CRA Credit & Investment Business Strategy Manager

The SouthState story is one of steady growth, deep community roots, and an unwavering commitment to helping our customers move forward. Since our beginnings in the 1930s to becoming a trusted financial partner across the South and beyond, we are known for combining personal relationships with forward-thinking solutions. We are committed to helping our team members find their success while maintaining the integrity of our values: building trust, fostering lasting relationships, and pursuing excellence. At SouthState, individual contributions are recognized, potential is cultivated, and team members are inspired to achieve their greater purpose.

About the role

The CRA Credit & Investment Business Strategy Manager is responsible for developing and implementing long-term community development credit and investment strategies that drive growth throughout the Bank’s Assessment Areas, in congruence with the Bank’s goals and objectives. This role will assess CRA credit and investment opportunities aligned with both CRA/Community Development and Bank Strategic goals, including underwriting and transaction structuring, documenting, and leading underwriting and due diligence for qualifying CRA investments such as LIHTC, NMTC, EQ2, SBIC, and others. The role balances the Bank’s strategic goals, Community Engagement mission impact, profitability, policy, and risk while acting as the internal CRA advocate in collaboration with internal business line partners and external partners, including investors, developers, and vendors.

Responsibilities

• Work with Senior Leadership, CRA Investment Working Group, Director of Community Engagement, Director of Corporate Stewardship, and others (e.g., CD Officers, Local Leadership) to create and deploy strategies in collaboration with stakeholders to enhance community development lending and investments.
• Align with various business lines (Credit, Small Business, Commercial, Retail, Mortgage, ERM, MarCom, Corporate Stewardship, etc.) and Regional & Community Leadership on local needs, incorporating local relationships with a Community Development focus. Support local leadership in investment opportunities and understanding resources required to implement new Community Development loans and investment initiatives.
• Lead and support the defense of community needs for new community development loans and investments, including both commercial and mortgage-related transactions (e.g., LIHTC, NMTC, EQ2, down payment assistance programs, mortgage-backed securities).
• Conduct or support commercial and community development credit underwriting, including analysis of borrower/guarantor financial statements, cash flow, collateral, repayment sources, global debt capacity, and risk factors. Advocate for approval by local leadership and the credit team.
• Evaluate, structure, and recommend community development loans and investments consistent with CRA objectives, credit policy, and risk appetite. Perform due diligence on opportunities including LIHTC, NMTC, EQ2, loan funds, CDFI-related credit extensions, and securitized investments.
• Prepare or contribute to credit memos, investment summaries, approval packages, and portfolio monitoring materials. Collaborate with internal partners (e.g., Credit, Finance, Risk, CRA Investment Working Group, CD Officers, and line of business leaders) to assess transaction structure, policy compliance, risk appetite, and community development eligibility.
• Monitor performance, covenant compliance, and impact/results of community development credit and investments.
• Identify and mitigate transaction, credit, operational, compliance, and strategic risks associated with loans and investments. Analyze data and prepare risk assessment and mitigation efforts for new and ongoing Community Development Loans and Investments.
• Engage stakeholders both internally and externally through communication, planning, networking, and volunteering to ensure alignment with the Bank’s vision and the community’s needs.
• Present opportunities to drive Community Development Loan and Investment growth and build meaningful and lasting relationships.
• Take ownership of all tasks and challenges encountered in the operation of the assigned position.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent work experience.
• 8+ years of experience in CRA/Community Development finance, commercial credit, underwriting, lending, and/or community development investments.
• Demonstrated experience evaluating community development loans, tax credit investments, structured finance, or securitized investment products.
• Experience partnering with credit, risk, legal, compliance, and business line stakeholders in transaction execution.

Skills

• Experience in commercial credit analysis and underwriting non-profit and community development financing structures.
• Experience in financial statement spreading and cash flow analysis, credit risk assessment, and risk rating concepts.
• Experience structuring and conducting due diligence on complex community development lending facilities such as LIHTC, NMTC, EQ2, and others.
• Knowledge of securitized community development investment vehicles and related risk considerations.
• Ability to conduct due diligence for securitized community development investments.
• Ability to synthesize financial, community impacts, and regulatory factors into business line and leadership recommendations.
• Strong knowledge of the Community Reinvestment Act and Fair Lending Laws and regulations.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to prepare reports and presentations.
• Willingness to collaborate, strong ability to work across business lines, high emotional intelligence, adaptability to change, and ability to exercise discretion.
• Ability to effectively manage workflow and assignments, prioritize work, and maintain attention to detail and accuracy.
• Ability to work well with diverse work groups and in team-oriented activities.
• Expertise in stakeholder engagement, partnership development, and cross-functional collaboration.
• Demonstrated success in quantifying community development impact and leveraging data to tell compelling stories.
• Deep commitment to the Bank’s Core Values and understanding of the value of storytelling.

Physical Demands and Work Environment

• Ability to communicate in person, on the phone, and through electronic channels.
• Ability to use a computer frequently, including typing and sustained attention to a monitor.
• Ability to sit, walk, and/or stand for extended periods of time, bend, and reach.
• Office environment: If the position reports to a physical Company location, the setting will be a typical office environment.
• Remote or hybrid: For remote or hybrid positions, a secure and distraction-free setting is required, with a reliable internet connection (cable or fiber preferred; mobile hotspots not acceptable). Hybrid positions will report to a physical Company location as directed by the manager.