Loan and Outreach Officer

The Loan and Outreach Officer will be responsible for underwriting loan requests from cooperatively-owned enterprises, performing community outreach and client relationship development, and managing all aspects of CFNE’s lending services to a diverse portfolio of cooperatives in their service area. This role structures, qualifies, and monitors loans, as well as provides organizations with technical assistance and financial analysis, as time allows.

The Loan and Outreach Officer will support various projects largely related to marketing and portfolio development. This position requires creative partnership development to succeed, as well as a demonstrated commitment to social, economic and racial justice.

This full-time, salaried, non-exempt position will work remotely from a home office, and reports to the Deputy Executive Director, with starting salary in the $65,000 -$90,000, depending on experience.

The Cooperative Fund of the Northeast (CFNE) is a community development loan fund that bridges socially responsible investors and cooperatives, community oriented non-profits, and worker-owned businesses in New England and New York. Since 1975 CFNE has supported consumer, small producer, housing, and worker-owned co‑ops by providing over $100 million in flexible financing, as well as customized technical assistance. This has created or preserved thousands of jobs and affordable housing units, without losing any investor funds.

We work for economic, social, and racial justice by advancing community based, cooperative, and democratically owned or managed enterprises with a preference to assisting cooperatives in low-income communities by:

• Providing financial products at reasonable rates
• Developing business skills
• Offering an investment opportunity that promotes socially conscious enterprise

• Acquire basic loan information, review application for thoroughness, and determine the need for additional information. Perform the necessary due diligence, including site visits and checking references, and verifying accuracy and completeness of information provided. Analyze loan requests in line with CFNE's lending policy and procedure manual and standard best practices, which include character, cash flow, collateral, capitalization, and business conditions. Support organizations through all stages of the lending process from originating deals to assisting with applications, conducting financial analyses, underwriting loans, preparing documents for loan approval, and presenting proposals to loan committees.

• Maintain existing relationships and develop new relationships with clients and partners. Review monthly loan payment status of borrowers and provide technical assistance as needed for slow payers. Visit each borrower at least annually. Cultivate relationships with banks and other local financial institutions that may refer loans or participate in loans. Represent CFNE in public forums and relevant associations, facilitate community outreach efforts, and build referral networks.

• Work with applicants and borrowers to evaluate their overall financial health, determine financing needs, verify credit-readiness, and assess project feasibility. Either provide the TA, or refer it to a third party, as circumstances allow.
  • Pre‑loan Technical Assistance:
    Provide pre‑loan TA, either in groups or one‑to‑one sessions, to potential borrowers on issues related to business planning including cash flow, marketing and promotion, and business licensing.
  • Post‑loan TA:
    Identify client TA needs and either mentor clients by providing post‑loan TA and training, or refer clients to third‑party TA providers, in areas such as financial management, marketing and sound business practices.

• Represent CFNE at marketing events, conduct client intake, and solicit and develop new relationships with potential community partners and loan applicants. Contribute to the development of CFNE’s service offering by identifying markets and the needs for new…