Careers at Grow America

Reporting to the Board of Directors, the CEO will be responsible for setting and executing a bold strategic vision that builds on Grow America’s dual strengths: delivering high-quality technical expertise and deploying catalytic capital to communities across the country. The next leader will steward and grow a diverse portfolio of financing tools, training programs, and advisory services that collectively support affordable housing, small business growth, and essential social infrastructure.

The CEO will serve as the organization’s chief strategist, external ambassador, and internal leader, strengthening relationships with public and private partners, expanding Grow America’s national profile, and ensuring operational excellence across a complex, multi-faceted organization. The CEO will lead and support a team of 85 professionals, including 7 direct reports, located across the United States, while fostering a culture of collaboration, accountability, and results.

For more details, please download the full position description and fact sheet for this position.

Download fact sheet

Read Daniel Marsh’s retirement announcement.

Primary Responsibilities

• Manage loan files from application through closing, ensuring all required documentation is collected, complete, and compliant.
• Oversee the progression of multiple loan files simultaneously, including ordering and tracking third-party reports (e.g., appraisals, title, environmental, insurance), maintaining organized documentation, and ensuring files are fully prepared for underwriting.
• Coordinate with borrowers, lenders, credit analysts, attorneys, and third-party vendors to gather, verify, and finalize required documentation.
• Maintain organized loan files and processing checklists to support efficient workflow, audit readiness, and accurate file tracking.
• Monitor pipeline activity and drive timely loan progression by establishing, communicating, and managing timeline expectations with both internal teams and applicants.
• Identify and resolve documentation or eligibility issues, escalating as appropriate to keep transactions moving forward.
• Support the transition of approved loans to closing by ensuring all conditions are satisfied and documentation is complete.
• Maintain working knowledge of multiple loan programs, including SBA and conventional commercial lending products.
• Communicate clearly and consistently with internal and external stakeholders regarding loan status, requirements, and next steps.
• Deliver a high level of service to borrowers and partners throughout the lending process.
• Identify opportunities to improve and streamline processing workflows and systems.
• Assist, as needed, with spreading of files to include basic business and global cash flows and personal cash flows and to include collateral analysis of applications.
• Assist with Annual reviews of credit files.

Minimum Skill Requirements

• 1–3 years of experience in commercial loan processing, banking, or a related financial services role preferred; we will consider high-potential candidates with limited direct experience who demonstrate strong analytical ability, attention to detail, and a proven capacity to learn quickly and apply new concepts effectively.
• Working knowledge of loan documentation, closing requirements, and regulatory considerations across commercial loan types preferred; candidates without direct experience must demonstrate the ability to quickly develop this knowledge and apply it accurately in a fast-paced, detail-oriented environment.
• Exceptional organizational skills and attention to detail, with the ability to manage multiple files simultaneously.
• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited four-year college or university in finance, business administration, accounting, or a related field preferred.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work effectively with cross-functional teams and external partners.
• High level of personal integrity and ability to maintain confidentiality of sensitive borrower information.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, particularly Excel and Word.
• Experience with loan origination systems and document management platforms preferred.
• Ability to work independently in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.
• Forward-thinking mindset with an interest in leveraging technology to improve efficiency.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to work remotely and independently.
• Ability to travel occasionally, both locally and nationally, to attend meetings, conferences, or site visits.

This role is ideal for a motivated, detail-oriented professional who thrives in a fast-paced environment and is passionate about supporting small business growth by ensuring loan files are complete, accurate, and progressing smoothly to closing.

Interested applicants should submit a cover letter and resume to: Careers@growamerica.org.  

Competitive salary commensurate with experience. The annual salary is $65,000-$75,000. Comprehensive benefits package. Grow America is an Equal Opportunity Employer.  

The information provided above has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work of the position. It is not a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required.  

Primary Responsibilities

• Maintain a strong understanding of SBA and other credit-enhanced lending programs, including eligibility criteria and documentation requirements.
• Review loan applications and supporting documentation to ensure completeness and compliance with internal policies, regulatory standards, and the SBA’s SOP.
• Analyze and evaluate financial statements, credit data, and other relevant information to assess borrower creditworthiness and risk exposure.
• Prepare detailed financial analyses, including cash flow assessments, collateral evaluations, and risk ratings, to support lending decisions.
• Prepare comprehensive credit write-ups and loan presentations, including business background, management evaluation, industry analysis, and deal structure.
• Present or support presentation of loan requests to Loan Committee or approving authority.
• Manage a pipeline of credit requests, ensuring timely, accurate, and high-quality underwriting deliverables.
• Communicate findings, risks, and recommendations clearly to lending and credit leadership.
• Coordinate effectively with lending and closing teams to ensure a seamless transition from underwriting to closing.
• Deliver excellent service to internal and external stakeholders throughout the lending process.

• Identify opportunities to improve, streamline, or automate underwriting processes and reporting systems.

Minimum Skill Requirements

• Minimum five years in SBA 7(a) lending and strong knowledge of SBA lending and underwriting to include a mastery of the SBA SOP.  
• Strong analytical, critical thinking, and organizational skills with exceptional attention to detail.
• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited four-year college or university with major course work in finance, business administration, economics or a related field. A degree in history, English or political science could be deemed favorable as it develops strong analytic and writing skills.  
• Effective written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong intra-personal skills. Credit Analysts work with different partners both inside and outside of the organization to accomplish various tasks. Strong working relationships are required in order to succeed in the role. 
• Impeccable personal integrity and ability to maintain confidentiality of borrower data. 
• Computer literacy in contact management, word processing, spreadsheet and database programs.  
• Ability to work independently while managing multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Effective written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to present complex financial concepts clearly.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, particularly Excel and Word.
• Forward-thinking mindset with an interest in leveraging technology to improve efficiency.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to work remotely and independently. 

• Ability to travel occasionally, both locally and nationally, to attend meetings, conferences or site visits.   

 This role is ideal for a motivated, detail-oriented professional seeking to play a key role in supporting small business growth through thoughtful and impactful credit analysis.

Interested applicants should submit a cover letter and resume to: Careers@growamerica.org.  

 Competitive salary commensurate with experience. The annual salary is $80,000 – $95,000. Comprehensive benefits package. Grow America is an Equal Opportunity Employer.  

The information provided above has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work of the position. It is not a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required.  

Primary Responsibilities:

• Develop and maintain a network of referral sources for prospective businesses in need of financing. In general, through normal travel and networking, market GA loan products to ensure a viable pipeline of leads. Note, GA offers a generous travel budget to both develop business and to be able to travel nationally to build pipeline.  
• Screen prospective loan applicants to determine if minimal loan qualification standards are met. Ensure that the foundation for any long-term credit or closing items (to include environmental concerns, appraisals, equity substantiation, lease length to be co-terminus with length of loan and site control etc.) are met.
• With assistance from the Director of Lending, market and structure GA business lending products along the capital continuum. To that end, if an applicant is not eligible for an SBA 7(a) loan under the Grow America Fund program, leverage other GA small business lending products, at any given time, to include a loan under any of GA’s non-SBA guarantee programs. Again, a client should be able to receive funding from as little as $150,000 up to $5,000,000 depending on their need and sophistication.
• Gather necessary data to complete an application package and source documents for credit analysis of all qualified applicants (tax returns, interim financials, PFS and other items as needed).
• Perform high-level credit analysis to include spreading of business financials, construction of business and personal cash flows, and collateral analysis. Thereafter, in line with the second bullet above, appropriately structure client financing needs with the correct loan product, competitive rate, appropriate term and issue term sheets.
• Upon acceptance of signed term sheets and receipt of deposit, write the initial story of the business through completion of a project summary and business history/background, management summary and discussion of strengths/ weaknesses (a pre-screen) in preparation for submission to Credit. Ensure a smooth hand off from Originations into Credit. Note, our credit culture within GA is common-sense and driven by reasonable determinations around an applicant’s character, the business capacity, a reasonable existing cash flow margin (1.15:1 and lower in some cases with allowance for projections based lending and start-ups), and reasonable determinations across collateral (i.e. if there is strong existing cash flow, but a lack of collateral, we generally will move forward with a deal).

Minimum Skill Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited four-year college or university with major course work in finance, business administration, economics or a related field. A degree in history, English or political science could be deemed favorable as it develops strong analytic and writing skills.
• Minimum five years in SBA 7(a) lending and strong knowledge of SBA lending to include a mastery of the SBA SOP.
• Strong sales and calling skills.
• Candidates with existing networks of business within the states of Ohio, North Carolina, Texas, New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut will be looked upon favorably.
• Effective written and verbal communication skills with the ability to be persuasive one-on-one as well as in group settings.
• Strong analytical, time management and organizational skills as well as a high level of attention to detail.
• Strong intra-personal skills. Lending Managers often work with different partners both inside and outside of the organization to accomplish tasks. Strong working relationships are required in order to succeed in the role.
• Impeccable personal integrity and ability to maintain confidentiality of borrower data.
• Computer literacy in contact management, word processing, spreadsheet and database programs.
• Presentation skills to small and large groups (5-100).

Physical Requirements:

• Ability to work remotely and independently. A successful LM is entrepreneurial and a self-starter by nature.
• Ability to travel occasionally, both locally and nationally, to attend meetings, conferences or site visits.

Interested applicants should submit a cover letter and resume to: Careers@growamerica.org.

Competitive salary commensurate with experience. The annual base salary is $135,000 with sliding scale bonus based on volume of loan production. Comprehensive benefits package. Grow America is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

The information provided above has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work of the position. It is not a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required.