Careers at Grow America

The Environmental Training Specialist plays a pivotal role in the organization by developing and instructing training activities associated with environmental issues, policies, and initiatives. This position works closely with both Technical Assistance and Lending to provide training activities in support of their grants and contracts. The Environmental Training Specialist reports to the Executive Managing Director, Training.

LOCATION:

The position will be fully remote with occasional travel to team meetings.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Develop curriculum for training programs about environmental initiatives, such as: water sustainability, brownfields, greenhouse gas reduction, to name a few.
• Work with the Director of Curriculum Development to ensure that the curriculum meets Training standards.
• Serve as lead instructor for all environmental training.
• Identify, select, and supervise contractors to serve as subject matter experts (SME) in the curriculum development process.
• Work with the Director of Curriculum Development to identify opportunities to include environmental concepts in existing training programs.
• Represent Training on cross functional teams established to implement company-wide environmental initiatives

GENERAL QUALIFICATION GUIDELINES:

Experience and Education

• A bachelor’s degree or higher is required in Urban Planning, Business Administration, Finance, or Commercial Real Estate
• At least 5 years of professional experience in environmental lending, implementation, or consulting is required
• Experience with federal environmental programs is preferred
• Experience with federally funded renewable energy programs is preferred
• Experience with revolving loan funds is preferred
• The ideal candidate will also have experience with training/adult education
• Ability to clearly communicate with leadership and fellow team members in a timely manner
• Problem Solving
• Time Management
• Goal Setting

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Effective written and verbal communication skills with attention to detail
• Setting up fee-based training programs
• Desire to learn and contribute to the organization’s success
• Proficient in Excel and Word
• Web-based software expertise (i.e Zoom, Credly) required
• Learning Management Software expertise (i.e. Talent) preferred

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

Competitive salary commensurate with experience. The salary range is $135,000 to $155,000. 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 the work of the position. It is not a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required.

The Programs Manager – Lending (PM) will work independently and creatively – with Grow America staff, and with external partners and clients – to develop and deliver Grow America’s core small business, commercial real estate, and community facilities lending programs. The PM will be responsible for operationalizing programs that expand opportunities for traditionally underserved small businesses and developers to access capital, by interfacing with lenders and investors, and by coordinating with internal and external partners. At Grow America, our highest priority is to, in a responsible and sustainable manner, maximize our impact in mitigating racial and economic inequalities by providing access to capital and technical assistance to low-income entrepreneurs, minority/woman-owned businesses & developers, and non-profits that serve communities of color and/or low-income, and we operate two CDFIs that are dedicated to delivering on that mission.

The ideal PM candidate will be committed to this mission and help execute on this priority by combining program and transaction management, programmatic strategy development and implementation. The PM will be responsible for internal lending team coordination, client training, and programmatic implementation, compliance, and reporting, as well as investor/client-facing management of financing products and projects that revitalize under-served communities and foster sustainable economic equality and growth.

This position will report to the Executive Managing Director of Lending.

LOCATION:
The position may be hybrid with a combination of remote and in-office (if desired) with occasional travel. (We have offices in the following states: CT, NY, OH, TX).

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Implement lending/grant/fund programs that support our mission.
• Manage all aspects of many simultaneous and complex programs, frequently on demanding timeframes.
• Work collaboratively with internal stakeholders and cross-functional partners (including other CDFIs) to create strong processes, tools, and systems to execute on short and long-term strategies.
• Work with internal Grow America divisions to ensure compliance requirements are met for a wide range of project types, all involving multiple partners and funding sources.
• Set, manage, and continually communicate expectations, requirements, and status of projects to key business partners – both internal and external.
• Create and implement a relevant system of metrics to plan, manage, measure, and evaluate performance, impact, and compliance of all programs.
• Assist in grant application preparation with internal and external team members.
• Implement and document controls and processes to manage the transfer and sharing of data.
• Represent Grow America’s programs and services for practical application; establish and maintain relationships with professional colleagues, client communities, public officials, developers, and representatives from private and public financial organizations.

GENERAL QUALIFICATION GUIDELINES:

Experience and Education

• A bachelor’s degree in public or business administration, finance, project management, real estate development or other related fields. Master’s degree in a related field preferred.
• Core competency (and/or at least seven years of increasingly responsible experience) in financing, program management and/or fund management, resource management, economic development and/or community development.
• Comfortable operating on both the strategic and tactical levels, simultaneously acting as an internal ambassador, educator, analyst, solutions architect, and implementer.  This is a highly “hands-on”, integrative position within a fast-moving, dynamic team.
• Proficient with productivity and database software (including Microsoft Excel, Outlook, Word, Project and SharePoint). NetSuite, CRF intake, and/or SPARK underwriting platform/s competency are a plus.
• Strong interpersonal skills; with solutions-focused intuition for the customer experience.
• An extensive working knowledge of business credit.
• A solid working knowledge of existing economic development and the technical assistance resources commonly used in small business development/finance.
• Relentlessly high standards and attention to detail.
• Responsible, independent worker and reliable team player who is passionate about the mission of Grow America and is committed to 360-degree customer success.
• Exceptional customer services skills.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• A track record of delivering high-quality projects in an atmosphere where speed, flexibility, and heavy workload are an expected norm.
• Experience in and a passion for small business financing; credit analysis and/or banking and/or risk management experience is preferred.
• Must be exemplary in their approach to customer success and in communicating with internal and external stakeholders.
• Direct experience in small business lending, CDFI lending, commercial lending, NMTC (New Market Tax Credits) and/or SSBCI a plus, but not required.

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

Competitive salary commensurate with experience. The annual salary range is $130,000 to $135,000. 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 the work of the position. It is not a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required.

East Regional Team Field Directors (Directors) at Grow America deliver Grow America’s core services, including technical advisory services and capacity building, to local governments and non-profit corporations. Grow America Field Directors provide expert technical advisory and development services for commercial and residential development and small business expansion. Grow America services and products are used to leverage private investment and make determinations for appropriately sizing public financial incentives in order to attract maximum private investment.

LOCATION:
Hybrid of working in the office and home office. Travel regularly for internal and external meetings, up to 25% of the time.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Design, evaluate and implement economic and housing development programs.
• Evaluate markets and develop customized policy and program solutions.
• Evaluate real estate development proposals.
• Structure incentives and financing packages for real estate and operating businesses.
• Represent Grow America’s programs and services for practical application in client communities. These programs include
  • Grow America Fund – a small business lending company
  • Corporate Equity Fund – a syndicated fund that purchases housing and historic tax credits
  • HEDC New Markets – a community development entity (CDE) that has received several allocations of New Markets Tax Credits (NMTCs)
  • Housing and Economic Development Corporation – Grow America’s development affiliate involved with public private partnerships for public facility and social infrastructure development.
  • Development Services – an affiliated entity that undertakes real estate development as a general partner developer or as a development services provider for projects involving social infrastructure or affordable and mixed-income housing.
• Instruct public sector and non-profit staff in economic development and housing development finance as part of Grow America’s renown professional development classes and professional certification program(s) in in the areas of
  • Small business credit analysis and financing
  • Commercial/industrial real estate development
  • Affordable and market rate rental and for-sale housing development

GENERAL QUALIFICATION GUIDELINES:
Experience and Education:

• A bachelor’s degree in public or business administration, finance, planning, real estate development or other related fields. Master’s degree in a related field preferred.
• Ten years of increasingly responsible experience with economic development and housing development.
• Highly energetic, creative self-starter capable of managing various assignments for multiple parties.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• An extensive working knowledge with the principles and practices of business credit, real estate credit and affordable housing. Proven experience with underwriting operating businesses, affordable housing developments, and commercial real estate developments.
• A solid working knowledge of existing economic development resources commonly used as a means of encouraging private investment. These programs include but are not limited to:
  • US. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) – Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), Section 108 Loan Guarantee program, and HOME.
  • U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) – 7(a) Loan Guarantee and 504 loan programs.
  • Federal Tax Credits including New Markets Tax Credits (NMTC), Low Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) and Rehabilitation/Historic Tax Credits (RTC).
  • Tax Abatement and Tax Increment Financing.
  • Taxable and Tax-Exempt Bond Financing.
• Ability to formulate and implement public policy to ensure client compliance with regulations, fiscal and programmatic accountability, and client goals and objectives.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with professional colleagues, municipal clients, public officials, developers, and representatives from private and public financial organizations.
• A demonstrated ability to solve problems in a collaborative work environment.
• Entrepreneurial and strategic financial knowledge and understanding, combined with an ability to clearly summarize and communicate complex financial information.
• This position will report to: Kevin Gremse, Managing Director, East Team Interested applicants should submit a cover letter and resume to: HR@growamerica.org

Competitive salary commensurate with experience. The salary range is $135,000 to $150,000. 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 the work of the position. It is not a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required.

The Environmental Training Specialist plays a pivotal role in the organization by developing and instructing training activities associated with environmental issues, policies, and initiatives. This position works closely with both Technical Assistance and Lending to provide training activities in support of their grants and contracts. The Environmental Training Specialist reports to the Executive Managing Director, Training.

LOCATION:
The position will be fully remote with occasional travel to team meetings.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Develop curriculum for training programs about environmental initiatives.
• Work with the Director of Curriculum Development to ensure that curriculum meets Training standards.
• Serve as lead instructor for all environmental training.
• Identify, select, and supervise contractors to serve as subject matter experts (SME) in the curriculum development process.
• Work with the Director of Curriculum Development to identify opportunities to include environmental concepts in existing training programs.
• Represent Training on cross functional teams established to implement company-wide environmental initiatives

GENERAL QUALIFICATION GUIDELINES:

Experience and Education

• A bachelor’s degree or higher is required.
• At least 10 years of professional experience in training/instruction or consulting is required.
• Experience with environmental programs is preferred.
• Experience with revolving loan funds is preferred.
• Ability to clearly communicate with leadership and fellow team members in a timely manner.
• Problem Solving
• Time Management
• Goal Setting

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Effective written and verbal communication skills with attention to detail
• Desire to learn and contribute to the organization’s success
• Proficient in Excel and Word
• Web-based software expertise (i.e Zoom, Credly) required
• Learning Management Software expertise (i.e. Talent) preferred

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

Competitive salary commensurate with experience. The salary range is $135,000 to $155,000. 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 the work of the position. It is not a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required.