Senior Director, Environmental Justice Loan Program

Position Reports to: Vice President, Financing

Location: This position is fully remote, however we have a preference for someone who resides in commutable distance to NFF’s New York office. Other fully remote locations near Los Angeles, Oakland, Philadelphia or Boston, will be considered.

Department: Financing

For over 40 years, Nonprofit Finance Fund has provided these nonprofits and their leaders with capital, consulting, and thought leadership. As a community development finance institution (CDFI), we work with nonprofits, partners, and systems to build racial equity and community wealth and well-being. Our vision is a world of equitable prosperity, where communities of color and other systematically excluded communities have the capital, community assets, knowledge, and agency to thrive. You can learn more about our work to achieve that vision by reading our Strategic Plan for 2024-2026 and our commitment to racial equity.

None of this work would be possible without the incredible people who work here. Our team consists of a diverse group of passionate professionals who care deeply about racial equity and community wealth and well-being. You can read more about what it’s like to work here and read a few examples of “a day in the life” for NFF staff” on the careers page of our website.

Thank you for your interest in NFF. We hope you’ll join us.

About the Opportunity:

NFF’s Financing team provides loans to nonprofit organizations for their real estate and working capital needs with a commitment to ensuring communities of color and leaders of color have access to and control of the funds they need to meet their goals. Currently, NFF manages around $400 million of financing assets, primarily loans to nonprofit organizations in the education, healthcare, human service, and housing sectors.

We have had a limited focus on green lending where our investments are tied to the reduction of emissions, energy savings and/or remediation of properties. We have a portfolio of loans that capture all of these environmental improvements, but we are now moving toward intentional investments in this space. The flow of funding under the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF) will be a major source of capital, through both the National Clean Investment Fund (NCIF) and Clean Communities Investment Accelerator (CCIA). NFF is working on pipeline development as this capital, and other sources like the NY Decarbonization Fund, becomes available and terms defined.

We are seeking a Senior Director, Environmental Justice Lending, to lead the development and growth of NFF’s green lending portfolio, in alignment with NFF’s mission and strategic plan. NFF is at the start of this work, and this position will play a central role in growing our relationships, partnerships, position and financing in this space nationally. In addition to the external leadership of this role, the Senior Director, Environmental Justice Lending will play an important organizational role in training and supporting the lending staff in the origination, structuring, and underwriting of related loans. Internally, this role will serve as an in-house expert at the intersection of climate and lending that trains, supports, and coaches other staff who serve as generalists across various functional areas (e.g., business development, underwriting and closing, portfolio management). Additionally, the role will collaborate with other departments across the organization, including Consulting, Community Engagement, Investor Relations, Development and Marketing & Communications to collaborate and raise NFF’s profile in this sector, in support of cross-organizational strategic priorities around Environmental Justice. Please review NFF’s 2024-2026 Strategy here.

A successful Senior Director, Environmental Justice Loan Program will help us design and execute our approach to lending by prioritizing the needs of strategically aligned organizations and centering communities of color who are disproportionately harmed by pollution burdens and climate vulnerabilities. This is an opportunity for someone to lead this work at NFF and within the industry.

The preference is for the position to be in commutable distance to NFF’s New York office location. Remote locations will be considered. Our offices have re-opened, and staff can opt into in-person work as desired and based on the needs of the role. There is potential for up to 15% travel, which will consist of client visits, local/national conferences, and partnership building.

The Senior Director, Environmental Justice Loan Program will report to the Vice President, Financing who is based in Philadelphia.

What you’ll do:

Program Leadership

• In partnership with the VP of Strategic Initiatives and VP of Financing, develops a strategy for our green lending that responds to needs for appropriately structured and priced loans; aligns with NFF’s impact and business goals.
• Design loan products that can fill market needs and gaps, and leverage the capital available through GGRF and any other federal, state, and philanthropic sources that NFF is able to access in support of its EJ Loan Program
• Leads the development of internal infrastructure necessary to expand and scale up NFF’s environmental lending, which may include things like: templates for loan term sheets, due diligence checklists, and credit memos; standardized reporting requirements and loan covenants; best practices for portfolio management and loan monitoring; training staff on green lending best practices, common risks and techniques for risk mitigation; typical capital sources, capital stacks, and funding streams; among others.
• Ensures NFF’s lending in the environmental space is well positioned to support nonprofit organizations led by and serving people of color, working to lower facility emissions and facing barriers to obtaining financing.
• Coordinates with the Market Leaders on NFF’s lending team and NFF Community Engagement staff to identify gaps and opportunities for NFF to finance environmental projects, particularly those in geographies where NFF has an active presence and/or relationships (e.g., NYC, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Bay Area, Massachusetts, Boston, Colorado, New Jersey), as well as in possible expansion areas to be identified.
• Coordinates with all NFF Financing staff who will help with implementation of local and national strategies, and meeting lending goals, including loan origination, underwriting, portfolio management, and New Markets Tax Credit teams.
• Deepens and maintains strong networks with community level associations, peer CDFIs and other lenders, funders and investors.
• Serves as an NFF environmental justice expert; share knowledge internally and externally, represent NFF in various industry associations and working groups, among other ways.
• Builds NFF’s brand among partners and stakeholders; raises awareness of our goals and available capital to support environmental justice; and develops our reputation over time as a vital CDFI in this space. This will be accomplished through direct relationship building and networking, as well as by working with our Marketing & Communications team to develop and post relevant content via social media, as well as occasional emails, blogs, etc.

Loan Origination, Structuring, and Portfolio Management

• Responsible for building pipelines sufficient to meet lending goals and requirements of GGRF and other related capital.
• Collaborate with the Market Leaders on NFF’s Origination team in development of pipeline
• Identify, assess, and shepherd viable lending opportunities into and through the loan pipeline.
• Conduct the analysis of environmental loan opportunities, including the following: project feasibility; capital stack; borrower structure and financials; development team qualifications and track record; market studies and community engagement; project cash flow, repayment and/or take-out sources; impact & community benefits; and other relevant areas as appropriate.
• Support Underwriting team in proposing appropriate loan structures, reporting requirements, covenants, and other loan features where particular environmental loan products or project features may require the expertise provided by this role.
• Assist Portfolio Management team in reviewing borrower reporting where staff need additional context or environmental expertise; provide support on requests for modifications, extensions, and waivers for loans in the environmental portfolio as needed.
• Collaborate with Portfolio Management team to establish best practices around monitoring and risk analysis of the environmental portfolio overall; provide context on sector and market trends that may impact credit quality within the environmental loan portfolio.

Who you are:

• You have a minimum of 8 -10 years of professional work experience, with at least 7 years in the environmental justice and lending space.
• You are proficient in reading and understanding financial statements, project budgets, and operating pro formas/cash flow projections.
• You have market knowledge and relationships in the environmental sector.
• You have experience working on programs which require significant government compliance.
• You have a strong relationship-building approach with the ability to center the needs of clients and communities.
• You are a strategic thinker; you combine strategy and innovation to successfully design and implement processes, systems and policies that support the organization’s overall vision and growth.
• You possess strong project management skills with demonstrated success managing multiple projects and priorities.
• You have an aptitude for problem-solving and are able to identify challenges and provide solutions.
• You maintain a high level of integrity and are able to handle sensitive information in a confidential manner
• You are flexible, adaptable, and willing to pivot on short notice to meet the organization’s needs
• You are committed to continuous improvement and demonstrate a growth mindset
• You have exceptional and proactive communication (verbal and written) and interpersonal skills
• You enjoy collaborating with team members who are working together to re-envision the Community Development Finance Industry
• You embody NFF’s mission, core values and commitment to equity and are able to demonstrate this in your work

Compensation:

At NFF, we are invested in discussing the depth and breadth of each candidate’s background and experience during the interview process and using that information to determine the best offer while considering internal pay equity. The salary range for this position is $152,700-$160,000. If provided an offer, NFF will determine salary compensation based on relevant skills and years of experience. NFF also takes into consideration internal equity in setting salary bands for each role. NFF provides an attractive benefits package that currently includes up to 18 paid holidays, 3 floating holidays, unlimited vacation time off, health insurance with NFF funded health reimbursement account on medical plan, and employer contributions toward retirement plan. In addition, NFF provides flexibility to work remotely and access to a “work from home” fund, and flexible spending accounts including medical, commuter, and childcare benefits.

Please Note:

Applicants must be authorized to work for any employer in the U.S. We do not currently sponsor for immigration or work permit applications.

All salaries are commensurate with experience and include an attractive benefits package.

Nonprofit Finance Fund is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion in its workforce. We encourage candidates that will help us live out this commitment to apply.

NFF is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate against any applicant or employee because of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, genetic information, age, or military or veteran status in accordance with federal law. In addition, NFF complies with applicable state and local laws governing non-discrimination in employment in every jurisdiction in which it maintains facilities. NFF also provides reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities in accordance with applicable laws. If you require assistance and/or accommodation to use our online tools to search and/or apply for jobs, please contact [email protected]. We would be happy to work with you.

This job posting provides a general list of the essential responsibilities and qualifications required for this position. It does not represent a contract for employment and NFF reserves the right to change the description and/or posting at any time without notice.

When applying, please DO NOT include any of the following information with your job application: Social Security number; driver’s license number or state-issued identification card number; financial account number, or credit or debit card number.