Managing Director, Investment

CEJJF seeks a senior leader for its lending and investment function. Reporting to the Executive Director, this position’s portfolio includes designing CEJJF's financial products, building its project pipeline, and underwriting and closing the transactions CEJJF originates on its own account. They structure the participation, co-lending arrangements, and partner channels that extend CEJJF's lending beyond its own balance sheet. They attract the private capital that funds deployment.

CEJJF was created to design innovative financing tools and products that compensate for the barriers to capital for frontline communities and disadvantaged businesses. As one of two senior positions reporting to the Executive Director, this person will help set the strategic direction of a growing institution and is expected to build and lead CEJJF's investment team as the balance sheet grows.

Work Location & Travel

Candidates must be based in Illinois or within commutable distance of Illinois and able to support approximately 25% travel within Illinois.

CEJJF operates in a hybrid work environment. Employees based in the Chicago area are expected to work in person 1–2 days per week, while employees based outside the Chicago area are expected to work in person 2–3 days per month. Business travel and other required in-person work are counted toward these expectations.

Compensation

CEJJF offers a base salary range of $155,000–$185,000 for this position. Compensation within the range will take into account relevant experience, qualifications, geographic location, and other job-related factors.

Responsibilities

Product Design and Capital Strategy

• Lead the design of CEJJF's financial products that address market barriers, including loans, guarantees, credit enhancement, and debt and equity investment structures.
• Bring CEJJF’s current product set to market and carry it through its first cycles, including the residential, predevelopment, contractor, and municipal offerings now in development.
• Build and prove underwriting approaches that make a credit decision possible where conventional criteria may not be available, drawing on alternative repayment sources, cash flow evidence, and guarantee and reserve structures.
• Develop and execute CEJJF's private capital strategy, securing funding from banks, CDFIs, and institutional investors.
• Structure credit enhancement, loan loss reserve, and first-loss arrangements that enable private capital to lend alongside CEJJF.
• Negotiate co-lending, participation, and syndication arrangements with banks, CDFIs, and peer institutions.
• Build and maintain the financial models supporting cash flow, loss and pricing assumptions, and the deployment plan.
• Assess market needs, financing gaps, and product performance to set priorities for the development and evolution of CEJJF's financial products.

Origination and Partnerships

• Grow the project pipeline through strategies to increase awareness and utilization of CEJJF's products among contractors, developers, project sponsors, and units of local government, and build the borrower, referral, and capital-partner relationships that generate qualified opportunities.
• Cultivate strategic financing partnerships with municipalities, counties, public agencies, and peer institutions, including fee-generating engagements.
• Negotiate and manage partner origination, underwriting, and servicing agreements.
• Direct the delivery of technical assistance that strengthens capacity of clean energy businesses and borrowers.

Underwriting and Transaction Execution

• Conduct underwriting of CEJJF’s loans and equity investments.
• Establish, develop, and maintain CEJJF’s credit and investment policies and the procedures for underwriting and approving financial assistance required by statute.
• Ori…