Investment Officer

Background

Who we are
The Leviticus 25:23 Alternative Fund (https://leviticusfund.org) is rooted in faith and the call for economic justice. The Fund provides flexible capital, expertise, and advocacy to propel the growth of more equitable communities. Leviticus creates opportunities for vulnerable, low-income people – especially those harmed by systemic racial and ethnic discrimination – to thrive and live with dignity.

Our loans assist the pre-construction, construction, and permanent phases of affordable housing, including housing with supportive services for those with special needs and extremely low incomes; childcare and early learning centers; charter public schools; nonprofit office and program delivery space; and community economic development projects. Our target market is all New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut counties.

Summary

Why we need you
Leviticus has grown from $19 million fund at the start of 2014 to nearly $100 million today, and we continue to see significant demand from nonprofit housing and community development organizations for our capital and expertise. To respond, we need an Investment Officer to join our Lending Team and engage in the screening, origination, closing, and monitoring of loans for various community development projects. The Investment Officer is expected to take on independent origination and underwriting responsibilities immediately.

The person who fills this position is expected to have increasing responsibility while also having the support of experienced colleagues who are equally passionate about our charitable mission. We are open to candidates who are creative, results-oriented individuals. Leviticus will provide in-house and external training to quickly build and reinforce one’s real estate lending knowledge. There will be ample room for advancement within Leviticus since we are a small but growing staff.

Responsibilities

What you will do
Under the Director of Lending’s guidance, the Investment Officer contributes to the growth of Leviticus’ investments in low-income communities and people in the New York metropolitan area to create and maintain a robust portfolio of affordable housing, commercial real estate, and nonprofit organizational loans. The Investment Officer will have a variety of duties, including:

Loan Origination and Underwriting

• Have responsibility for the initial vetting of loan inquiries; pre-application assessment after reviewing preliminary documents; discretion to recommend moving a potential loan to the application stage; and initial due diligence review of the loan application.
• Underwrite loans based on thorough review and analysis, comprehensive due diligence and sound risk assessment, and presentation of loans for approval to our credit committee.
• Provide technical assistance to borrowers, usually in the pre-construction phase, in structuring their financing, addressing project issues, and connecting them with resources to address local needs.
• Assist with monitoring borrower compliance with loan covenants and repayment provisions, reviewing borrower reports, and conducting periodic site visits as necessary,

Relationship Management and Business Development

• Assist the Director of Lending and Senior Investment Officers in managing relationships with existing borrowers and developing new relationships that lead to new lending opportunities throughout Leviticus’ geographic footprint, and evaluating and recommending loan extensions, enhanced monitoring, restructurings, and workouts, and adjustments to risk ratings and loan loss reserves.
• Develop new and innovative relationships and collaborations with local nonprofit community development organizations, housing agencies, and other stakeholders to address local needs by participating in community and local events.
• Represent Leviticus within one or more CDFI member networks that cover program issues of climate change, childcare, healthy food access, and community health centers.
• Represent Leviticus at New York, Connecticut, and New Jersey industry conferences.

Requirements

Our team consists of committed, adaptable, creative, and flexible problem-solvers. We have a culture of listening and learning and are committed to racial equity and treating each other – and the communities we serve – with respect.

A candidate should share a passion for the Leviticus mission and possess the skills to meet the expectations of this role. This is not an entry-level position. Specifically, we are seeking someone who has:

• At least 3-6 years of experience in mission-oriented financial analysis, underwriting, deal structuring, relationship, and loan processing management. The ideal candidate should have a working knowledge of core real estate finance and lending, with experience in structuring, underwriting, and closing affordable housing transactions. An undergraduate degree is required; however, Leviticus acknowledges that the expertise we seek may be secured through lived or work experience.
• Knowledge of and interest in community development, with experience in one or more of Leviticus’s core sectors — supportive housing, human services, charter schools, and community health centers.
• Interest in furthering racial equity and issues related to affordable housing, supportive housing, nonprofit facilities development, community economic development and planning, and organizational financing to strengthen the nonprofit sector.
• Willingness to work within a team to further housing development and finance-related activities that achieve Leviticus’ goals, as well as a conceptual understanding of institutional racism and bias and its impact on disinvested communities and voiceless and marginalized people.
• Strong analytical, interpersonal, presentation, and communication skills with an ability to present to racially, ethnically, and socially diverse stakeholders.
• Openness to incorporating the perspectives of multiple communities, including communities of color, considering the impacts and outcomes of a decision-making process.

This position is based in Tarrytown, New York (Westchester County), and candidates who reside in the NYC metropolitan area are preferred, though flexibility will be considered for strong candidates. The position requires traveling to various meetings in the metro area. Candidates are expected to work in-office at least three days per week initially. For telecommuting, candidates must have access in their work environment to a secure high-speed internet signal (preferably hard-wired) at a capacity sufficient to support video, web, and email processing simultaneously (this is typically 100Mb and above)

Compensation and Benefits

The starting salary range for the Investment Officer position is $80,000 – $90,000 annually. We negotiate actual salaries with final candidates, which will be commensurate with the alignment of an applicant’s experience with the job requirements.

We are recruiting individuals interested in advancing to more senior positions within the organization.

Benefits include a 10% employer match to a 403(B) plan, health, dental, vision, and paid time off beginning at 25 days per year and increasing each year after that.

How to Apply

Please submit a letter of interest, resume, and salary requirements to JOBS@leviticusfund.org. Salary requirements must be provided to be considered.

The Leviticus Fund is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to building a culturally diverse staff. We strongly encourage applications from female and minority candidates.