Associate, Field Building Research

Background

OFN is the nation’s leading investment intermediary and network CDFIs serving rural, urban, and Native communities across the United States. With over $1 billion in total assets under management, OFN manages a national membership network of over 450 mission-driven lenders and CDFIs, including community development loan funds, credit unions, green banks, community development banks, minority depository institutions, and venture capital funds. OFN is a trusted investment partner to the public, private, and philanthropic sectors – foundations, corporations, banks, government agencies, and others. For more than 30 years, our team has helped partners invest in communities to catalyze change and create economic opportunities for people and places traditional finance doesn’t reach.

To learn more, visit www.ofn.org

People who work at OFN come from a variety of professional and academic backgrounds. If you have:

• Passion for the mission and true believer in our core purpose.
• Courage to be a fearless advocate who is confident and resilient in our fight to drive capital into low-income communities.
• Smart, quick seekers of knowledge who thrive on creating and developing new strategies, products, and programs for increasing capital to communities we serve.
• Desire to be a collaborative team player who possesses humility and a willingness to lean in all areas of our work.

Come be a part of our growing diverse, highly committed, skilled, and collaborative staff. At OFN, we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive workplace, so if you are excited about this role but your experience does not align perfectly with every qualification, we encourage you to apply nonetheless. You may be the right candidate for this or other roles.

This position is based in Washington, D.C. All staff currently work a hybrid schedule.

Summary

Opportunity Finance Network (OFN) is expanding our research team to include an experienced Associate, Field Building Research. In this new role, you will assist in identifying topics of interest to OFN’s member organizations and the CDFI industry. The successful candidate requires direct experience conducting quantitative and qualitative research. The Associate contributes to publications focused on CDFI benchmarking, industry trends, emergent issues, and landscape analyses. This is a perfect opportunity for a recent graduate or emerging new talent to join a growing organization focused on creating positive impact in our communities.

Responsibilities

• Assist with the development and execution of research focused on CDFIs and OFN member organizations, as examples, industry trends, industry staff satisfaction surveys and focus groups, member organization performance benchmarking, and the effects of CDFIs on their service areas.
• With guidance and direction, conduct quantitative data analyses, especially to produce descriptive statistics, summary statistics, trends analyses, and geographic/spatial analyses on topics of interest.
• Support the development of qualitative research interview guides and assist with the scheduling and facilitation of focus groups and interviews with OFN member organizations and staff.
• Collaborate on written products such as research briefs and contribute to the production of draft research findings and other publications.
• Assist in the development of various data deliverables and products including data visualizations, infographics, and case studies.
• Conduct background research and literature reviews on CDFIs, community development finance, economic development, and OFN member organizations.
• Provide administrative support to help with project management and data analysis to successfully achieve research project goals and meet project timelines.
• With guidance and direction, assist in identifying topics of interest to OFN’s member organizations and the CDFI industry.
• Assist with the execution of OFN’s research agenda and projects.
• Perform other activities as requested by the Vice President, Field Building Research.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree or 5-7 years of work experience in lieu of a degree.
• 1-2 years of direct experience conducting quantitative and qualitative research required.
• Experience with quantitative analysis software (e.g., R, Stata), qualitative analysis software (e.g., Nvivo), and online survey software (e.g., Qualtrics) is preferred.
• Experience writing and contributing to research papers either through projects or assignments, is required.
• Demonstrated strong writing and analytical experience are required.
• Professional or academic experience in community development finance and with nonprofit financial statements is highly beneficial.
• Adept at communicating complex topics to teammates and diverse external audiences is required.
• Strong organizational and administrative skills, patience, and attention to detail required are required.
• Superior interpersonal skills and ability to work well with diverse constituents are required.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and balance the demands of working on multiple tasks simultaneously independently and in a team environment.
• Knowledge of and commitment to community development is highly beneficial.
• Limited travel required <10%.
• No extraordinary physical requirements beyond ability to travel.
• Job involves normal physical requirements for an office position.

Compensation and Benefits

The full salary range for Associate leveled employees is $47,700 to $89,200.

Salaries paid at Opportunity Finance Network will vary based on factors that may include skills, education, location, experience, and performance. The salary range for this position is represented by the low and high end of the range for the position level.

Salary is one part of OFN’s comprehensive total rewards package, which includes benefits like dental, health, and vision care plans, and family-building benefits like hybrid work arrangements to promote a better work-life balance. OFN also offers Lifestyle Spending Account, Employee Assistance Program, and mental health benefits. To maximize teammate financial well-being, OFN offers financial education and auto-enrollment in the company’s 403(b) plan with employer contributions. To maximize professional growth, OFN provides professional development dollars for each employee, alongside learning and development opportunities.

Thank you for your interest in joining the OFN team in our effort and commitment to create opportunity for all.

How to Apply

To apply, send your cover letter and resume to: https://www.appone.com/MainInfoReq.asp?R_ID=6579098

EEO STATEMENT – We are an equal employment opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law.