Deputy Director, Lending and Partnerships

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.

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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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…