Loan Officer, Southeast Region
Company: Low Income Investment Fund
Location: Atlanta, GA
Job Function: Lending/Loan Operations
Background
THE COMPANY:
The Low Income Investment Fund is a non-profit community development financial institution, that mobilizes capital and partners to achieve opportunity, equity and well-being for people and communities. LIIF innovates financial solutions that center racial equity to create more equitable outcomes for all by building and preserving affordable homes, quality educational opportunities from early childhood through higher education, health clinics, healthy food retail and community facilities. In this way, LIIF provides a bridge between private capital markets and communities. LIIF’s headquarters is in San Francisco and has offices in Los Angeles, New York, Atlanta, and Washington D.C. More on LIIF can be found at liifund.org.
Summary
Location: Atlanta, GA
Reports to: Southeast Region Market Director
Exempt classification: Exempt
Status: Regular, Full time
Salary range: $120,000 to $130,000 Annually
POSITION SUMMARY:
The Loan Officer position is Atlanta-based, serving a geographic area that includes, but not limited to, NC, SC, TN, GA, AL, FL, and LA. The Loan Officer originates and underwrites acquisition/predevelopment, construction, and term loans for affordable housing projects as well as community facilities’ transactions including charter schools and health clinics. The Loan Officer may work closely with the Market Director and other Loan Officers to source and close transactions that may utilize New Markets Tax Credits (NMTCs) and Low Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC). In accordance with LIIF lending policies and procedures, and under the Market Director’s guidance, the Loan Officer prepares and presents loan narratives/credit memos to the loan committee or other approving entities for approval. Following loan approval, the Loan Officer coordinates with LIIF’s Loan Administration group for loan closing and with LIIF’s Asset Management team for the ongoing management of such loans.
The Loan Officer provides input on and supports the achievement of regional and overall Lending work plan goals. The Loan Officer is also involved in marketing LIIF products and programs to potential clients and is responsible for relationship management with borrowers, lending partners, technical assistance providers, government agencies, and public officials.
Responsibilities
REPORTING RELATIONSHIPS:
The Loan Officer reports to the Market Director, Southeast Region. The Loan Officer works closely with Loan Associates on loan closings and with Loan Associates and Asset Managers on asset management. The Loan Officer communicates with potential and existing borrowers, third party lenders, attorneys and other outside groups. The Loan Officer also attends regular loan committee meetings and represents LIIF to outside groups as requested.
MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
The Loan Officer supports the lending goals of the region as follows:
Marketing/Business Development:
- Assist in developing lending pipeline by screening inquiries, identifying and responding to new business opportunities, and meeting regularly with current LIIF clients, potential borrowers, and lending partners to discuss their development pipelines and credit needs.
- Attends various industry and client functions, representing LIIF as a part of the client team.
- Maintains current knowledge of local, regional and national trends and conditions in the real estate development sector, including policy initiatives that will affect the underwriting, financing and development processes.
- Contributes to new product development including researching and analyzing market needs and analyzing credit risk of new product opportunities.
Underwriting:
- Structures loans both to meet customers’ needs and to comply with internal guidelines based on extensive review and analysis of information gathered from the potential borrower and other sources and in consultation with the Market Director, LIIF’s Chief Credit Officer, LIIF’s VP, National Markets, and other relevant LIIF lending staff.
- Performs due diligence review and evaluation of loan requests, which sometimes include a grant component, including conducting site inspections, analyzing project financials, reviewing appraisals, assessing entitlement status, reviewing environmental reports, understanding market and operating strategy for community facility project, reviewing organizational capacity and leadership, and spreading/analyzing sponsor financial statements, etc.
- In consultation with the Market Director, negotiates with borrowers on all aspects of loans, prepares a credit memo, and secures the appropriate level of approvals from internal staff and/or the appropriate loan committee with a recommendation for action.
- Collaborates with co-lenders and third party participants on co-lending and participations, respectively. In these cases the Loan Officer mediates between the borrower and co-lender or participant and negotiates all aspects of the loan in accordance with LIIF’s lending policies and LIIF’s agreement with the third party.
Closing, Monitoring and Servicing:
- Following financing approval, drafts a commitment letter and coordinates loan documentation and work performed by attorneys and other LIIF staff.
- When a portion of LIIF’s loan will be shared with another financial institution, coordinates the distribution of information needed for the other lender to underwrite, approve, and close the loan.
- Working in close collaboration with the assigned Loan Associate, guides the transaction through closing. The Loan Officer is responsible for ensuring that the business terms of the transaction as reflected in the loan documents are consistent with the underwriting of the loan.
- With the Loan Associate, develops and maintains files to ensure accuracy and completeness.
- After loan closing, provides ongoing support to and coordination with the Asset Manager managing the credit on a routine basis.
- Coordinates closely with the applicable Loan Associate and Asset Manager as part of the relationship management team for each client.
Other:
- The Loan Officer must consistently provide excellent external relationship management.
- The Loan Officer is expected to function independently and to take on more complex transactions.
- The Loan Officer is expected to take on organization-wide or cross-functional leadership opportunities as they arise, which contribute to the organization’s overall strategy and mission.
SKILLS PREFERRED:
The ideal candidate will have these key qualifications:
- A minimum of 2 to 3 years’ progressively responsible experience;
- Experience with community development and/or real estate lending, including credit analysis, deal structuring, underwriting and due diligence, and loan closings (familiarity with loan documentation is assumed).
- Proficiency in analyzing financials;
- Strong written and oral communication, including public speaking skills;
- Working experience with both private sector financial institutions and public agencies;
- Ability to work independently and manage competing priorities with a modest amount of supervision and direction.
Requirements
EDUCATIONAL AND OTHER REQUIREMENTS:
Educational background should include degree work in a relevant area of study such as finance, real estate, urban planning, public policy, or business administration. In addition, the position requires a high degree of self-motivation, dedication, creativity, and perseverance; flexibility with time, travel and willingness to accept a demanding (and personally satisfying) position. Strong time management skills and ability to work well with others are important attributes.
Compensation and Benefits
Salary range: $120,000 to $130,000 Annually
401K, Medical, Vision, Dental, Life
How to Apply
Please apply with Resume and Cover Letter via our recruitment portal:
via email: careers@liifund.org
Notice to Third Party Recruitment Agencies:
Please note that Low Income Investment Fund does not accept unsolicited resumes from recruiters or employment agencies. In the absence of an executed Recruitment Services Agreement, there will be no obligation to any referral compensation or recruiter fee.
In the event a recruiter or agency submits a resume or candidate without an agreement Low Income Investment Fund shall explicitly reserve the right to pursue and hire those candidate(s) without any financial obligation to the recruiter or agency. Any unsolicited resumes, including those submitted to hiring managers, shall be deemed the property of Low Income Investment Fund.
We do not accept unsolicited phone calls. Only candidates being considered for a position will be contacted.
LIIF, an EOE (Equal Opportunity Employer), believes that diversity ensures excellence. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sexual orientation, gender, or national origin. Candidates of diverse background and with diverse experience are strongly encouraged to apply for this position.