Loan Fund Director

The Director of Impact Lending is the institutional owner and architect of Tucson IDA and Groundswell Capital’s direct lending programs.

About Tucson IDA / Groundswell Capital

The Tucson Industrial Development Authority (Tucson IDA) is a quasi-governmental nonprofit organization whose mission is to enable strategic economic and community development by providing financing and access to capital for projects and programs that benefit a thriving Tucson. Our subsidiary, Groundswell Capital is a nonprofit lending organization focuses on sustainable economic development and access to capital.

Description

About the Role

The Tucson Industrial Development Authority (Tucson IDA) and Groundswell Capital, our 501(c)3 nonprofit lending arm, are seeking a Director of Impact Lending to steer our direct lending programs to forward the organization’s mission of equitable, innovative and sustainable economic development.
The Director of Impact Lending is the institutional owner and architect of Tucson IDA and Groundswell Capital’s direct lending programs. This role is responsible for designing, governing, and stewarding lending programs that advance equitable, innovative, and sustainable economic development while protecting the long-term financial health and public trust of the organization.
As Groundswell Capital scales its lending activity—including expansion of its SBA Microloan Program, pursuit of CDFI certification, and growth of climate and small business lending—the Loan Fund Director ensures that lending policies, credit standards, portfolio construction, and operating systems are aligned with national best practices and are built to scale.
The Director of Impact Lending serves as the backbone of the lending institution—establishing guardrails, decision frameworks, and portfolio discipline that enable origination and business development staff to operate effectively within a clear and durable system.

Core Responsibilities

1. Lending Architecture & Credit Governance

• Serve as the primary internal authority on lending policy, credit standards, and risk management frameworks.
• Design, document, and continuously refine lending policies, procedures, and credit boxes across all loan products.
• Chair or co-chair internal loan committee processes; prepare and oversee credit memos, portfolio analysis, and recommendations for executive and Board review.

2. Portfolio Strategy & Oversight

• Own overall portfolio construction and health, including concentration limits, risk layering, and performance monitoring.
• Own and maintain loan-level and portfolio-level financial models, ensuring assumptions, calculations, and outputs are accurate, well-documented, and consistent across programs.
• Develop portfolio-level metrics and reporting dashboards for the CEO and Board, supporting data-driven decision-making.
• Monitor loan performance and emerging risks; proactively recommend mitigants, policy adjustments, or program refinements.
• Ensure lending-related financial data and reporting are audit-ready, reproducible, and defensible for internal review, external auditors, and funders.
• Partner closely with the Director of Finance to ensure clean handoffs between lending systems and the general ledger, and alignment with accounting standards, internal controls, and Single Audit requirements.

3. Program Design & Institutional Scaling

• Act as the chief designer of lending programs, translating community needs, funder requirements, and strategic priorities into scalable financial products.
• Ensure lending programs are operationally efficient, audit-ready, and supported by appropriate systems, technology, and documentation.
• Lead efforts to integrate technology and automation (e.g., loan origination and servicing platforms) to maximize impact within a lean team.
• Play a significant role in long-term planning initiatives focused on operational excellence and institutional maturity.

4. Leadership & Team Stewardship

• Provide leadership and direction to lending staff (full-time, part-time, and contracted), ensuring clarity of roles, workflows, and accountability.
• Support origination and business development staff by providing clear credit frameworks, timely guidance, and decision support—without becoming a bottleneck.
• Foster a collaborative, high-integrity, and mission-aligned team culture.

5. External & Institutional Partnership Support

• Serve as the primary internal liaison to loan committee members, Board members, auditors, and regulators on matters of lending policy and portfolio risk.
• Support—rather than lead—external business development and deal sourcing by designing programs and capital structures that enable effective origination.
• Collaborate with the CEO, Grants & Compliance Manager, and partners to identify and structure new sources of loan capital.

6. Compliance, Certifications & Public Accountability

• Lead institutional readiness for national designations and certifications (e.g., SBA Microlender, CDFI, CDC), including applications, renewals, and reporting.
• Ensure lending operations remain compliant with applicable federal, state, and philanthropic funding requirements.
• Support Single Audit preparation by responding to auditor inquiries related to lending activity, portfolio performance, credit models, and lending documentation.
• Uphold the organization’s role as a public and mission-driven institution, ensuring lending practices withstand external scrutiny.

Required Skills

• Minimum 7+ years of loan closing and credit experience, including responsibility for underwriting and credit judgment.
• Demonstrated experience building or materially shaping lending programs, policies, or credit frameworks.
• Strong portfolio-level thinking, with experience balancing risk management and mission-driven outcomes.
• Advanced financial modeling, underwriting, and analytical skills.
• Proven ability to operate effectively in environments with public accountability, funder oversight, or quasi-public governance.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and presentation skills, including comfort engaging with Boards and loan committees.
• High ethical standards and commitment to equitable access to capital.

Preferred Education & Experience

• Experience in community development finance, CDFIs, SBA lending, or public-sector lending programs.
• Experience with loan fund accounting, revolving loan fund accounting, or other specialized lending accounting structures.
• Familiarity with clean energy, climate finance, or real-asset lending.
• Prior responsibility for portfolio management, credit policy, or risk governance.
• Experience leveraging loan origination or servicing technology to improve efficiency and scale.
• Experience in community development finance, CDFIs, SBA lending, or public-sector lending programs.
• Familiarity with clean energy, climate finance, or real-asset lending.
• Prior responsibility for portfolio management, credit policy, or risk governance.
• Experience leveraging loan origination or servicing technology to improve efficiency and scale.

Compensation & Benefits This role is a full-time exempt, in-office position. The robust benefits package includes health, dental, vision, retirement, ample paid-leave, PTO, parental leave, and other employee benefits.
The Tucson IDA does not and shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of its activities or operation.