Senior Lending Officer

People-Architects; Cleveland (OH); On-site; USD 90,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

The Senior Lending Officer (SLO) at CB&LF/ARC leads loan operations for church and nonprofit real estate projects in disinvested communities. The role requires deep experience in community development finance and the ability to deploy a wide range of financial tools to achieve mission goals.

The SLO collaborates with senior leaders to manage originations, underwriting, closings, and risk, while building partnerships with banks, philanthropies and CDFIs.

Qualifications

• Undergraduate degree in finance or related field or equivalent experience.
• 3–5 years of real estate lending experience in community development, or 5+ years in a related field at a CDFI.
• Knowledge of government real estate subsidy programs, tax credits, and public funding for development.
• Strong financial analysis and credit evaluation skills; ability to model proformas and capital stacks.
• Willingness to travel 25–30% within the U.S.

Responsibilities

• Implement the three-year Mission Implementation Strategy to maximize missional impact.
• Oversee loan operations including originations, approvals, processing, underwriting, closings, and risk management.
• Prepare lending reports for leadership, auditors, and board committees.
• Identify lending opportunities and partner with alignment lenders and CDFIs.
• Develop relationships with churches, banks, philanthropies, and investors.
• Coordinate weekly loan meetings and monitor portfolio performance.
• Present loan approval and restructuring recommendations to the board.
• Provide guidance on loan products and program services; advise on needs and concerns of borrowers.

Skills

Financial analysis

Credit evaluations

Leadership

Project management

Strategic planning

Communication

Travel readiness

Education

Bachelor's degree in finance or related field

MBA or JD preferred

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

The Senior Lending Officer (SLO) is an accomplished lending professional with experience in commercial real estate finance, church-owned, nonprofit-owned, and/or mission real estate projects. The SLO has a track record of experience with community and economic development finance (including affordable housing using Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTCs), New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC)-funded projects, public and philanthropic economic community development and housing resources and other development finance tools. The SLO is highly experienced in deploying the full range of financial tools and organizational resources to make impactful church real estate projects happen in disinvested communities (especially CB&LF/ARC’s Target Markets: Investment Areas, Black Communities).

ESSENTIALFUNCTIONSANDRESPONSIBILITIES

• In collaboration with the Chief Divisional Operating Officer and Minister & Team Leader Strategic Initiatives, the Senior Lending Officer implements the current three-year Mission Implementation Strategy to successfully achieve transformational goals and maximize Fund missional impact.
• Oversees CB&LF/ARC loan operations, including supervising lending staff, loan originations, presentation of loans for approval to the CB&LF/ARC Board Executive Committee, processing, underwriting, closings, loan platform management, risk management, troubled loans, and loan projections.
• Oversees preparation of all lending reports and documents required by the Chief Divisional Operating Officer, the Controller and/or the CB&LF/ARC Board of Directors. Must work closely with the CB&LF/ARC Controller to prepare, organize, and provide documents and reports to outside auditors.
• ProvidesoversighttotheCB&LF/ARCPartnersinVision(PIV)developmentservicesprogramforchurchesmanagedbyAIMDevelopmentGroup.
• Identifieslendingopportunities,andwhennecessary,sellparticipationsinloanstoothermission-alignedlendersandCDFIs.
• Supports and assists the Chief Divisional Operating Officer in identifying church-owned real estate development projects, specifically for those church projects that include community facilities, affordable housing, and/or mixed-use projects that include any combination of religious, community development, housing and/or economic development purposes;
• Assists the Chief Divisional Operating Officer in raising capital, developing and maintaining relationships with new and existing banking institutions, philanthropies, investors, organizational partners, and other CDFIs.
• Coordinates weekly loan meetings with Chief Divisional Operating Officer, Controller, and lending staff to review pending applications, monitor loan portfolio performance, production goals, troubled loans and lending policies, minimize legal and financial risks;
• Presentsloanapprovalrecommendationsand/orloanrestructuringrecommendations(preparedbytheSeniorLoanAdministrator,LoanFinanceAssistantandUnderwriter)toCB&LF/ARCBoardExecutiveCommitteeonbehalfofchurchesapplyingforCB&LF/ARCfinancing;
• Advises the Chief Divisional Operating Officer on general and specific matters related to needs/concerns expressed by borrowers, observations on loan products and CB&LF/ARC programs/services, other opportunities and/or challenges identified from communications with active borrowers.
• In collaboration with the Chief Divisional Operating Officer, interviews, selects, and trains employee(s); plans, monitors and appraises employee performance;
• Develops and maintains professional and courteous relationships with church leaders CB&LF/AC and other NMUCC staff; serves as a positive role model by exemplifying values which are consistent with the United Church of Christ;
• Initiates and strengthens relationships, in collaboration with other CB&LF/ARC staff, with potential congregations that may benefit from the Fund’s mission.
• Assumeotherresponsibilitiesasassigned.

QUALIFICATIONS

The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skills and/or abilities required to perform successfully in this position.

• An undergraduate degree in finance, or a related field or equivalent experience, or a combination of academic study and experience in commercial real estate, finance, or community economic development; MBA, JD or other advanced degree in relevant field (finance, planning, etc.) is preferred.
• A minimum of 3-5 years of real estate lending experience, especially with complex community development projects, or 5 years in a related field at a CDFI and/or in the community development finance division of a banking institution. Knowledge and experience in church and/or nonprofit real estate lending is a plus;
• Knowledgeofgovernmentrealestatedevelopmentsubsidyprograms,taxcreditprograms,andotherpublicand/orprivateeconomicandcommunitydevelopmentfundinginitiativesthatservedistressedorunderinvestedcommunities;
• Strongworkethic,professionaldemeanorandwillingnesstocooperativelyparticipateonateaminamission-basedorganization
• Superiorfinancialanalysisandcreditevaluationskills;abilitytodevelopand/oranalyzeaprojectproformaand/oracapitalstack
• Self-starter,abilitytoworkindependentlyaswellascollaborativelyinasmallteam
• Commitment to and theological understanding of the purpose and mission of the church in its broad range of concerns and in its ability to promote life and abundance in society is preferred; church experience as lay or clergy leader is a plus;
• Demonstrated written and oral English language skills, including ability to conceptualize and develop resources shared in print (blogs, social media posts, articles, etc.) or through public speaking. Knowledge of a second language is a plus;
• Desireandsensitivitytoworkindiverseracial,ethnic,culturalandreligioussettingswithcommitmenttopluralismintheworkplaceaswellasinone’sunderstandingofmission-drivenwork;
• Competencyinleadershipplanning,developmentandtraining;
• Demonstratedhumanrelationsandsupervisoryskills;
• Proficient in Microsoft Office software programs, use of e-mail, other business applications and internet, and willingness to expand skill base
• AbilitytotravelwithinU.S.asnecessary(25%-30%)

ThispositionisClevelandbasedandrequiresworkintheofficeatleast3days/week.

This job description is not intended to be a complete list of all duties and responsibilities required for the position and is subject to review and change at any time in accordance with the needs of the ministry. Since no job description can detail all duties and responsibilities that may be required from time to time in the performance of a position, duties and responsibilities that may be inherent in a position shall also be considered part of the position holder’s responsibility.

It is expected that the persons who holds this position will conduct themselves in a manner consistent with the policies of the UCC and in a manner that will reflect positively on the organization. All staff are encouraged to nurture safety within the work performed on behalf of the UCC by being attentive to self-care, education, maintaining appropriate boundaries, and the importance of referring those in need to supportive and helpful resources.