Executive Vice President of Programs and Partnerships

Background

Founded in 1988, CRF is a national non-profit organization and Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) with a mission to improve lives and strengthen communities through innovative financial solutions. CRF works in partnership with other community stakeholders, CDFIs, business support organizations, and funders to develop and deliver financial products and programs designed to expand access to capital and support long-term economic growth in communities across the country.

Since its founding, CRF has provided more than $3.6 billion in loans and investments to communities across the country. The ways in which CRF delivers impact has evolved over its 35-year history, but its focus on supporting under-resourced communities remains constant. CRF continues to broaden its programs and services in order to create a “just economy that works for all.”

Summary

CRF seeks an experienced, mission-driven leader to serve as their Executive Vice President (EVP) of Programs and Partnerships. This executive will lead the strategy, development, implementation, and impact of CRF’s community-focused programs, fundraising and national strategic partnership initiatives with a goal of significantly expanding their impact and reach, identifying new revenue streams, and increasing net revenue overall.

As a member of the executive leadership team, the EVP will lead the Program and Partnerships business line, ensuring CRF’s offerings are scalable, equitable, and aligned with its vision to create a just economy that works for all. She/he is responsible for the design and implementation of strategic goals, organizational positioning, and advancing the impact of CRF’s work in alignment with the mission and values of the organization.

The EVP will lead business development by proactively sourcing new opportunities and responding to stakeholder requests for engagement, leading her/his team in these efforts, and collaborating with leaders across the organization to evaluate, co-create, and execute collaborative engagements with sector partners.

The EVP will cultivate and build strategic relationships with a diverse set of key partners and stakeholders across the country to maximize impact and reach a greater number of under-resourced small businesses and communities.

She/he will be a key architect in expanding CRF’s reach and deepening its impact, forging relationships across the public, private, and non-profit sectors. The EVP will also hold full P&L responsibility for the programs and partnerships division, ensuring financial discipline and operational sustainability across all initiatives.

Reporting Relationships

Reporting to the CEO, the EVP is a member of CRF’s executive leadership team, and will lead two distinct teams:

• The Business Development team: focused on building trust and rapport with community stakeholders and other partners, sourcing new business aligned to CRF’s lending, technology, and programmatic offerings, while also developing long-term partnerships with philanthropic organizations.
• The Program Design and Execution team: responsible for designing and leading the execution of cross-functional complex fund design, management and administration that serve a diverse set of partners and stakeholders leveraging their technology, customer experience, and lending platforms.

 

Responsibilities

Key Accountabilities

Strategic Partnership Development & Stakeholder Engagement

• Create and cultivate new partnerships while deepening existing partnerships with stakeholders aligned with CRF’s mission, including foundations, national/regional financial institutions, corporations, anchor institutions, CDFI’s, small business support organizations, and public sector partners.
• Act as a key spokesperson for the organization, representing CRF in industry coalitions and collaborative ventures, identifying opportunities for collective impact.

Program Strategy and Execution

• Lead the strategic vision, development, and operational excellence of CRF’s Program & Partnerships line of business.
• Clarify and define roles for each step in the programs and partnerships process (i.e. sales, design, and implementation).
• Create strategies and solutions to achieve programmatic goals.
• Identify and create tailored solutions to maximize impact for their targeted communities.
• Oversee programmatic impact measurement and evaluation, driving continuous improvement, and outcomes that reflect CRF’s values and goals.
• Collaborating with leaders across CRF, oversee the project management and execution of cross-functional work that leverages CRF’s technology platforms and lending.

Fundraising and Revenue Expansion

• Establish a comprehensive fundraising function and strategy to support our programmatic growth and general operation support, while deepening and expanding our philanthropic partnerships, building a culture of business development accountability, with a goal of increasing year-over-year revenue.
• Raise grant capital and other fee-for-service support to enable business growth. Work with the sales team to secure grants and catalytic capital to support program growth and innovation.
• Manage the overall financial performance of the division with full P&L responsibility, ensuring long-term sustainability and alignment with CRF’s enterprise strategy.
• Lead budgeting, forecasting, and financial reporting processes. Maintain accountability for financial performance.

Organizational and Team Leadership

• Serve as a key member of the executive leadership team and leadership team contributing to enterprise-wide strategy and planning.
• Lead and inspire a high-performing team responsible for program management and partner success.
• Provide regular updates to CRF’s Board of Trustees and contribute to strategic governance discussions.

Requirements

Position Qualifications

CRF is seeking a mission-driven leader to drive CRF’s program and partnership growth strategy.

The EVP will be a thought partner to the CEO and other members of the leadership team, helping to cultivate and build strategic relationships with a diverse set of key partners and stakeholders across the country to maximize impact and extend reach to under-resourced small businesses and communities. This role requires strategic agility, collaborative leadership, and a deep commitment to economic justice.

While no candidate will have all the criteria enumerated below, the ideal candidate will possess the following professional and personal abilities and attributes:

• Ten years of leadership experience in community development finance, diverse community reinvestment strategies, and/or small business development programs.
• Experience managing and coaching a business development team with a proven track record of achieving impact and revenue goals.
• An experienced manager of people and projects who brings a balance of hands-on technical understanding and the ability to delegate and empower staff effectively.
• Experience building a culture of innovation with a customer/partner centric approach.
• Demonstrated experience managing P&L or financial performance of a division, business unit, or program portfolio.
• Deep experience developing budgets and operating plans to ensure the organization’s financial priorities are met and align with the strategic plan.
• Demonstrated success in building complex partnerships with financial institutions, philanthropic organizations, government agencies, and/or community organizations.
• Skilled in understanding partnership/customer needs, changing market conditions, competitive landscape, and other factors.
• Ability to develop and implement processes and procedures to monitor the effectiveness of changes and their relation to organizational growth.
• A highly relational leader, equipped to act as an external spokesperson for the organization and skilled at influencing across diverse audiences.

Preferred Skills and Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree; MBA or advanced degree in a relevant field preferred.
• 10+ years of experience in a business development or sales leadership role.
• Experience in a community development finance, financial services, or fintech is highly desired.
• Familiarity with CRF’s capital deployment tools and community impact framework and an understanding of structured finance.

Compensation and Benefits

Location

This is a remote position, with regular travel expected for team collaboration, partner engagement, and industry events.

Compensation

The expected compensation for this role is within the $240,000 – $260,000 range, with a performance bonus potential. Compensation is commensurate with experience and qualifications.

CRF’s benefit plan includes health and dental insurance, PTO, 401K, long-term and short-term disability, life insurance, educational assistance, and 10 federal holidays plus two floating holidays. Details on the full, comprehensive benefits offered will be provided.

How to Apply

CRF has exclusively retained CohenTaylor Executive Search Services to help conduct this search. For more information or to submit your resume and application, please email [email protected]. All inquiries will remain confidential.

To learn more about CRF, visit our website at www.crfusa.com.