Director, Loan Origination

Position Reports to: Senior Director, Loan Origination

Department: Financing

Location: Oakland, CA

About NFF

Nonprofit Finance Fund® (NFF®) is a nonprofit lender, consultant, and advocate. For more than 40 years, we’ve helped organizations access the money and resources they need to realize their communities’ aspirations. Alongside others, we’re working to build community wealth and well-being and put affordable housing, essential services, quality jobs, and excellent education within reach of more people. At NFF, we envision a world of shared prosperity, where communities have the capital, community assets, knowledge, and agency to thrive. Learn more about our work to achieve our vision through our Theory of Change and Values.

About the Opportunity

Reporting to the Senior Director, Loan Origination, the Director, Loan Origination drives lending activity in the San Francisco Bay Area and other surrounding market(s), advancing NFF’s mission through strategic, market-aligned business development. This role cultivates strong loan pipeline in the Bay Area and Northern California market(s), and builds relationships with nonprofits, lenders, government agencies, and philanthropic partners. The Director collaborates closely with our Underwriting and Credit Risk teams to structure viable financing opportunities and ensure a strong client experience. The ideal candidate brings deep lending expertise and professional networks, strong analytical and relationship-management skills, and a demonstrated ability to navigate complex markets and cultivate mission-aligned partnerships.

NFF is a remote-first organization with offices in Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Oakland, and Los Angeles. This is a US-based in-office or remote role located in the Bay Area of Northern California.  This role requires a minimum of 25% travel, and it is expected that 75% of the time will be externally focused. Travel will consist of local client and partner meetings, occasional out-of-town site visits, and local/national conferences. NFF has core business hours where we expect all staff to be available from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm local time.

What You Will Do

Essential responsibilities for this role include, but are not limited to:

Pipeline Development & Lending Execution (40%)

• Build and manage a pipeline of viable loans aligned with NFF’s loan products, credit standards, and strategic focus. Loan products include working capital lines of credit and bridge loans, as well as real estate loans for acquisition, predevelopment, construction/renovation, leasehold improvements, and permanent financing. NFF also makes loans into New Markets Tax Credit transactions through source and direct leverage loans

• Structure complex financing opportunities using strong analytical and financial skills

• Collaborate with NFF’s Program Directors, Underwriting, and Credit Risk to assess and advance loan opportunities

Relationship Management & External Engagement (30%)

• Cultivate and manage close relationships with nonprofits, peer CDFIs and lending partners, government agencies, philanthropic funders, and other ecosystem partners

• Represent NFF in key external convenings, meetings, and partnerships to expand presence in priority markets

Cross-Functional Collaboration (10%)

• Coordinate with Program teams, Underwriting, Portfolio Management, Legal, and other departments to ensure effective client engagement and positive customer experiences

Strategy & Market Development (10%)

• Plan and implement strategic initiatives aligned with NFF’s mission and integrate them into business development workflows

• Identify and communicate market trends and stakeholder needs to internal leaders, including senior leadership and the NFF Board

• Bring knowledge of Northern California markets to guide NFF’s larger capital raising and deployment strategy

Meetings and Other Duties as Assigned (10%)

• Attend and contribute to internal meetings as needed

• As work and community/client needs change, assignments, projects, and job duties may change in response

Who You Are and Minimum Qualifications

• A bachelor's degree in a related field and seven (7) years of professional, progressive experience in the nonprofit or financial services industry as a loan officer, business development, and/or loan origination professional

• Proficient in working capital and real estate lending, including credit analysis, project-level analysis and loan structuring

• Proficient in the principles of project management and demonstrated success independently leading multiple complex projects across workstreams

• Proficiency in any loan pipeline management or CRM system, with a preference for Salesforce

• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, especially Excel and Word

• All other equivalent combinations of work experience and training/education will also be considered

The Strongest Candidates Will Have/Be

• A commitment to NFF’s Values and mission

• A deep understanding of CDFIs and their role in nonprofit financing, and a strong collaborator to others working to re-envision the CDFI industry

• Experience in more than one of NFF’s core lending sectors

• Experience originating/structuring New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) financings, including NMTC leverage loans

• Strong time management and organizational skills with the ability to effectively prioritize competing responsibilities

• Existing relationships and networks in the local nonprofit sector

• Existing relationships with local CDFIs, banks, government agencies, and/or philanthropy

• Authentic relationship-building skills that center client and community needs

• Ability to work independently and effectively in a remote environment and build strong relationships with colleagues and partners across geographies and time zones

• A learning orientation and commitment to continuous learning and improvement

• Willing to collaborate with a dynamic, mission-driven team that operates in a fast-paced, changing, and at times ambiguous context

• Ability to combine strategy and innovation to successfully problem solve, design, and implement solutions, processes, systems and policies

• A high level of integrity to handle sensitive information in a confidential manner

• Proactive communication (verbal and written) and interpersonal skills that can be applied in a variety of internal and external contexts

Compensation

NFF offers a generous benefits package that currently includes up to twenty-one (21) paid holidays/business closure days, three (3) floating holidays, flexible time off, group medical insurance with a funded health reimbursement account, dental and vision plans, life insurance and disability plans, a retirement plan with both a non-elective employer contribution (4%) and additional match contribution (2%), a “work from home” fund, and flexible spending accounts to cover health, dependent care, and commuter costs.

This is an exempt, full-time role with an annual salary range of $129,400-$146,680. A compensation offer is based on a candidate’s background and years of relevant experience, with consideration for internal equity. Because of our strong commitment to equity and growth, we do not negotiate compensation offers.