CRA Officer

BankFirst Financial Services; Madison (MS); On-site; USD 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

BankFirst Financial Services is seeking a CRA Officer to manage the bank’s Large Bank CRA Compliance Program, ensuring regulatory alignment and equitable credit access for LMI communities. The role uses Kadince and NContracts for analytics and reporting, and serves as the primary liaison for regulatory exams and community partnerships.

The ideal candidate will have a Bachelor’s degree with 2+ years CRA experience at a large or intermediate bank, strong data governance skills, and the ability to

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree with a minimum of 2+ years CRA experience at a Large Bank or equivalent.
• Direct experience using CRA monitoring software and mapping platforms.
• Strong knowledge of Regulation BB, Fair Lending, Redlining, and lending operations.

Responsibilities

• Data Analytics & System Management: administer CRA software and analyze loan penetration across markets.
• Assessment Area Optimization: review branch networks and boundaries for coverage expansion.
• Lending Analytics: report metrics to the Community Development Committee.
• Data Governance & Filings: oversee data collection, validation, and regulatory reporting.
• Compliance Administration & Reporting: maintain strategic plan and self-assessments; board updates.
• Audit & Exam Management: co-liaison for internal CRA audits and federal examinations.
• Community Leadership & Program Development: supervise staff and partner on community initiatives.

Skills

Spatial data analysis

Regulatory writing

Leadership

Deadline management

Travel

Education

Bachelor's degree

2+ years CRA experience

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.