Program Officer – ACRE and Equitable Investment

What We Do

With residents and partners, LISC forges resilient and inclusive communities of opportunity across America – great places to live, work, visit, do business and raise families.

Strategies We Pursue

• Equip talent in underinvested communities with the skills and credentials to compete successfully for quality income and wealth opportunities.
• Invest in businesses, housing and other community infrastructure to catalyze economic, health, safety and educational mobility for individuals and communities.
• Strengthen existing alliances while building new collaborations to increase our impact on the progress of people and places.
• Develop leadership and the capacity of partners to advance our work together.
• Drive local, regional, and national policy and system changes that foster broadly shared prosperity and well-being.

Since 1979, LISC and its affiliates have invested approximately $29.7 billion in businesses, affordable housing, health, educational mobility, community and recreational facilities, public safety, employment, and other projects that help to revitalize and stabilize underinvested communities. Headquartered in New York City, LISC’s reach spans the country from East coast to West coast in 38 markets with offices extending from Buffalo to San Francisco and in 2,400 rural counties across 49 states and Puerto Rico. Visit us at www.lisc.org

BACKGROUND

LISC Milwaukee is a local office within National LISC, the nation's largest Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI).  LISC Milwaukee has more than 28 years of experience working as a catalyst for community reinvestment in Milwaukee. It helps resident-led, community-based development organizations transform distressed neighborhoods into healthy places to live, work, worship, do business and raise families. Increasingly, we also work with and lend to for-profit entities that share our community development mission and goals.  Since 1995, Milwaukee LISC has invested over $190 million in Milwaukee's neighborhoods, and leveraged an additional $471 million for neighborhood improvements.

LISC is seeking a team-oriented individual to help deploy the targeted strategies and tools that comprise the work of the Milwaukee LISC office.  This is a key position within the LISC team and is critical to the success of LISC Milwaukee’s strategic priority – Effectuating Equity.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Organize, convene and facilitate meetings, trainings, workshops, information sessions, and orientations to drive program priorities and implementation. To accommodate the ACRE schedule and our partners, some weekly evening hours and occasional weekend work is required.
• Facilitate project specific technical assistance, directly or in coordination with other LISC team members, and by referral to qualified partners and providers.
• Prepare and oversee grants and contracts for programs, which includes administering government and private grants/consultant agreements, managing contracted partners, and monitoring grant and consultant performance to ensure program alignment.
• Provide oversight on disbursements and financial drawdowns of borrowers, grantees and consultant contracts, including troubleshooting and providing recommendations if issues arise.
• Track and evaluate progress on programmatic milestones. Conduct research, gather and analyze data that supports programmatic outcomes and program reporting.
• Prepare clearly written and visually appealing reports, such as private funder narrative/financial reports, compliance reports, and other required reports as assigned.
• Support Executive Team to develop, launch and manage new programmatic initiatives, including drafting concept papers as needed.
• Build and maintain mutually trusting relationships with and among partners including funders, community organizations, businesses, government officials, anchor institutions, consultants, and contractors.
• Coordinate with LISC national program teams to advance diverse developer and contractor initiatives and promote shared resources.
• Assume responsibility for special projects and other assignments, as needed.

PROGRAM RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Responsible for successful strategic development, execution and alignment of the Associates in Commercial Real Estate (ACRE) program, alumni support, networking events, continuing education opportunities and resources in collaboration with our partners and LISC staff.
• Coordinate fund development for the ACRE program and related diverse developer initiatives to ensure program growth and innovation, including funder identification, cultivation, grant writing, reports, and compliance as needed. Aid in other fund development efforts as needed.
• Administer financial resources for ACRE alumni, emerging and diverse developers, and nonprofit partners. This includes management responsibility of over a $1 million local recoverable grant/loan pool to provide early project investments; initiating additional loan intakes; and promoting other tools from LISC and our affiliates.
• Develop and disseminate resources (how to guides, case studies, briefs, articles, and other materials) by drawing on content expertise of LISC national staff, other field offices, partners, and best practices.
• Represent LISC Milwaukee in coalitions, working groups and other forums.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited college or university OR relevant work experience in a related field
• Minimum 3-5 years of experience in real estate, finance, community development, small business development, or related disciplines required.
• Working knowledge of the economic, political, and social environments in Milwaukee, especially of historically disinvested neighborhoods, organizations, and community development efforts.
• Working knowledge of community development policies and programs.
• Demonstrated success in managing multiple projects and maintaining strong collaborative relationships with clients and co-workers required.
• Experience building relationships, networking and collaborating effectively with community-based organizations and diverse stakeholders.
• Strong oral and written communication skills, including speaking publicly in diverse forums.
• Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite and ability to learn and use other software and applications of LISC, social media platforms, and IT tools.
• Excellent research, writing, editing and analytical skills.
• Fluency using, understanding and presenting data to inform decision making.
• Commitment to accuracy, attention to detail, timely reporting and deadlines.
• Work simultaneously on multiple tasks and set priorities for a challenging workload.

COMPENSATION

LISC offers a competitive salary ($62,300 - $77,900; salary commensurate with experience and location)* and excellent fringe benefits. 

*Actual salaries may be based on several factors including, but not limited to, a candidate's skill set, experience, education, work location and other qualifications.

Our benefits include: 

Medical, Dental, Vision Coverage: Comprehensive health plans for you and your family's well-being; Disability Insurance: Long-term and short-term coverage for peace of mind; Retirement Savings: Secure your future with our 401(k) and 403(b) plans; Generous Holidays: Enjoy ample time off to recharge and celebrate; Vacation, PTO, and Sick Days: Take advantage of flexible time-off policies to maintain work-life balance; Tuition Assistance: Pursue your educational goals with support from our tuition assistance program; Referral Program: Earn rewards for referring qualified candidates to join our team; Professional Development Opportunities: Grow and advance in your career with access to ongoing training and development programs tailored to your goals.

LISC is an equal opportunity employer. LISC does not discriminate in employment on account of actual or perceived race, color, creed, religion, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, age, sex or gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, lactation and related medical conditions), gender identity or expression (including transgender status), sexual orientation, marital status, military status or veteran status, unfavorable discharge from military service, physical or mental disability, protected medical condition as defined by applicable state or local law, genetic information or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state or local laws and ordinances.

We will endeavor to make a reasonable accommodation to the known physical or mental limitations of a qualified applicant with a disability unless the accommodation would impose an undue hardship on the operation of our business.

LISC IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER COMMITTED TO DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION AND JUSTICE