Director of Lending

Background

CommunityWorks is a non-profit certified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) and an SBA microlender committed to building financial equity by providing resources that support small business growth, entrepreneurship, and homeownership. Our programs, expertise, and partnerships collectively help build stronger and more just communities.

For over 14 years, CW has created opportunities for people, communities, and entrepreneurs in the Upstate community and throughout South Carolina, focusing on people and communities of color. Our programs focus on equitable access to financial coaching, connections with one-on-one business coaching, access to loans to build small businesses, develop affordable housing, and building credit and assets. Since its inception, CW has served over 8,330 and has generated over $386 million in local economic impact.

Diversity, justice, and inclusion are key values within CommunityWorks. We are committed to building and sustaining an inclusive, equitable working environment for our staff. We believe every member of our team enriches our diversity by exposing us to a broad range of ways to understand and engage with the world, identify challenges, and discover, design, and deliver solutions.

Summary

The ideal candidate will have a broad range of lending experience, ranging from small business lending to affordable housing utilizing LIHTC and other tools, to New Markets Tax Credits and other development finance tools, along with a desire to put that experience to work in a situation where the goal is making a difference by leveraging varying products and strategies to meet the needs of the target communities. The Director of Lending manages all aspects of loan origination activities. They facilitate the efficient and accurate origination, processing, underwriting and closing of loans for CommunityWorks’ lending efforts including microloans, small business, SBA Community Advantage, and lending to affordable housing developers and nonprofit organizations. They perform a variety of duties to meet the needs of qualified prospects and referral sources. The Director of Lending provides leadership, guidance, and training to a team of loan officers to achieve individual lending goals.

Responsibilities

Business Development and Loan Origination

• Oversee the lending process including the origination, due diligence of complete loan applications, deal structuring, and preparing and presenting credit memos to loan committees for approval, ensuring these activities are in alignment with CW mission and policies.

• Responsible for CommunityWorks’ capital deployment to meet organizational goals and objectives.
• Collaborating and coordinating across the lending and support team to bring the full continuum of capital and support to our borrowers, clients and partners.
• Identify lending opportunities and oversee response to all loan inquiries.
• Identify, manage, and grow strategic relationships with key local partners (developers, consultants, public sector representatives, etc.) that build CommunityWorks’ brand and market presence, and help facilitate those partnerships and relationships.
• Provide friendly, helpful, and clear customer service to borrowers, lending participants, and other partners involved in the loan.
• Collaborate with CSO to create, pilot, and implement new loan products and initiatives that are responsive to the needs of historically disinvested communities.
• Clearly articulate CommunityWorks’ mission and product offerings in the community, attend and present at industry events and collaborate with staff on related marketing and PR materials
• Collaborate with Chief Strategy Officer on key priorities for the team such as developing new financing products, new lending strategies, and research and development.
• Identify process and system improvements as they relate to all aspects of the originations function.
• Represent CommunityWorks in a variety of industry groups and forums, including delivering presentations and training to staff and external audiences.
• Broker and arrange loan participations and syndications among CDFI, institutional and retail participants
• Structure and close complex transactions as needed with the support of underwriting staff.
• Lead the loan committee process including internal and external members.

Loan Administration and Portfolio Management

• Collaborate with Portfolio Manager, Director of Credit, and accounting and servicing staff to manage portfolio, including approving draws as appropriate, ensuring borrower compliance with covenants and reporting; and overseeing loan reviews;
• Working with the Chief Strategy Officer and Director of Credit to shape and implement credit policies across product offerings and revise these policies as appropriate;

Management Of Lending Team And Lending Programs

• Manage and mentor origination staff through business development, loan structuring, underwriting, and closing process, including participation in site visits and relationship calls.
• Engage in talent acquisition, development, and retention of staff, and cultivate a mission-focused environment of creativity, innovation, agility, and equitable opportunity.
• Provide leadership to the team through communication, performance management, coaching, staff development and recognition.
• Assign staff to serve as resident experts on each impact area to ensure we are meeting both deployment goals and impact goals.
• Ensure the team meets all data integrity requirements.
• Effectively collaborate with Portfolio Management on deal closings; negotiation of deal terms and legal documents; identify and resolving structuring issues; and engaging with external legal counsel to ensure excellence in execution on deal structuring, and all loan closings.
• Facilitate loan pipeline meetings.
• Develop and manage funding availability.
• Responsible for management of pipeline, parameters and processes for lending initiatives.
• Maintain strong, positive, effective, and productive relationships with key partners.

Requirements

• At least eight (8) years’ experience in housing/community development finance lending and investment, small business lending, commercial lending, banking, or other relevant field.
• Four (4) years supervisory experience in substantive positions requiring the ability to formulate and implement policy and work with diverse partners.
• Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent experience. A graduate degree in a relevant subject (e.g., real estate, business, urban planning, or public policy) is a plus.
• Experience and knowledge of the South Carolina housing, community development, and/or small business markets is a plus.
• Experience and knowledge of city, state and federal programs, projects using Low Income Housing Tax Credits, New Market Tax Credits, and historic tax credits is a plus, as well as understanding of Community Development Financial Institution Fund programs.
• The ability to identify and engage diverse public and private stakeholders.
• Excellent interpersonal, organizational and communications skills, including verbal and written skills.
• Ability to integrate thoroughness and attention to details with a big picture, strategic vision.
• Resourcefulness, with the ability to deliver results in an entrepreneurial, dynamic environment.
• Collaborative spirit and positive attitude.

Compensation and Benefits

Starting pay is $85k a year, but could be negotiated.

Benefits will be discussed once interviewed.

How to Apply

Email careers@cwcarolina.org and send your resume and cover letter.

OR

Apply on Indeed, LinkedIn and TogetherSC