Director of Impact, NCIF

Job Title:                                 Director of Impact

Reports to:                              President and CEO

National Community Investment Fund (NCIF;www.ncif.org) is a non-profit fund set up in 1996 to increase access to responsible financial products and services in underserved communities.  Total assets under management at NCIF are around $170 million including $151 million of NMTC allocations outstanding.   It has recently received an additional $65 million in NMTC allocation awards.

NCIF achieves its mission via three complementary business lines:

1. Investing:We support institutions with equity and deposit investments.  NCIF has invested in the private capital of 57 financial institutions since inception and has current investments in 17 banks, all of which are CDFI/MDI Banks, making NCIF the largest investor in the mission-oriented banking industry.  NCIF is evaluating a new investment fund to facilitate organic and acquisitive growth, refinance TARP (CDCI) stock and/or provide subordinate debt to the highest performing banks. 
2. Lending:  We channel funds into low-income communities using the New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) program to finance small businesses and real estate development.  NCIF is also examining expansion into small business finance in conjunction with our network of banks.
3. Research and Metrics:  NCIF pioneered the use of Social Performance Metrics (seewww.bankimpact.organd BankImpact maps) for measuring the impact and “telling the story” of mission-oriented banks, and publishes research on the industry and its impact.  Research forms a foundation and a competitive advantage for NCIF’s other lines of businesses.  NCIF runs an informal network of investee and other banks in the interest of strengthening the mission-oriented banking industry and supporting the flow of capital into low- and moderate-income communities. We enable peer-networking and help strengthen the sector via our Development Banking Conference.

NCIF is looking for a Director of Impact to join its entrepreneurial team and lead the Research and Metrics business line,creating and executing a strategy to showcase the impact generated by our investees, our transactions and in the community.   The purpose of the research function at NCIF is threefold:

1. To provide a strong foundation for NCIF’s investing and lending activities by proactively guiding and then showcasing the impact;
2. To assist CDFIs and network members in understanding and managing their own social performance and then to channel investment capital into the CDFI sector; and
3. To support policy advocacy on issues of community development finance.

Audiences for research products thus include investors, leaders and employees of mission-oriented banks, and policy makers.

The Director of Impact will be a hands-on role that involves defining and driving a research agenda as well as designing and executing research methods and data analysis.  Thus, proven data management, manipulation and analytics skills are essential, along with willingness to roll up sleeves and dig into large data sets--from collecting, cleaning and collating data to finding and telling the story of impact within it.   The ideal candidate will have background in banking and financial analysis of financial institutions, as well as understanding of the issues, challenges and opportunities in community development finance.  

Specific responsibilities will include:

Social Performance Metrics and Research

1. Supporting implementation of the NCIF Impact Plan including:
   (a) data collection from public and private sources to build a comprehensive Impact Database;
   (b) analyzing data to convert it into actionable “information” for lending and investing activities;
   (c) creating and evaluating social performance metrics;
   (d) developing scorecards/ratings/indexes, as appropriate; and
   (e) creating publications and regularly communicating with NCIF stakeholders. 
2. Recommending enhancements to NCIF Social Performance Metrics, data collection and assessment tools, and data collection methodologies.
3. Producing publications that “Tell the Story of CDFI Banking”, such as white papers, Impact Dashboards, Peer Group reports and others as appropriate.
4. Standardizing impact measurement and collaborating with partners such as IRIS, impact investing community, PolicyMap etc.

Network Development

1. Assist in planning and execution of conference, regional meetings and marketing and communications plans, as appropriate;
2. Assist in the formalization of the NCIF Network and in maintaining positive relationships with members;
3. Assist in CDFI program applications, NMTC applications and reporting, CDE certification, and CDFI Fund reporting as needed; and
4. Comply with NCIF systems and policies and undertaking additional duties and special projects as assigned by the CEO.

Data sources currently in use at NCIF include loan origination (HMDA, commercial real estate, small business and other lending), branch location and other impact data to calculate the social impact of banks in the NCIF Network.  In the process of collecting data from mission-oriented banks, the Director of Impact will conduct outreach with participating and prospective institutions to create and convey a compelling value proposition for them.

Qualifications

• Passion for community development and for improving lives of underserved communities;
• Graduate degree in a public policy, economics or business with at least 3-5 years of work experience in hands-on research and data analysis;
• Quantitatively inclined, with advanced quantitative and qualitative research skills and experience in manipulating large data sets;
• Proven writing skills, with an ability to translate data into a compelling story for various audiences;
• Familiarity with CDFI Fund programs and the CDFI and minority banking industry will be a strong advantage;
• MS Office, SQL (or other database), SPSS/STATA and/or GIS skills strongly preferred;
• Energy, flexibility and drive to work in an entrepreneurial organization that is positioned to grow; and
• Resident in Chicago or willing to relocate.

To apply, please send a resume, cover letter and writing sample to Lara Pawlak at lpawlak@ncif.org. Resumes without a cover letter and writing sample will not be considered. 

NCIF is an equal opportunity employer and provides equal treatment and opportunity to all persons without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, veteran status or sexual orientation except where such distinction is required by law.