Senior Program Officer, Financial Inclusion

The Senior Program Officer, Financial Inclusion, will be responsible for end-to-end project management of large, multi-year initiatives that strengthen the capacity of community development credit unions (CDCUs). This role ensures that funded initiatives effectively expand access to safe, affordable financial products and support wealth-building opportunities for low- to moderate-income (LMI) individuals and families. The Senior Program Officer will oversee full project lifecycles, from program design and strategic management through implementation, monitoring, and close-out—while serving as a liaison to partners, funders, grantees and internal teams.

Reporting to the VP, Financial Inclusion and Empowerment, the Senior Program Officer will play an important role in piloting and scaling Inclusiv’s innovative initiatives to advance financial inclusion and affordable lending to low-income consumers, expand financial opportunity, avoid predatory lenders and improve credit and economic mobility. The Senior Program Officer will collect, measure, and communicate data about the feasibility of pilot programs to scale the impact of such programs.

A successful candidate will have knowledge and experience in community development lending and financial inclusion with facility engaging a diverse range of stakeholders, ability to communicate effectively at the local and national level and have an understanding and passion for financial inclusion and financial capability. This individual will work effectively within a team environment and have a strong project management background.

Responsibilities:

• Lead the full lifecycle of complex, cross-departmental grant initiatives including planning, project and program design, implementation, compliance and reporting.
• Engage credit unions in innovative initiatives, such as second-look lending programs, and deploy tools that promote high-impact lending and other inclusive strategies for financial security, asset building and asset protection.
• Engage as a liaison with partners and credit unions to troubleshoot, assess and refine pilot programs.
• Lead all aspects of project management from initiation to closing.
• Develop and manage workplans, timelines, and measurement indicators for project outputs and deliverables both internal to the Financial Inclusion team, but also across Inclusiv departments, as needed.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for CDCUs participating in demonstration projects, focus groups, and affinity groups. Provide technical assistance, guidance, and troubleshooting. Identify operational capacity opportunities and constraints
• Assess the borrower profiles of referrals and track the appropriate fit with credit union underwriting
• Track and report lending patterns
• Communicate regularly on the progress of the program.
• Work closely with Lending and Network teams to provide clear policies, procedures, and protocols based on the success of pilots.
• Conduct needs assessments to best identify opportunities to expand impact through new products, partnerships or capacity building approaches, as relevant to both organizational strategic priorities and community needs.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with credit unions, community partners, and other stakeholders in the financial inclusion space.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• 5+ years of relevant work experience in financial empowerment, community development, training and facilitation, and program development – with at least 2-3 years of experience in community lending.
• Commitment to Inclusiv's mission to help low- and moderate-income people and communities achieve financial independence.
• Highly organized with demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects at once and prioritize tasks.
• Demonstrated ability to establish and build relationships with a diverse array of people and organizations.
• Excellent communication and writing skills, including spelling, grammar, punctuation, composition, editing, and proofing.
• Detail-oriented, with the ability to rapidly review and edit written documents, including curriculum plans, lecture notes, PowerPoint decks, etc.
• Experience with Salesforce, Project Management Software, and Loan Management Systems
• Ability to work well in teams as well as independently; working comfortably across units and leading teams to achieve program goals.
• Strong understanding of and background in community development finance, community development practices or financial inclusion initiatives.
• Preference for candidates who have a commitment to, and, ideally, experience working with communities of color.
• Preference for candidates comfortable thriving in a rapidly evolving program and shifting work priorities in response to changing conditions.
• Authorized to work in the U.S.

Inclusiv is an equal opportunity employer that works with member credit unions which serve ethnically, economically, and geographically diverse markets and communities. We value our diverse staff and membership and seek to maintain that tradition of diversity in all of our recruitment efforts. It is the policy of Inclusiv to provide equal opportunity in all aspects of employment to all employees or applicants for employment without discrimination on the basis of regard to sex, race, color, religion, age, ancestry, national origin, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status and any additional categories protected by applicable federal, state or local laws.

Benefits

• Medical, Dental, and Vision
• Life Insurance for employees and dependents
• FSA and HSA
• 401K with employer matching
• Generous Paid Vacation and Sick Days
• Professional Development Stipend
• Employee Assistance Program
• Commuter Benefits

Fluent in written and spoken English