Climate Finance Program Manager

Background

Clearinghouse Community Development Financial Institution (Clearinghouse CDFI) is a full-service, direct lender financing projects that create jobs & services to help people work, live, dream, grow, & thrive in healthy communities. The company was established in 1996 to serve low-income and disadvantaged communities in Southern California. Since then, Clearinghouse CDFI has expanded its service area to address unmet credit needs throughout the U.S. & Indian Country, providing economic opportunities and improving the quality of life for lower-income individuals and communities through innovative and affordable financing unavailable in the conventional market.

Summary

The Climate Finance Program Manager collaborates with executive team members and departmental directors to design, implement, and oversee financial product strategies and lending initiatives for climate change mitigation and adaptation. This role combines financial expertise with environmental awareness and strategic planning, aligning financial activities with environmental goals, assessing the impact of lending decisions, and promoting sustainable practices. The manager oversees the climate lending program and coordinates efforts across departments to achieve sustainability goals.

Responsibilities

The following duties and responsibilities will be performed in collaboration and coordination with executive team member(s) and departmental directors across multiple departments:

• Formulate and guide comprehensive strategies to secure funding and investments for climate-friendly projects, including market analysis and investment prioritization, enhancing CCDFI’s impact on climate change, including renewable energy and possibly broader.
• Lead the planning and development of green financing products, including Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF) and climate-related projects, ensuring compliance with regulatory standards.
• Establish clear goals, timelines, and budgets to ensure the success of program and meeting compliance. Collaborate with internal teams to identify opportunities for capital expansion and various funding incentives, including tax credits, grants, and funding incentives.
• Evaluate environmental and climate-related risks, focusing on climate-related exposures and regulatory compliance.
• Implement effective due diligence and risk management strategies to ensure adherence to relevant regulations.
• Assess potential projects to mitigate or adapt to climate change, including renewable energy and sustainable infrastructure initiatives with the goal of developing a framework and process that enables Business Development Officers and underwriters to evaluate the loans independently.
• Serve as a technical expert on greenhouse gas emissions reduction, developing and implementing training materials and mechanisms for evaluating project performance and impact while supporting stakeholders, including internal staff and project developers, on green lending, grant products, and reporting requirements.
• Foster partnerships with government agencies, financial institutions, and non-profits to promote climate initiatives and advocate for policies that promote climate finance and sustainable initiatives.
• Collaborate with CCDFI teams to enhance program implementation and develop partnerships with organizations to achieve common goals benefiting low-income communities and CDFIs.
• Support the creation of climate and environmental content for marketing materials, including website and social media platforms.

Requirements

• A bachelor’s degree in environmental studies, real estate, sustainability, finance, economics, business administration, or a related field is required.
• 5+ years of relevant experience in environmental finance or sustainable finance.
• Experience working on climate change-related initiatives, such as carbon reduction projects, renewable energy development, or climate adaptation strategies.
• Experience in developing and managing programs, including budgeting, capital stacking, stakeholder engagement, and performance monitoring.
• Knowledge of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, including the National Clean Investment Fund and Clean Communities Investment Accelerator
• Knowledge of the CDFI industry, New Markets Tax Credit, Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, and tax credit programs related to environmental initiatives.
• Balancing responsibilities effectively and timely manner.
• A solid understanding of environmental issues, climate science, and sustainability principles and the ability to integrate environmental considerations into financial decision-making processes.
• Proficiency in financial analysis, including financial modeling, risk assessment, and valuation techniques to evaluate investment opportunities and structuring financial instruments.
• Knowledge of the grant lifecycle from proposal to reporting, high-quality submissions and strong collaboration skills is preferred.
• Prior experience or familiarity with lending practices in Indian Country, a plus.

Compensation and Benefits

Compensation: $125, 000 – $150,000 annually

Medical Benefits: We offer several benefits, including medical, dental, and vision coverage, employee assistance programs, discounts, and voluntary coverage to our employees and qualified dependents. Clearinghouse pays 100% of the employee’s health, dental, and vision insurance premiums and provides the employee with a $150,000 life insurance policy and long-term disability coverage at no cost. Clearinghouse CDFI will also pay 50% of the premium for qualified dependent health, dental, and vision coverage.

Vacation: As part of its program to provide competitive employee benefits, the Company provides paid vacations for all regular employees to rest, relax, attend appointments, respond to emergencies, take care of family, or attend to personal matters. The max accrual for this position is 120 hours annually.

Sick Leave: Full-time employees accrue 3.08 hours per pay period (.085 hours for every 80 hours worked) up to a max accrual of 80 hours per calendar year.

Paid Holidays: The Company observes typically eleven (11) holidays as paid holidays annually.

 Floating Holidays: In addition to the above eleven (11) designated holidays, each full-time and part-time, benefit-eligible employee is eligible to take three (3) paid floating holidays of their choice during the calendar year, permitting mutual convenience for both the company and the employee.

401K: Our company 401(k) retirement savings plan matches 100% for up to 5% of a qualifying pay cycle.

How to Apply

To apply, please submit your application through Indeed and let us know you saw the job posting on OFN. We are excited to connect with candidates who are passionate about this opportunity and look forward to reviewing your application!