Partnerships Officer

Job Overview: The CEO is a subsidiary of the International Rescue Committee and a non-profit financial institution that offers accessible, small-dollar consumer and microenterprise loans primarily to refugees, immigrants, and other traditionally financially excluded communities. Our unique approach involves embedding our lending services within social service programs offered by community-based organizations. Through partnership with trusted local entities, we aim to empower hard-to-reach, financially vulnerable refugee and immigrant families.

The Program Officer, Partnerships is a new full-time remote position based anywhere in the U.S., with primary responsibility for recruitment and vetting of potential partners as well as ongoing relationship management and support. The position will play a crucial role in expanding our network of partners through our unique 'Lending as a Service' approach. The Program Officer, Partnerships will work closely with new and existing community-based partners, social service providers and other stakeholders to build strong relationships and facilitate seamless communication and learning.

Major Responsibilities:

Partner Development

• Identify and cultivate leads for potential partner organizations.
• Collaborate with the business development team to develop tools to assess suitability of prospective partners.
• Conduct vetting and due diligence of partners and support the partner capacity assessment process.
• Conduct outreach, including representing CEO at conferences and other relevant industry convenings, to attract quality partners.
• Lead partnership launch, review and closing meetings.

Tailored Solutions

• Work closely with partners to understand their unique needs and challenges.
• In consultation with key internal stakeholders, recommend existing solutions or develop customized lending solutions that align with partner goals and client barriers.
• Support in ongoing analysis of data, impact, reporting and performance of tailored solutions.

Onboarding and Ongoing Support

• Guide new partners through the CEO onboarding process; work with partners and internal CEO teams to deliver timely trainings to new partners or on new products.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for partners and as a bridge between partners and internal stakeholders.
• Address partners' general questions related to lending services, eligibility criteria, and application procedures.
• Manage contract renewals and maintain comprehensive files for all partners, from initial vetting through agreement closeout.

Information Exchange & Reporting

• Facilitate ongoing communication between CEO and partner organizations, including monthly portfolio performance and deployment reports.
• Share and capture updates, success stories, and relevant information with and from partners.
• Gather feedback from partners, summarize and share with relevant CEO stakeholders and vice versa.

• Support in the management of donor relationships, preparation of reports and other related duties.

Job Requirements:

• At least 3 years of experience in financial inclusion, credit education, financial coaching or other related social service programs aimed at improving the financial health of economically vulnerable populations
• At least 2 years of experience managing non-profit partnerships and/or donor relationships
• Proven track record of establishing new, sustained partnerships and/or donor relationships
• Must have demonstrated presentation and public speaking skills including development of pitch decks and presenting to diverse types of audiences
• Prior professional experience in lending, loan servicing or other related field in a diverse, multicultural setting
• Experience with non-profit sources of funding and common budgetary and programmatic challenges faced by community-based organizations
• Strong written professional communication skills
• Experience with ZenDesk or other CRM a plus
• Solid organizational skills: detail-oriented, ability to multi-task, set priorities, and meet deadlines
• Ability to work independently, be flexible and work well under pressure in a fast-paced team environment
• Excellent communication, analysis and negotiation skill, availability to work with a variety of stakeholders
• Good interpersonal skills: ability to work effectively in a multi-cultural environment
• Solid Computer skills: MS Word, Excel, other financial related software strongly preferred

Working Environment:

• This is a remote position that can accommodate candidates in any U.S. State. The majority of the workday is at a computer terminal. While remote, the position does require travel to conferences, in-person team meetings, and to meet with existing or prospective partners. Travel is estimated to be 10% - 15% of time.

Compensation: Posted pay ranges apply to US-based candidates. Ranges are based on various factors including the labor market, job type, internal equity, and budget. Exact offers are calibrated by work location, individual candidate experience and skills relative to the defined job requirements.

Equal Opportunity Employer: We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.

US Benefits: The IRC offers a comprehensive and highly competitive set of benefits. All US employees are eligible for sick time, a 403b retirement savings plans: up to 4.5% immediately vested matching contribution, plus an 3-7% additional IRC contribution, and an Employee Assistance Program which is available to our staff and their families to support in times of crisis and mental health struggles.

In addition, full-time employees are eligible for 10 US paid holidays, 20-25 paid time off days, disability & life insurance, medical, dental, and vision insurance (employee contribution starting at $135, $7, and $5 per month respectively) and FSA for healthcare, childcare, and commuter costs. Part-time employees are eligible for a proportionate amount of paid time off. These additional benefits apply to employees who work at least 6 months within a 12 month time period.
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