CRA Officer

BankFirst Financial Services; Columbus (MS); On-site; USD 110,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

BankFirst Financial Services in Columbus, Mississippi seeks a CRA Officer to lead the bank’s Large Bank CRA Compliance Program, ensuring regulatory alignment and equitable credit access for LMI communities. You will drive community lending strategies using Kadince and NContracts and serve as the primary liaison for regulatory exams and partnerships.

Key duties include data analytics, governance, and reporting to the Community Development Committee, plus oversight of CRA filings and audits.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree with 2+ years CRA experience at a large bank or equivalent.
• Experience with Kadince or NContracts; knowledge of Regulation BB and Fair Lending.
• Strong data analysis, leadership, and deadline management skills.

Responsibilities

• Oversee CRA software administration and data governance across platforms.
• Assess coverage area, expansion opportunities, and reporting to committees.
• Lead outreach, training, and annual CRA board training and exams.

Skills

Spatial/statistical data analysis

Regulatory writing

Leadership

Deadline management

Education

Bachelor's degree with 2+ years CRA experience at a Large Bank

Tools

Kadince

NContracts

MS Office/Google Workspace

Job description

The CRA Officer manages the bank’s Large Bank CRA Compliance Program to ensure regulatory alignment and equitable credit access for low- and moderate-income (LMI) communities. Leveraging Kadince and NContracts, this role conducts spatial analytics, drives community lending strategies, and serves as the primary liaison for regulatory exams and community partnerships.

DUTIES OF POSITION

Data Analytics & System Management

• System Administration: Manage CRA software (Kadince for activity logging; NContracts for analytics, peer benchmarking, and spatial mapping).
• Assessment Area Optimization: Review branch networks and assessment area boundaries to evaluate coverage and identify expansion opportunities.
• Lending Analytics: Evaluate mortgage, small business, and small farm penetration across markets; report key metrics to the Community Development Committee.
• Data Governance & Filings: Oversee data collection, validation, and regulatory reporting for small business, small farm, and community development (CD) loans.

Compliance Administration & Reporting

• Strategic Planning & Self-Assessments: Maintain the CRA Strategic Plan and author annual Self-Assessments targeting at least a "Satisfactory" rating.
• Board & Regulatory Filings: Present assessment area updates to the Board; manage public files (by April 1) and file an error-free CRA-LR (by March 1).
• Audit & Exam Management: Serve as principal co-liaison with the Director of Compliance for internal CRA audits and federal examinations.

Community Leadership & Program Development

• Team & Activity Management: Supervise CD staff and ensure accurate tracking of CD loans, investments, grants, and volunteer hours in Kadince.
• Community Initiatives: Partner with market leadership on local credit programs and FHLB Dallas community investment opportunities.
• Outreach & Training: Review promotional materials for equitable LMI reach, coordinate employee volunteer/financial literacy initiatives (ABA/MBA), and co-lead annual Board training on CRA and Redlining.

EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE & SKILLS

• Education & Experience: Bachelor’s degree with a minimum of 2+ years CRA experience at a Large Bank (>$1.564B assets) or equivalent at an Intermediate Bank ($391M–$1.564B). Regulatory agency experience (e.g., Federal Reserve) preferred.
• Technical Expertise: Direct experience using CRA monitoring software (Kadince preferred) and CRA analytical/mapping platforms (NContracts preferred); deep knowledge of Regulation BB, Fair Lending, Redlining, and lending operations; proficiency in MS Office/Google Workspace.
• Key Skills: Spatial/statistical data analysis, regulatory writing, leadership, and deadline management. Ability to travel occasionally across MS/AL and to national conferences.