Executive Director - Community Finance & Growth Leader

Growth Partners Arizona; Phoenix (AZ); On-site; USD 140,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Growth Partners Arizona (GPAZ) in Phoenix seeks an Executive Director to lead mission-driven lending, grow partnerships, and advance financial literacy initiatives. The role requires strategic oversight of lending programs, staff leadership, and governance with the Board.

The successful candidate will sustain GPAZ's CDFI mandate, strengthen funder relations, and position the organization for scalable impact across Arizona while upholding nonprofit governance standards and financial discipline.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in finance, business or public administration, or related field.
• Significant senior leadership experience in a CDFI or mission-driven financial organization.
• Strong understanding of nonprofit lending, underwriting, and portfolio management.

Responsibilities

• Oversee all lending operations, technical assistance programs, staff management, and day-to-day leadership.
• Maintain accountability and drive collaboration, setting performance goals and conducting evaluations.
• Communicate with the Board Chair and Board of Directors, providing timely operational and financial updates.
• Ensure GPAZ fulfills its CDFI mandate by originating and managing loan capital to nonprofits and small businesses across Arizona.
• Develop and expand technical assistance offerings to improve financial literacy and capacity in the community.
• Grow relationships with funders, financial institutions, government agencies, and community stakeholders.
• Ensure sound financial management, regulatory compliance, and funder reporting requirements.
• Leverage funding and grants to drive impact-driven lending initiatives.
• Represent GPAZ publicly as a thought leader in community development finance across Arizona.

Skills

Executive leadership

Budget management

Board governance

Fundraising

Funder relations

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in finance, business or public administration

Job description

About Growth Partners

Growth Partners Arizona (GPAZ) is a Phoenix-based nonprofit Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI). Our legal mandate is to provide responsible lending capital to nonprofit organizations and underserved small businesses across Arizona, paired with technical assistance that strengthens financial literacy and long-term organizational health. Through this dual mission of capital and coaching, GPAZ helps mission-driven organizations and entrepreneurs who are often overlooked by conventional financial institutions build sustainable, thriving operations that benefit communities statewide. GPAZ is closely aligned as a supporting organization to Arizona Capital Source, an Arizona economic development entity and U.S. Small Business Administration Certified Development Company (CDC) formed in 1979.

The Opportunity

GPAZ's Board of Directors is conducting a search for its next Executive Director, following a planned leadership transition. This is a pivotal moment for the organization: the incoming Executive Director will inherit a strong governance foundation and will be charged with sustaining GPAZ's lending mandate, deepening funder and community partnerships, and positioning the organization for continued growth in service to nonprofits and small businesses throughout Arizona.

Qualifications

• A bachelor’s degree in finance, business or public administration, community development or related field, OR comparable professional work experience.
• Solid, hands-on management skills, including budget preparation, analysis, decision-making, and reporting, particularly in a non-profit setting.
• Significant senior leadership experience in a CDFI, community development lending institution, bank, credit union, or closely related mission-driven financial organization.
• Demonstrated understanding of small business and/or nonprofit lending, underwriting, and portfolio management.
• Experience designing or overseeing technical assistance or financial literacy programming is strongly preferred.
• Track record of funder relations, grant management, and/or capital raising in a nonprofit or mission-driven finance context.
• Strong board governance experience, with the ability to work collaboratively with a Board Chair and Executive Committee.
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to represent the organization credibly with financial institutions, government agencies, and community partners.

How to Apply

Interested candidates should submit a resume and cover letter describing their relevant experience in lending, community development, and nonprofit or small business technical assistance. Include three professional references. In the subject line of the email include "GPAZ Job Opening."

Key Responsibilities

• Serve as GPAZ's Executive Director, overseeing all lending operations, technical assistance programming, staff management, and day-to-day organizational leadership.
• Promote a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement within the organization. Manage, mentor, and develop a high-performing team. Establish performance goals that align with the GPAZ’s mission and impact goals, provide regular feedback, and conduct performance evaluations.
• Build and maintain strong, consistent communication with the Board Chair and Board of Directors. Attend GPAZ Board meetings and provide timely and accurate operational, financial, and programmatic information and partner closely with the Board Chair and Executive Committee on strategic direction, policy, and governance matters.
• Ensure GPAZ fulfills its CDFI mandate by originating and managing responsible loan capital to nonprofit organizations and underserved small businesses across Arizona.
• Oversee and continue to build technical assistance offerings that improve financial literacy and capacity among borrowers and the broader small business and nonprofit community.
• Maintain and grow relationships with funders, financial institution partners, government agencies, and community stakeholders to support GPAZ's capital base and mission reach.
• Ensure sound financial management, regulatory compliance, and adherence to CDFI Fund and other funder reporting requirements.
• Leverage CDFI funding, debt capital, and grants to drive impact-driven lending initiatives.
• Represent GPAZ publicly as a thought leader in community development finance across Arizona.