Deputy Director, Lending and Partnerships

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world's worst humanitarian crises, helping to restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing, and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. Founded in 1933 at the call of Albert Einstein, the IRC is one of the world's largest international humanitarian non-governmental organizations (INGO), at work in more than 40 countries and 29 U.S. cities helping people to survive, reclaim control of their future and strengthen their communities. A force for humanity, IRC employees deliver lasting impact by restoring safety, dignity and hope to millions. If you're a solutions-driven, passionate change-maker, come join us in positively impacting the lives of millions of people world-wide for a better future.

Background

The IRC's Center for Economic Opportunity (CEO) is a certified community development financial institution (CDFI) and 501(c)(3) organization incorporated in 2011, and a non-controlled subsidiary of the International Rescue Committee (IRC). CEO's primary mission is to unlock access to credit to help create a fair financial system where low-income people can realize their potential to build better lives and prosper communities. CEO specializes in making small-dollar consumer and commercial loans to refugees, immigrants, and other low-income individuals through a robust national network of lending partners operating across 17+ states. We seek a dynamic leader to help drive our lending operations and deepen our community partnerships.

Job Overview

The Deputy Director, Lending and Partnerships oversees daily operations of CEO’s underwriting and lending activity, lending and borrower data analysis and technical support to CEO’s lending and service delivery partners. Reporting to the Director of Credit Strategy, this individual co-leads the lending team, manages key institutional and community relationships, and helps drive loan production while ensuring quality underwriting standards and mission alignment. This role is ideal for a strategic, mission-driven professional who is equally comfortable building partnerships with service organizations, ensuring data-driven operations and managing fast-paced, borrower-centered lending in low-income communities.

Key Responsibilities

Lending Operations

• Manage day-to-day lending operations, including pipeline management, underwriting oversight, and internal and external loan committee preparation.
• Supervise and mentor a team of loan officers and origination specialists providing guidance on loan product fit, underwriting, partner support and borrower engagement.
• Review and approve loan applications, term sheets, and loan recommendations prior to credit committee presentation.
• Ensure loan production and deployment goals are met while maintaining strong credit quality and mission alignment.
• Manage the loan pipeline tracking system; provide regular reporting on volume, product mix, and projected closings to senior leadership.
• Coordinate closely with the servicing team to ensure smooth transitions from origination through closing and into portfolio management.

Credit Quality & Underwriting Standards

• Maintain and support updating pf lending policies, underwriting guidelines, and credit standards in coordination with senior leadership.
• Ensure consistency and rigor in underwriting across all loan products and borrower types.
• Identify opportunities to refine product structures or develop new products in response to market needs and community demand.
• Support the credit committee process, including preparing and presenting materials and facilitating decision-making discussions.

Partnership Development & External Relations

• Cultivate and manage strategic relationships community-based organizations that generate referrals, lending as a service agreements and co-lending opportunities.
• Oversee delivery of high-quality training and technical support to CEO’s lending partners, ensuring rapid and effective uptake of CEO’s business systems and procedures.
• Co-develop, in close coordination with leadership and external relations, a partnership strategy that expands the organization's referral network, increases loan volume, and deepens community trust.
• Manage formal partnership agreements, Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs), and co-lending or participation loan arrangements with partners.
• Collaborate with the external relations team to support grant applications, CDFI Fund awards, and funder relationships that require lending data, program descriptions, or partnership documentation.

Business Development & Market Strategy

• Identify underserved market segments, geographic gaps, or product needs, and recommend strategies to expand lending reach.
• Lead outreach campaigns and marketing efforts in coordination with communications staff to promote loan products and raise awareness among target borrowers.
• Support the organization's annual lending goals and strategic plan by supporting the development and implementation of business development work plans.

Team Leadership & Organizational Development

• Supervise, coach, and evaluate a team of lending and partnership staff; foster a collaborative, accountable, and mission-driven team culture.
• Assist in the recruitment, hiring, and onboarding of new lending team members.
• Lead or participate in cross-departmental initiatives related to systems improvement, product development, impact measurement, and organizational learning.

Compliance & Reporting

• Ensure lending activities comply with applicable regulatory requirements, investor covenants, and CDFI Fund program requirements.
• Contribute to CDFI Fund reporting (AMIS, Transaction Level Reporting) and other external compliance reporting as needed.
• Support impact measurement by ensuring accurate tracking of borrower demographics, loan purpose, job creation, and other mission-related metrics.

Qualifications

Key Competencies

• Genuine commitment to economic equity and serving low-income communities.

• Ability to build, motivate, and develop a high-performing team.
• Strong capacity to assess credit risk, interpret financial data, and make sound recommendations balancing strong commitment to borrowers' interests with CDFI sustainability
• Sound decision-making, especially in cases of hardship, complex circumstances and balance of short- and long-term interests of the CDFI.

Required:

• Bachelor's degree in finance, business administration, economics, or equivalent experience.

• Minimum 8 years of experience in CDFI loan servicing, credit risk management, or portfolio management, with at least 3 years in a supervisory role.

• Demonstrated experience managing nonprofit loan portfolios.

• Strong knowledge of loan documentation, credit analysis, compliance, and credit protections strategies.
• Knowledge of small business lending and borrower-centered financing.
• Experience with loan management systems.
• Excellent analytical and organizational skills.
• Commitment to CDFI's mission and the communities we serve.

Compensation: (Pay Rate: $90,000-$115,000/yr). Ranges are based on various factors including the labor market, job type, internal equity, and budget. Exact offers are calibrated by work location, individual candidate experience and skills relative to the defined job requirements.

PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS

All International Rescue Committee workers must adhere to the core values and principles outlined in IRC Way - Standards for Professional Conduct. Our Standards are Integrity, Service, Equality and Accountability. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Safeguarding, Conflicts of Interest, Fiscal Integrity, and Reporting Wrongdoing and Protection from Retaliation. IRC is committed to take all necessary preventive measures and create an environment where people feel safe, and to take all necessary actions and corrective measures when harm occurs. IRC builds teams of professionals who promote critical reflection, power sharing, debate, and objectivity to deliver the best possible services to our clients.

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Compensation: Posted pay ranges apply to US-based candidates. Ranges are based on various factors including the labor market, job type, internal equity, and budget. Exact offers are calibrated by work location, individual candidate experience and skills relative to the defined job requirements.

US Benefits: We offer a comprehensive and highly competitive set of benefits. In the US, these include: 10 sick days, 10 US holidays, 20-25 paid time off days depending on role and tenure, medical insurance starting at $163 per month, dental starting at $6.50 per month, and vision starting at $5 per month, FSA for healthcare and commuter costs, a 403b retirement savings plans with immediately vested matching, disability & life insurance, and an Employee Assistance Program which is available to our staff and their families to support counseling and care in times of crisis and mental health struggles.

Equal Opportunity Employer: IRC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. IRC considers all applicants on the basis of merit without regard to race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

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