Lending/Loan Operations

Opportunity Finance Network; Atlantic (IA); Hybrid; USD 72,000 - 82,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

4 weeks PTO

Work from home stipend

Professional development stipend

IRA employer match

Health insurance

Job summary

Black Farmer Fund is seeking a full-time Impact Lending and Relationship Associate to steward and grow our investment portfolio, supporting Black farmers and food system entrepreneurs through integrated, non-extractive capital. This role blends rigorous credit underwriting with hands-on experience in impact strategy, and involvement in structuring, deployment, and loan management.

Reporting to the Investment Director, you will evaluate opportunities, design flexible repayment terms, and ensure

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree with substantial financial coursework.
• 2+ years of professional experience with direct experience with credit underwriting in small business lending, CDFIs, community development banks, or impact investing funds.
• Hands-on experience independently screening and evaluating applicants for credit readiness and evaluating borrower financial statements and cash flow projections.
• Proven experience managing an active loan or investment portfolio, including monitoring and borrower engagement.

Responsibilities

• Source, evaluate, and structure investments supporting Black farmers and food system enterprises.
• Assess investee readiness for debt and integrated capital using equity-centered evaluation methods.
• Lead due diligence, including analysis of financial statements, cash flow projections, credit risk, collateral, and business fundamentals.
• Assist with structuring loans and integrated capital packages (loans, grants, and technical assistance) with flexible repayment terms.
• Maintain strong relationships with investees and ensure data integrity and compliance across investments.

Skills

Credit underwriting

Relationship management

Portfolio management

Financial analysis

Due diligence

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Finance/Accounting/Economics/Business

Job description

Locations: , Remote; Northeast/Mid-Atlantic region, Multi

Job Function: Lending/Loan Operations

Background

Black Farmer Fund (BFF) was created by Black farmers who were frustrated with the limited financing options available to them, hoping to create a funding vehicle that would challenge the racial injustices and wealth inequalities faced by Black food actors. We are a 501(c)3 non-profit organization and an emerging community investment fund that invests patient (flexible repayment terms), and integrated capital (mix of low-interest loans and grants) in Black food businesses in the Northeast.

BFF is by us, for us, with a community of Black farmers and food systems entrepreneurs from across the region leading the fund’s governance and decision-making around which applicants receive funding. Our process is consensus-seeking and guided by our values of economic justice, community wealth building, and managing environmental/ecological impact. We are currently in the process of making direct investments in Black food actors while emphasizing financial education, investment literacy, and active community involvement in creating these financing options.

You can find more information on Black Farmer Fund here .

Summary

Black Farmer Fund (BFF) is seeking a full-time Impact Lending and Relationship Associate to help steward and grow our impact-driven investment portfolio, supporting Black farmers and food system entrepreneurs through integrated, non-extractive capital. This role involves blending rigorous credit underwriting with the opportunity to get hands‑on experience with impact strategy , assisting with the structuring, deployment, and management of loans and complementary capital tools.

Reporting directly to the Investment Director, the Impact Lending and Relationship Associate plays a key role in shaping BFF’s investment approach: evaluating opportunities, structuring flexible repayment terms aligned with business cash flow, and ensuring both financial performance and mission alignment across the portfolio. The role includes direct engagement with investees, and collaboration across teams to align capital deployment with technical assistance and ecosystem support.

This position is ideal for an associate‑level impact finance professional seeking meaningful responsibility in deal execution, close engagement with investees, and the opportunity to support an equitable, climate‑resilient food system through mission‑driven investing.

Responsibilities

Investment Sourcing, Evaluation & Structuring (60%)

• Source, evaluate, and structure impact‑aligned investments supporting Black farmers and food system enterprises, with responsibility for opportunities from initial screening through closing.
• Assess investee readiness for debt and integrated capital using equitable, context-responsive evaluation methods.
• Conduct preliminary assessments and develop recommendations for applicants who demonstrate investment readiness.
• Lead financial and operational due diligence, including analysis of financial statements, cash flow projections, credit risk, collateral, and business fundamentals.
• Assist with evaluation and structuring loans and integrated capital packages (loans, grants, and technical assistance) with flexible, non‑extractive repayment terms aligned to enterprise cash flow and growth trajectories.
• Assist with coordinating and conducting site visits and qualitative diligence to inform investment decisions and deepen understanding of enterprise operations and impact.
• Maintain strong, ongoing relationships with investees, supporting pre TA needs and obtaining and organizing due diligence information.
• Ensure accurate system and file management for all investments, maintaining high standards of data integrity, compliance, and documentation.
• Demonstrate a consistent commitment to equity and inclusion through reflective practice, inclusive decision‑making, and bias‑aware investment processes.
• Work with Business Support Manager to assist with loan servicing, impact data collection, and performance tracking to support internal analysis and external reporting.
• Partner with the Business Support team to align technical assistance resources with portfolio needs and enterprise development goals.
• Build and manage a strong, mission‑aligned investment pipeline through outreach and relationship‑building across the food and agriculture ecosystem.
• Identify and evaluate new investment opportunities consistent with BFF’s impact objectives and integrated capital approach.
• Cultivate relationships with entrepreneurs, cooperatives, intermediaries, and ecosystem partners to support deal flow and sector learning.
• Represent and support BFF’s investment strategy and values at events, workshops, and panels.

Reporting & Impact Communications (5%)

• Collaborate with the Communications and Business Support team to help develop investment case studies and contribute to impact storytelling that reflects BFF’s approach and outcomes.

Requirements

Candidates without demonstrated experience evaluating, structuring, and managing debt investments in a lending or investment context will not be considered.

Required:

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, Business, or a closely related field with substantial financial coursework .
• 2+ years of professional experience with direct experience with credit underwriting in one or more of the following environments: small business lending, CDFIs, community development banks, or impact investing funds.
• Demonstrated, hands‑on experience independently:
  • Screening and evaluating applicants for credit readiness
  • Evaluating borrower financial statements and cash flow projections
  • Providing 1:1 relationship support to borrowers
  • Assessing credit risk and repayment capacity
• Proven experience managing an active loan or investment portfolio, including ongoing monitoring, borrower engagement, and performance management.

Preferred (Highly Valued):

• Direct lending or investment experience in agriculture, food systems, or natural resource‑based enterprises.
• Practical experience deploying or managing integrated capital structures (e.g., loans paired with grants, technical assistance, or flexible repayment features).
• Familiarity with non‑extractive or community‑centered lending models paired with demonstrated financial discipline .

Compensation and Benefits

• $72,100 – $82,400 depending on experience ;
• Reports directly to the Investment Director;
• Remote, full‑time position (must reside in Northeast/Mid-Atlantic region) with 5%-10% travel for in‑person events and workshops; This is an external‑facing position that will involve regular engagement with funders, partners, and external stakeholders, including representing the organization at speaking engagements and similar public‑facing opportunities.
• Benefits include 4 weeks PTO; generous paid holidays; self‑care stipend; work from home stipend; professional development stipend; IRA employer match; medical, dental, and vision health insurance coverage.

Black Farmer Fund is an equal opportunity employer. People of color, women, people with disabilities, LGBTQ+, gender‑nonconforming, and formerly incarcerated individuals are strongly encouraged to apply.