Commercial Loan Underwriting Specialist

Application Close: October 30, 2024 

The Cornerstone Fund is a nonprofit social impact lender affiliated with the United Church of Christ. The Fund provides low-cost flexible financing for churches and faith-based nonprofits that create a positive impact in their communities, using dollars invested by churches, faith-based nonprofits, and individuals. Projects range from basic church renovations to affordable housing, solar installations, social enterprises, and large-scale mixed-use development. The Cornerstone Fund, like the United Church of Christ, is a progressive organization that values and promotes inclusion, equality, social justice, and creation care.

In coordination with the Chief Credit Officer (CCO), the Commercial Loan Underwriting Specialist (CLUS) will assist with loan underwriting tasks for lending clients as assigned, and assist the portfolio team with loan processing, loan closing and loan servicing operations as needed. In this capacity, the CLUS will help monitor and fulfill the day-to-day requirements of lending clients and loans in the active pipeline stage with a goal of generating and closing quality loans and will assist with the post-close needs of clients to ensure an overall superlative customer experience. All these efforts are governed by Cornerstone’s overall fiduciary responsibility to protect the investments entrusted to the Fund.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Underwriting:

Train to underwrite loans, including acquisitions, construction loans, solar loans, refinances, and modifications.

Contribute to pipeline meetings by presenting underwriting, reviewing underwriting presented by others, and bringing positive suggestions for procedural and operational improvements.

Maintain records for loans within LUS’s responsibility.

Communication:

Assist the lending team in communication with potential, current and former lending clients from pre-application conversations through loan structuring and closing.

Assist the portfolio team in communication with lending clients through servicing as needed, and for follow-up needs.

Portfolio:

Assist the portfolio team as needed with pre-and-post-close servicing to ensure a superlative customer experience.

Assist the portfolio team with construction draws as needed.

Training:

Work with the Cornerstone lending team to learn Cornerstone’s underwriting process.

Actively seek training to continually improve knowledge of real estate lending by attending courses as directed by the CCO, and/or suggesting other courses.

Desired Candidate Profile:

The CLUS must be self-motivated and conscientious and is expected to possess excellent interpersonal and management skills with a focus on providing excellent service to both internal and external clients. Although basic knowledge of standard lending policies and procedures is helpful, financial acumen, math aptitude and excel proficiency are more important. People who have been successful in this position have had backgrounds in small business or community development lending, church or nonprofit administration and finance, and general banking, but many different backgrounds can be preparatory for this position. Underwriting experience is desirable but not required. As an affiliated ministry of the United Church of Christ, the Cornerstone Fund, and by extension the CLUS, supports the vision of the denomination as a multiracial, multicultural, open and affirming church, accessible to all.

• A Bachelor’s degree from a four-year college or university is preferred.
• One to two years of experience in banking, lending or financial administration; or an equivalent combination of training and experience.
• Understanding of Microsoft Office suite, particularly Excel; experience with loan processing software is a plus.
• Excellent written and verbal communications skills.
• Strong interpersonal skills with individuals and groups of diverse backgrounds, experience, and levels of sophistication.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively and collegially, as well as independently.
• Ability and willingness to work in a diverse and inclusive ministry environment, and willingness to learn and adapt to the UCC denominational culture.

• This position may be approved for hybrid schedule.
• Proof of COVID record will be requested during the onboarding process.

This job description is not intended to be a complete list of all duties and responsibilities required for the position and is subject to review and change at any time in accordance with the needs of the Fund. Since no job description can detail all duties and responsibilities that may be required from time to time in the performance of a position, duties and responsibilities that may be inherent in a position shall also be considered part of the position holder’s responsibility.

It is expected that the person who holds this position will conduct themselves in a manner consistent with the policies of the Cornerstone Fund and in a manner that will reflect positively on the organization.

Our faith is 2000 years old. Our thinking is not.

We believe in God’s Continuing Testament.

We believe in Extravagant Welcome

We believe the church’s mission is to Change Lives