Compliance Quality Assurance and Auditing

Fairstead owns and operates more than 30,000 apartments across 28 states, and every one of those units carries compliance obligations that don't forgive errors. HUD regulatory requirements, LIHTC income certifications, rent rolls that have to reconcile with resident files, physical inspections that surface operational drift before it becomes a regulatory finding. The Compliance Quality Assurance and Auditing Specialist is the person who keeps that machinery honest.

This role is almost entirely field-based. Expect to be on-site roughly 85% of the time, traveling to properties across Fairstead's national portfolio to conduct hands-on compliance reviews. A typical week might put you inside a resident file room in one state and on a physical walk of a garden-style affordable community in another, checking that what's on paper matches what's on the ground. You're pulling lease agreements, income verifications, and rent rolls. You're cross-referencing financials against regulatory requirements. You're looking for the gap before a state agency or HUD does.

When you find issues, the job doesn't stop at documenting them. You build corrective action plans, track resolution, and advise on-site property management staff on what needs to change and why. That advisory function matters in affordable housing more than most sectors, because the staff executing compliance work day-to-day often carry heavy workloads and may not have deep regulatory backgrounds. Your ability to translate HUD handbook requirements and LIHTC compliance mechanics into practical, actionable guidance directly affects whether findings recur.

Fairstead operates as an integrated owner, developer, and manager, which means the compliance function here sits close to real decision-making. Audit findings don't disappear into a report that nobody reads. They inform policy updates, training programs, and operational procedures across a sizable portfolio. You'll contribute to that training development, help prepare responses to regulatory inquiries, and stay current as HUD guidance and state-level LIHTC requirements shift.

The candidate who performs best in this role typically has two things that aren't always paired: genuine fluency with affordable housing regulations (HUD, LIHTC at minimum) and the communication skills to deliver difficult findings to site staff and leadership without creating defensiveness. Technical accuracy gets you the job. The ability to bring a property team along with you is what makes the audits actually stick.

Qualifications

• 2 to 3 years of experience in affordable housing compliance or a closely related field
• Working knowledge of HUD regulations and LIHTC compliance requirements
• Experience with data analysis, financial record review, and formal report writing
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and property management software such as Yardi or MRI
• Strong attention to detail with the ability to manage documentation across multiple properties simultaneously
• Willingness and ability to travel nationwide approximately 85% of the time

Salary for this position ranges from $65,000 to $90,000 depending on experience and location. Fairstead provides medical insurance through Meritain Health with a generous employer contribution, employer-paid vision and life insurance, a 401(k) with company match, 20 days of PTO, and additional paid holidays and sick time.