Application Guide
How to Apply for Senior Legal Counsel
at ROC USA
🏢 About ROC USA
ROC USA Capital is a mission-driven lender dedicated to preserving affordable housing by financing resident-owned manufactured home communities. Unlike traditional lenders, ROC USA focuses on community ownership, making the work deeply meaningful for those passionate about social impact and housing justice.
About This Role
As Senior Legal Counsel, you will be the primary legal advisor for complex real estate lending transactions that enable residents to own their communities. Your work directly supports affordable housing preservation, from drafting loan documents to closing deals and managing post-closing compliance.
💡 A Day in the Life
You might start by reviewing a set of loan documents for an upcoming closing, then hop on a call with borrower counsel to negotiate terms. After lunch, you could draft a participation agreement for a capital partner and later respond to a post-closing compliance question from a community. The day balances deep legal work with collaborative calls, all from your home office.
🚀 Application Tools
🎯 Who ROC USA Is Looking For
- A seasoned commercial real estate finance attorney with 6-10 years of experience, specifically in loan documentation, secured transactions, and title review.
- Comfortable with multi-party deal structures and experienced in coordinating closings with borrower counsel and title companies.
- Mission-aligned: passionate about affordable housing and community ownership, not just profit-driven lending.
- Self-starter who thrives in a remote, mission-driven environment with a small legal team.
📝 Tips for Applying to ROC USA
Tailor your resume to highlight specific experience with manufactured housing or community development lending, even if tangential.
In your cover letter, explicitly connect your legal expertise to ROC USA's mission of preserving affordable housing.
If you have experience with loan participations or syndications, feature it prominently as it's a key responsibility.
Mention any familiarity with HUD, FHA, or other affordable housing programs, as that aligns with their lending focus.
Since the role is remote, demonstrate your ability to work independently and manage multiple transactions without direct supervision.
✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter
["Your commitment to affordable housing and community ownership, and how that aligns with ROC USA's mission.", "Specific examples of complex real estate lending transactions you've led from start to finish.", 'Your experience with loan participations and working with capital partners.', 'Your ability to handle post-closing legal matters, such as borrower compliance and loan modifications.']
Generate Cover Letter →🔍 Research Before Applying
To stand out, make sure you've researched:
- → Read about the resident-owned community (ROC) model and how ROC USA's financing differs from conventional loans.
- → Look at recent news or case studies of ROC USA-funded communities to understand the impact of your work.
- → Review ROC USA's website and any available annual reports to grasp their lending volume and capital partners.
- → Familiarize yourself with the manufactured housing industry and its regulatory environment (e.g., HUD code, state laws).
💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics
Based on this role, you may be asked about:
⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Don't emphasize experience with high-volume, transactional lending without showing appreciation for the mission-driven, relationship-focused approach.
- Avoid generic cover letters that don't mention ROC USA or the unique resident-owned community model.
- Don't overlook the importance of post-closing work; many candidates focus only on closings, but this role requires ongoing legal support.
📅 Application Timeline
This position is open until filled. However, we recommend applying as soon as possible as roles at mission-driven organizations tend to fill quickly.
Typical hiring timeline:
Application Review
1-2 weeks
Initial Screening
Phone call or written assessment
Interviews
1-2 rounds, usually virtual
Offer
Congratulations!