Chief Investment Officer

Background

OFN is a leading national association of community development financial institutions. OFN was founded in 1986 to support and enhance the work of individual CFDIs by offering a national perspective and a collective voice. Since then, OFN’s membership has grown and evolved into a network of more than 390 CDFIs with nearly $42 billion in assets and our footprint is now nationwide.

We provide capital, advocacy, and capacity building to help OFN member and non-member CDFIs create impact in rural, urban, and Native communities nationwide. OFN is also a CDFI. CDFIs invest in potential and promise and support future successes. We lend where it counts. There is still much more to do. Providing access to responsible, affordable finance is the key to our success. We invite you to learn more about the issues, what’s at stake, and what we at OFN believe is still possible to achieve. Learn More

Summary

The Chief Investment Officer (CIO) is responsible for the strategy, development, implementation, and risk management of OFN’s investment services team. The CIO oversees OFN’s current assets under management of over $1 billion, including its loans and investments to member CDFIs and its role as a qualified issuer under the CDFI Bond Guarantee Program of the U.S. Treasury. The CIO will oversee the management and enhancement of these existing investment programs to ensure they continue to be relevant for our growing membership, in addition to leading the development of new investment approaches to serve member capitalization needs.

The CIO will work closely with the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), and the Executive Leadership Team on new market opportunities that support OFN’s strategic goals, including developing a climate lending program. The CIO is a member of OFN’s Executive Leadership Team.

Responsibilities

Capital Strategy and Leadership

• Working alongside the CEO and CFO, the CIO will be responsible for growing OFN’s capital under management with new capitalization vehicles and new investors, including exploring institutional investors and secondary markets.
• Explore and develop market opportunities for new financing strategies, products, services, and systems to support OFN’s strategic goals (including credit enhancement, guarantee, warehouse line of credit, and loan purchase programs).
• Take a direct leadership role or actively engage in their design and implementation process.
• Lead the deployment of capital under OFN’s environment and climate program, including operationalizing opportunities under the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund and developing climate lending programs along with the executive team.
• Lead growth opportunities in the CDFI Bond Guarantee Program, other CDFI Financing Programs, and Asset Management business with third-party investors.
• Monitor and communicate internally relevant trends in the development finance sectors that may inform OFN’s investing strategy and/or individual investments.

Portfolio Management

• Work with the SVP, Investment & Portfolio Management and the SVP, Investment Operations to
  ensure that OFN’s portfolio, currently $1 billion of investments, grows and maintains a high level of
  quality, including ensuring that OFN has appropriate financing and guidelines.
• Develop and maintain a thorough understanding of the market forces and community needs that influence and impact the community development finance industry and OFN’s business and strategic goals, reporting to the President & CEO with analysis and recommendation as appropriate.
• Present quarterly reports to the Board of Directors and to the Guarantors.
• Represent OFN on Portfolio matters, with the SVP, IPM, to investors, co-investors, and partners.

Operational Management / Team Leadership

• Ensure that the internal team can produce promised results of bold new growth in resources and reach.
• Lead the investment services team to create a collaborative work environment across OFN.
• Ensures the investment services team develops and maintains effective operating guidelines and procedures.
• Translate external learnings into internal business process improvements.

External Engagement and Business Development

• With the communications team, ensure that core audiences understand the capabilities and needs of the OFN members.
• Represent OFN in public speaking engagements and participate in industry events and conferences.
• Ensure that OFN remains nimble and open for new opportunities to help its membership embrace new roles in sustainable finance, small business lending, affordable housing, homeownership, and community facilities financing.

Requirements

Qualifications and Skills

• Mission alignment: A strong passion for, understanding of, and commitment to OFN’s mission, vision, and values
• Advocate: Familiarity with the CDFI industry is strongly preferred where one can interact constructively with diverse constituents and be a fearless advocate of OFN’s fight to drive capital into low-income communities
• Team player: A collaborative team player who possesses good interpersonal skills to work across all levels of the organization with humility and a willingness to learn in all areas of our work
• Strategic thinker: Entrepreneurial, intelligent, quick seeker of knowledge able to strategically, creatively, and tactically analyze results and assist in implementing plans for increasing capital to communities we serve
• Technical expertise: Excellent lending and investment underwriting knowledge, with an understanding of the unique characteristics of the finance development community
• Deep market understanding: Keen understanding of financial markets and products, with exceptional financial market and qualitative analysis skills
• Influencer/Development: Ability to sell and champion opportunities for growth of the CDFI field to outside investors and stakeholders
• Leadership/Management: Demonstrated leadership, with ability to motivate and develop staff and manage a division independently with strategic direction
• Technology: Digital literacy and ability to navigate workplace technology
• Ability to manage a significant travel schedule (20-30% of time)

Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s Degree or 12+ years of work experience in the financial services field in lieu of a degree; MBA or master’s degree preferred; Direct lending experience required.
• 12+ years leading and managing a lending or investment team required.
• 7+ years in a supervisory or managerial capacity preferred.
• Experience lending to financial institutions, corporate or structured finance, and community development lending preferred.
• Experience in credit risk analysis and management with formal credit training required.

How to Apply

August Leadership, a global firm with a leading Social Impact/Non-profit practice has been exclusively retained for this engagement. Leading the search is Nicole Kamaleson, Partner, Social Impact (Global) in the firm. They will be supported by a team of consultants and researchers.

To make recommendations or to express your interest, please email at ofn@augustleadership.com

• All inquiries and discussions will be considered strictly confidential.

August Leadership and OFN are equal opportunity, affirmative action employers and are firmly committed to a policy against discrimination based on age, sex, race, religious creed, sexual orientation, sexual identity, political orientation, disability or ethnic or national origin.

If you are interested in exploring this exciting opportunity, please contact us at: ofn@augustleadership.com 

Nicole Kamaleson
PARTNER
NICOLE.KAMALESON@AUGUSTLEADERSHIP.COM
M: +1 (312) 877 0830

Carilyn Quigley
PARTNER
CARILYN.QUIGLEY@AUGUSTLEADERSHIP.COM
M: +44 7585 963251

Yarení Aguado
CONSULTANT
YARENI.AGUADO@AUGUSTLEADERSHIP.COM

Position Profile