Strategic Project Manager, Lending

THE COMPANY

The Low Income Investment Fund is a non-profit Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) that mobilizes capital and partners to achieve opportunity, equity and wellbeing for people and communities. LIIF innovates financial solutions to create more equitable outcomes for all by building and preserving affordable homes, quality educational opportunities from early childhood through higher education, health clinics, healthy food retail and community facilities. In this way, LIIF provides a bridge between private capital markets and communities. LIIF's headquarters is in San Francisco and has offices in Los Angeles, New York, Atlanta, and Washington D.C.

REPORTING RELATIONSHIPS:

This position reports to the Senior Vice President, Chief Lending Officer, with a dotted line to the Lending Leadership team inclusive of 3 regional Vice Presidents: Northeastern & Mid-Atlantic Regions, Southeast Region, and Western Region, and the Director, National Lending Initiatives.

JOB SUMMARY:

The Strategic Project Manager, Lending serves as a trusted thought partner to the Senior Vice President, Chief Lending Officer (CLO) and is a core member of the Lending leadership team. This role is responsible for driving strategic initiatives, enhancing internal operations, and ensuring cross-functional alignment across teams such as Originations, Credit, Asset Management, Loan Administration, and Finance.

The Strategic Project Manager will be responsible for scoping, executing, and monitoring high-impact projects; facilitating internal collaboration and systems alignment; and driving efficiency through the development and maintenance of scalable tools and processes. While this position has no direct reports, it carries broad influence and is ideal for a seasoned professional who thrives in dynamic environments and can balance high-level strategy with detailed execution.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Strategic Initiatives & Special Projects - 20%

• Serve as a strategic thought partner to the CLO to advance departmental priorities.
• Lead complex, cross-functional initiatives, including concept development, stakeholder engagement, project management, and communication.
• Translate strategic goals into actionable project plans, materials, and recommendations.

Process Improvement & Resource Management - 20%

• Drive process design, implementation, and continuous improvement across lending operations.
• Develop training materials, documentation, and systems to ensure consistent execution of improved processes.
• Maintain a centralized knowledge base for all lending resources, SOPs, and tools.

Internal Communications & Stakeholder Engagement - 15%

• Prepare talking points, presentations, and strategic documents for internal and external audiences, including Board communications.
• Partner with the CLO's Executive Assistant to align on upcoming meetings and deliverables.
• Act as a liaison across teams to ensure alignment and shared understanding of priorities.

Operational Leadership & Team Coordination - 15%

• Collaborate with Lending leadership to plan staff retreats, team-wide trainings, and engagement sessions.
• Facilitate communication and workflow coordination across Originations, Credit, Asset Management, Loan Administration, and Finance.
• Identify operational bottlenecks and support the implementation of effective solutions.

Workplans, Budgets & Performance Tracking - 15%

• Support the development, tracking, and reporting of departmental goals and workplans.
• Partner with Finance to manage the annual budget and audit processes.
• Own and manage the Lending Business Model, coordinating annual updates and adjustments with Finance.

Systems & Data Integration - 10%

• Drive adoption and effective use of Salesforce, nCino, and other platforms that support lending operations.
• Leverage data and analysis to inform strategic and operational decisions.
• Support organizational learning through modeling, reporting, and continuous data improvement.

Other Duties as Assigned - 5%

• Represent Lending in cross-functional workgroups and interdepartmental initiatives.
• Participate in special projects and occasional travel to organizational events and site visits.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, Public Policy, Urban Planning, Economics, or a related field required.
• 5-7 years of progressively responsible experience in project management, lending operations, community development finance, or related areas.
• Formal training or certification in project management (e.g., PMP, Agile, Six Sigma) is a plus.
• Proficient in project management and collaboration tools (e.g., Asana, Smartsheet) and familiar with lending platforms such as Salesforce or nCino.
• Demonstrated success leading complex, high-impact projects across departments or functions.
• Experience in CDFIs, affordable housing, impact investing, or nonprofit financial systems highly preferred.
• Strong analytical, communication, and interpersonal skills.
• Advanced communication skills with the ability to synthesize complex information for multiple audiences.
• Proficient in project management and collaboration tools (e.g., Asana, Smartsheet) and familiar with lending platforms such as Salesforce or nCino.
• Adept at building trust and aligning diverse teams.
• Experience with designing, documenting, and socializing operational improvements.
• Strong presentation skills; can translate complex ideas into clear materials.
• Able to analyze how processes, tools, and teams intersect and function as a whole.
• Comfortable leading through ambiguity and supporting cultural or procedural shifts.
• Commitment to racial equity, economic justice, and community-centered investment.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

LIIF offers a hybrid work environment with flexibility to balance in-office and remote work. However, all employees are expected to work on-site at least two (2) days per week. The successful candidate may be expected to travel occasionally for meetings, trainings, conferences, or other Company sponsored events.

All Low Income Investment Fund (LIIF) employees must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. In accordance with LIIF's policies, we provide reasonable accommodations, absent undue hardship, to qualified individuals who cannot get vaccinated against COVID-19 because of sincerely held religious or medical reasons. If you believe you need an accommodation from the vaccination mandate required by this policy, please notify our Human Resources Department.

HOW TO APPLY:

Please apply with Resume and Cover Letter via our recruitment portal: Recruitment (adp.com)

Notice to Third Party Recruitment Agencies:

Please note that Low Income Investment Fund does not accept unsolicited resumes from recruiters or employment agencies. In the absence of an executed Recruitment Services Agreement, there will be no obligation to any referral compensation or recruiter fee.

In the event a recruiter or agency submits a resume or candidate without an agreement Low Income Investment Fund shall explicitly reserve the right to pursue and hire those candidate(s) without any financial obligation to the recruiter or agency. Any unsolicited resumes, including those submitted to hiring managers, shall be deemed the property of Low Income Investment Fund.

We do not accept unsolicited phone calls. Only candidates being considered for a position will be contacted.

LIIF, an EOE (Equal Opportunity Employer), believes that diversity ensures excellence. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sexual orientation, gender, or national origin. Candidates of diverse backgrounds and with diverse experience are strongly encouraged to apply for this position

[KL1]Changed to Director instead of DD given pending promo.