Head of Legal - Commercial Finance - Expanding Equitable Access to Capital in OR and WA

Head of Legal | Sr. Commercial Finance Counsel | Expanding Equitable Access to Capital Throughout OR & WA Craft3 | Remote/Hybrid within Oregon or Washington

Reports to:

Chief Financial Officer | FLSA:
Exempt | Compensation:
Up to $240,000

One of the highlights of working at Craft3 was helping fund a $10 million onion processing plant in a rural community I knew well, creating hundreds of jobs.

I am really proud of the work we do in helping support caregivers and families by funding programs that allow parents to work full time and not break the bank trying to fund preschool, leading to better outcomes socially and economically for our children and our community.

Help deploy capital where it matters most. Craft3 seeks a senior attorney to lead legal strategy for one of the Pacific Northwest's largest and most innovative mission-driven lenders. Up to $240K + exceptional benefits + remote OR/WA.

Acumen is honored to again partner with Craft3: a nonprofit community development financial institution that uses capital, relationships, and voice to build a thriving, just, and empowered Pacific Northwest. Across Oregon and Washington, Craft3 expands access to responsible financing and support for entrepreneurs, homeowners, nonprofits, and communities often overlooked by traditional finance.

Their work is rooted in systems change and focused on challenges including systemic racism, the climate crisis, and rural and Tribal economic development. Its lending supports rural businesses, childcare providers, climate resilience, and borrowers who have historically faced barriers within traditional financial systems.

Craft3 is remote-first, with office spaces in Portland, Seattle, and Astoria. Candidates may work from anywhere in Oregon or Washington, with occasional travel for team gatherings, branch visits, and organizational events.

Craft3 is seeking an accomplished, pragmatic, and business-minded Head of Legal to serve as its senior internal legal advisor. Reporting to the Chief Financial Officer, this leader will provide trusted counsel to the CEO, Board, senior leaders, lending and credit teams, and colleagues across the organization.

This broad legal role sits at the intersection of commercial finance, community development, governance, and social impact. Commercial lending will be central, including complex transactions, nonstandard loan documentation, distressed assets, restructures, workouts, collections, creditor remedies, contracts, and intellectual property matters. The role will also touch capital raising, regulatory requirements, new financial products, digital privacy, public affairs/lobbying compliance, federal program agreements, and reputational or crisis communication issues.

Craft3 is looking for a lawyer who understands that excellent legal counsel enables mission. The successful candidate will distinguish material legal risk from manageable business risk, establish practical guardrails, and help colleagues move important work forward with clarity, judgment, and respect.

• Serve as Craft3’s senior internal legal advisor to the CEO, CFO, Board, senior leadership, and staff.
• Provide practical legal counsel throughout Craft3’s commercial and consumer lending lifecycle, especially on large, complex, or nonstandard transactions.
• Review and negotiate loan documents, partner agreements, collateral arrangements, guarantees, investment documents, and other financing documents.
• Partner with the Chief Credit Officer and lending teams on troubled credits, distressed assets, restructures, workouts, collections, defaults, collateral, and creditor remedies.
• Review and negotiate significant third-party agreements, including leases, vendor contracts, MOUs, and agreements related to marketing, technology, data, and intellectual property.
• Advise on governance, bylaws, policies, subsidiaries, licensing, corporate reporting, capital raising, federal program agreements, covenants, and risk tolerance.
• Identify emerging legal and regulatory developments and translate them into practical recommendations for products, policies, contracts, and business practices.
• Select, engage, and manage specialized outside counsel when needed.
• Develop scalable legal processes, templates, contract standards, and intake practices that protect Craft3 while enabling teams to operate efficiently.
• Build trusted relationships so colleagues experience Legal as accessible, thoughtful, responsive, and solutions-oriented.