Job Title : Lending Support Navigator

Report to: Lending Director

FLSA Status: Full-Time, Exempt

Location: National Lending

Pay: $63,000

Mission and Organizational Background:

The mission of First Children’s Finance (FCF) is to grow the supply and business sustainability of excellent child care. Founded in 1991, FCF provides business and financial assistance to business owners and leaders in the field of Early Care and Education (ECE). To achieve our goals, FCF works on three levels: Individual Business Level, Community Level and Systems Level. FCF is a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) and a national nonprofit organization headquartered in Minneapolis that provides business development programs and/or financing to ECE providers in multiple states, with regional offices in five: Minnesota, Iowa, Michigan, Vermont and Oregon. For more information, see the First Children’s website at: http://www.firstchildrensfinance.org.

Job Summary:

FCF is seeking a Lending Support Navigator to join its growing Loan Program team.

The Lending Support Navigator is the first point of contact for our clients and our loan program.

The candidate processes the intake of prequalification and loan applications, analyzes the client’s business and credit history to decide where to route for next steps and connects clients with other members of the FCF team or external partners. The candidate provides exceptional customer service and communication to internal and external loan program clients to promote efficient and accurate workflows. This position works with staff in the field to answer questions and help referred clients. This position works closely with the Loan Officer for document gathering and preliminary underwriting by the Loan Officer. Works with the rest of the lending department to meet lending objectives.

This is a remote position based in the Midwest but works with loan clients virtually throughout the country.

Essential Functions:

• Provides efficient, holistic, high quality customer service to internal and external loan program clients.
• Analyzes client’s business/business plan for risk, feasibility, phase, support in order to direct to correct programs and products within FCF and partners.
• Analyzes clients ‘credit reports and explains credit report findings to clients and FCF team members.
• Determines if client can move forward with loan application based on credit history and CDFI/child care mission-fit and/or refers client to external resources, including credit counseling.
• Assists clients through application process by asking clarifying questions, verifying documents, and working with them as they access loan portal to complete application.
• Investigates clients’ questions and issues and answers inquiries about the loan program.
• Collaborates with field staff to deliver excellent customer experience providing feedback on loan application status and clearly communicating and setting process, timeline, and expectations.
• Maintains databases (Abrigo Sageworks and Salesforce) of clients’ information and retrieves and analyzes information as needed.
• Follows up and tracks inquiries and loan applications in Abrigo Sageworks and Salesforce through their initial stages to handoff with other FCF staff.
• Provides marketing and operational support to lending team.
• Researches government or other information websites to gather data for information needed to determine eligibility.
• Presents, on behalf of Loan Fund, available products, services and processes to internal and external clients and partners.
• Perform administrative tasks related to loan process.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

• A bachelor's degree in finance, business or related experience.
• 3 or more years of customer service and technical experience.
• Experience working with small businesses in low-to-moderate income and diverse communities.
• Experience reviewing and explaining financial analysis; financial statements, i.e., profit/loss statements and balance sheets, tax documents, loan-related forms, and other financial and credit concepts to clients.
• Experience credit counseling clients or has a working understanding of credit reports.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Excellent communication and customer service skills and an ability to adapt to a wide variety of audiences, including clients, supervisor, peers, and external partners/vendors.
• Ability to demonstrate patience and empathy when interacting with clients.
• Ability to ask questions in a delicate and sensitive manner.
• Healthy curiosity when interacting with clients and when reviewing client information and clients’ finances.
• Demonstrated self‐starter.
• Demonstrated organizational skill, and detailed oriented.
• Technical and business savvy.
• Comfortable with various software programs, including Salesforce and/or Abrigo Sageworks.
• Strong Excel and database skills.
• Demonstrated ability to meet deadlines with a high level of accuracy.
• Ability to thrive in an entrepreneurial, team‐oriented, mission‐driven environment.

Work Conditions:

• Must be able to work on the computer for extended periods of time.
• Ability to travel when needed.

Additional Notes:

This job description represents the major functions of the position but is not intended to be all-inclusive. The incumbent is also responsible for taking direction from FCF representatives in completing projects or performing duties deemed necessary for the program and FCF success.

Benefits:

Benefits include medical, dental, vision, life, disability insurance, holidays, paid time off, and paid family medical leave. Allowable travel costs are reimbursed.

Flexible work environment.

First Children’s Finance honors candidates’ time and effort in job-seeking by providing transparency regarding compensation. Creating transparency regarding salary information reduces the gender pay gap, and eliminates salary negotiation, which rarely benefits people of color or women. It is a value of our organization to support equitable hiring practices.

First Children’s Finance is an Equal Employment Opportunity /Affirmative Action Employer.