closely with city partners to ensure alignment with ongoing research. The fellow will also assess the feasibility and structure of a revolving loan fund to support sustainable, locally-driven homeownership financing.

Finally, the fellow will develop an implementation roadmap with clear milestones, staff roles, and guidance for integrating these strategies into the department’s long-term planning. This roadmap will include monitoring and evaluation practices to ensure continued responsiveness to community needs and sustainability of the work after the fellowship concludes.

KEY STAKEHOLDERS

  • Executive Sponsor: Dr. Eric Anthony Johnson, Assistant City Manager
  • Project Supervisor: Mandy DeMayo, Director, Housing Department

QUALIFICATIONS

  • Synthesizes complex information into clear and concise recommendations and action-oriented implementation plans.
  • Develops and effectively implements both strategic and operational project management plans.
  • Generates innovative, data-driven, and result-oriented solutions to complex challenges.
  • Respond quickly to changing ideas, responsibilities, expectations, trends, strategies, and other processes.
  • Communicates effectively verbally and in writing and excels in active listening and conversing.
  • Fosters collaboration across multiple constituencies to support more effective decision-making.
  • Establishes and maintains strong relationships with diverse stakeholders, both inside and outside of government, particularly community-based relationships.
  • Embraces differing viewpoints and implements strategies to find common ground.
  • Demonstrates confidence and professional diplomacy while effectively interacting with individuals at all levels of various organizations.

FUSE is an equal opportunity employer. We encourage candidates from all backgrounds to apply for this position.