Business Solutions Officer (Charlotte, NC area)

Do you want to empower North Carolina’s entrepreneurs and small businesses? We’re looking for a Business Solutions Officer in the Charlotte, NC region! Join us in driving economic development and building thriving communities through opportunity and success! #hiring #cdfi #smallbusinesslending #smallbusinessbanking

https://www.carolinasmallbusiness.org/careers

Carolina Small Business Development Fund

Who we are: Carolina Small Business Development Fund (CSBDF) is a nonprofit and certified community development financial institution (CDFI). We are passionate and committed to providing support to small businesses across the state. Our Mission is to foster economic development in underserved communities by providing capital, business services, and policy research to support small businesses. CSBDF provides assistance to small businesses in four major ways: as a partner, as a trusted guide, as an advocate for small businesses, and as an accessible funding source. Our work supports our vision to create economic opportunity for all people. 

Nature of Work: The Business Solutions Officer will provide lending and business assistance services to current and aspiring entrepreneurs. This individual will be expected to work independently and take the necessary initiative to sustain and grow class organization's lending portfolio. Business Solutions Officer will perform the vital role of acting as an ambassador for the organization to a region's small business community. 

Supervision Received/Exercised: Works under the general supervision of the Business Solutions Director and has no direct supervisory responsibilities.

Position is hybrid: Some traveling and in-office meetings are required.

Travel: 25%-35% of time; travel is generally within assigned territory (Charlotte area) as well as to the Raleigh main office for team meetings. Some overnight travel required.  

Essential Job Functions: The following duties ARE NOT intended to serve as a comprehensive list of all duties performed by all employees in this classification. Shown are duties intended to provide a representative summary of the major duties and responsibilities. Incumbent(s) may not be required to perform all duties listed and may be required to perform additional, position- specific duties. 

Business Solutions Officer Functional Area:

- Assist clients with loan facilitation by providing business assessments, advising, and loan application preparation. Offer professional referrals to accountants, attorneys, and insurance agents, as well as organize group training, events, and access to online resources. Lead tracking of activities and efforts associated with grant-funded initiatives, objectives and outputs as well as fee for service contracts. 

1. Be proficient in understanding grant, program, and fee-for-service contract commitments. 
2. Consistently track activities and efforts that support the advancement of commitments to Technical Assistance (TA) interactions. 

- Adhere to CSBDF loan policy through portfolio management activities which include collection of financial statements on a periodic basis, annual relationship reviews, calling on past due borrowers, loan modifications, and compliance. 

- Develop and maintain key business-related relationships (i.e. Entrepreneurial Support Organizations, Colleges and Universities, Local and state governments, community banks, chambers of commerce, etc.) 

- Provide ongoing technical assistance and advisory services to existing businesses in CSBDF loan portfolio with a focus on stabilization, growth and expansion. Provide technical assistance services to existing and aspiring small business owners. 

1. Track all technical assistance interactions, trainings, and events for each client in CRM.  

2. Provide a broad range of customized business assistance to current and prospective lending clients. This includes, but is not limited to, developing an action plan for clients to achieve their goal and following up to monitor client progress and document outcomes; providing general guidance and options in making business management decisions that are consistent with best practices. 

Credit/Lending Functional Area: 

Grow the organization’s lending portfolio with the origination of new loans: 

1. Identify and develop lending opportunities in accordance with the organization’s strategic plan and mission. 
2. Proactively build relationships within the assigned portfolio of borrowers to monitor potential problems that could impact a borrower’s ability to repay their loan. 
3. Review and analyze new small business loan applications and documents from prospective borrowers. This includes all follow-up with applicants such as conducting site visits and gathering any/all documentation necessary to assess the loan application. 
4. Prepare prescreen memo that address criteria consistent with the 5 C’s of credit for loan applicant and submit to underwriting for merit and repayment ability. Work with underwriting to negotiate loan structure, collect additional information, prepare commitment letters, and discuss loan commitment and requirements with applicant.  
5. Work with closing team to complete closing checklist items to ensure a straightforward and trouble-free loan closing. 

- Create and foster a culture of superior asset quality through working with credit administration on management of the CSBDF loan portfolio: 

1. Support credit operations management of past due clients, loan servicing actions and workouts within established organizational portfolio performance goals. 
2. Provide all current lending clients with periodic check-ins via phone or site visit. Check-ins will include collection of business financials and completion of follow-up job surveys. 

- Promote the role of the organization as a leading contributor to economic development: 

1. Conduct activities within an assigned territory such as representing the organization at community events, and where applicable, serving on invited committees/advisory boards/etc. 
2. Regularly engage with partner organizations to provide updates on CSBDF’s programs and initiatives, fostering relationships that generate loan referrals and support resources for CSBDF borrowers. 

- Performs other duties as assigned. 

Qualifications: 

Experience: 

• Bachelor’s Degree in Counseling, Business Administration, Finance, Economics, or other such field that supports the organization’s model. 
• At least two years’ experience in small business lending or delivering technical business management assistance OR three years of experience with programmatic and project development and management. 
• Preference for experience in small business lending/banking, entrepreneurial support, community outreach, economic development, supplier diversity or lending. 
• Bilingual communicator both verbally and written for English and Spanish is a plus but not required.
• Any combination of experience and training can be considered equivalent to education preference. 

Knowledge: 

• Knowledge of small business management to include staffing, operations, marketing, forecasting and bookkeeping. 
• Knowledge of business loan application/approval process. 
• Knowledge of CDFI mission and objectives.
• Familiar with US Small Business Administration 7(a) loan program. 
• Knowledge of all applicable federal and state laws and regulations. 
• Familiar with Salesforce and Tea software applications is a plus.

Skills/Abilities:

• Ability to establish and maintain effective professional relationships with a wide array of clients, businesses, and community partners.
• Proactively manage the expectations of both potential and established clients through increased responsiveness to contextual situations in an ever-changing landscape.
• Review and verify mathematical calculations, maintain lending records, identify and reconcile errors.
• Public speaking and relationship building skills.
• Strong communication, organization, and detail orientation skills.
• Maintains confidentiality in processing sensitive client information using discretion and tact.
• Supports a quality credit culture and operates within a team-based lateral organization structure.
• Maintains and supports a shared collaborative team culture in person and virtually.
• Ability to meet reasonable deadlines and prioritization of workflow within a changing and fast paced work environment.