Finance Associate

About the role

Johnson Development Associates, Inc. (JDA) is a fast-paced, entrepreneurial, multi-division national real estate developer committed to delivering excellence. The Finance Associate will collaborate with the CFO, Finance Team, and other members of the Company to provide assistance with project financing, asset management, and the evaluation of investment opportunities.

Responsibilities

• Internal Data and Platform Development
  • Identify existing manual processes, data silos, and analytical bottlenecks for improvement or automation.
  • Analyze current data collection, storage, and reporting methodologies to pinpoint inefficiencies and opportunities for leveraging internal and external data sources.
  • Research and evaluate emerging technologies, including automation tools, AI applications, and advanced data visualization techniques relevant to commercial real estate.
  • Assist in the development and maintenance of improved data models and analytical frameworks that incorporate automation and/or AI-driven insights to enhance accuracy, efficiency, and predictive capabilities.
• Development
  • Assist the Finance Team and various members of the JDA team on all finance matters associated with new developments generated by Company divisions.
  • Assess financial viability of new projects and acquisition opportunities.
  • Assess and recommend additional financial analysis tools to better support development activities (changes to existing proformas, developing new proformas, and/or using third-party financial analysis software).
  • Develop bank pitch books for the financing of new and existing projects (development financing and permanent financing).
  • Foster current banking relationships and develop new banking relationships with the CFO / Director of Finance.
  • Manage third-party mortgage brokers on permanent financings.
  • Communicate and prepare information for Johnson Management, LLC regarding partner capital requirements, timing of capital contributions, and monthly operating reports.
  • Assist in the procurement of development bonding (through surety bonds or letters of credit) as required.
• Portfolio Management
  • Assist the Finance Team and various members of the JDA team on all finance matters associated with the management and ongoing operations of JDA’s portfolio of assets, including:
    • Annual budgeting process.
    • Monthly and annual reporting on new business and the existing portfolio.
    • Financial analysis of hold vs. sell scenarios.
    • Work with internal Asset Management team members and third-party asset managers to effectively operate properties and provide financial analysis and feedback.
    • Manage existing debt portfolio and maturing debt.
    • Generate compliance certificates and other information required by lenders.
    • Communicate with third-party tax consultants and manage tax information pertaining to existing assets.
    • Manage insurance solutions for properties across all asset types.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, Real Estate, or a related field.
• Relevant coursework in Computer Science or Data Science preferred.
• 2+ years of experience in finance, real estate, asset management, or operations.
• Ability to understand, interpret, and analyze financial data, with proficiency in financial underwriting.
• General understanding of the commercial real estate lifecycle, including development, acquisitions, ownership, and operations.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to develop creative and effective solutions to complex data and process challenges.
• Effective written and verbal communication skills.
• Self-motivated and adaptable, with proven ability to thrive in fast-paced environments and solve problems independently.
• Ability to represent Johnson Development Associates, Inc. in a positive and professional manner.
• Maintain a high regard for confidentiality of company information.

Skills

• Technical Skills
  • High degree of proficiency in MS Office Suite (Word, PowerPoint, Excel).
  • Experience with data manipulation and analysis tools (e.g., SQL, Python, R).
  • Familiarity with business intelligence platforms (e.g., Tableau, Power BI) for creating dashboards and reports.
  • Experience with automation tools, scripting languages, and basic, functional UI and UX design and implementation.