SVP Lending & Investing

Who We Are

HAF is an innovative nonprofit lender and Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI). Established in 2017 by the San Francisco Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development, we create public-private partnerships and leverage private, philanthropic, and public capital to invest in and lend to affordable housing, accelerating the production of new affordable housing across the Bay Area. HAF has raised over $400 million since launch and channeled that capital into more than $600 million in affordable housing investments that create and preserve over 3,500 affordable homes. This includes innovative products and tools such as the Bay Area Housing Innovation Fund, Industrialized Construction Catalyst Fund, and the Home for Good Fund. Learn more about our work at www.sfhaf.org.

Role Overview

We’re looking for a strong, experienced professional to help lead our lending and investment work. The SVP of Lending and Investing will apply their expertise and passion for affordable housing to complex, interesting and impactful transactions. Team building and management, deal structuring, financial analysis of diverse projects, and closing sprints are all essential parts of the work.

Experience and Skills Sought

• Have 8-10+ years of experience in some combination of: loan originations (required), business development, asset and portfolio management, credit and risk management and driving creative capital solutions in community lending and/or affordable housing development.
• Have experience managing strategy, systems improvement, staff, goal setting / meeting around portfolio, lending, and credit aspects of affordable housing.
• Possess expert knowledge of affordable multifamily residential real estate finance and development in California / SF Bay Area (e.g. complex project capital structuring for new construction and preservation, lending and investment underwriting for both bridge and permanent financing sources including bonds, credits, and other public funding sources).
• Knowledge of CDFIs, land-use, construction oversight, public-private partnerships, and local, state and national housing / land use policy and related agencies strongly preferred.
• Possess strong financial and general analytical skills.
• Are expert in MS Excel.
• Are a sound decision-maker able to thoroughly evaluate the viability of organizational goals and potential projects; able to formulate evidence-based recommendations in support of the HAF’s mission, priorities, and strategic initiatives.
• Are an effective communicator at all levels in the organization, with strong oral, analytical, and written skills, able to analyze and synthesize information quickly and effectively for a variety of audiences.
• Have demonstrated experience in staff management and development, including coaching, feedback, and building team capacity and performance over time.
• Have a proven ability to build and maintain strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including borrowers, partners, senior leadership, and Credit Committee/Board members and can effectively communicate complex information and build trust across audiences.
• Have demonstrated interest in addressing the Bay Area’s housing affordability and homelessness crisis.
• Are passionate about Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging and committed to embedding equity in how we measure and assess our portfolio and impact.

The Work

Deal Leadership & Underwriting

• Lead underwriting and execution for a range of transactions across product types, as workflow and capacity require.
• Serve as a principal resource to Vice Presidents of Lending on deal structuring, including proformas, loan sizing, terms, and risk mitigation, as requested.
• Review underwriting, term sheets, and credit memos as needed to support consistency, rigor, and clarity.
• Participate in early-stage deal screening and shaping, including evaluating new opportunities and structuring approach.

Pipeline & Workflow Management

• In partnership with the Chief Lending Officer and Chief Investment Officer, manage deal flow, project assignment, and team capacity across product lines, ensuring alignment with staff capacity and organizational priorities.
• Lead regular pipeline discussions to prioritize opportunities, rebalance workload, and align on staffing and workflow.
• Ensure timely progression of deals through HAF’s lending process from inquiry through approval.

Lending Operations & Underwriting Support

• Contribute to design and evolution of HAF’s Lending Operations and Infrastructure in close collaboration with Lending Team, including maintenance and training on HAF’s underwriting template, updating of underwriting guidelines as appropriate, management of credit committee, and other lending infrastructure including pipeline tracking, Vena, etc.
• Establish and reinforce best practices in underwriting, financial analysis, and deal structuring.
• Provide training and support to staff to ensure consistent application of tools, templates, and standards.
• Work closely with leadership to evaluate new opportunities and incoming deal inquiries and align on approach.
• Ensure consistency in risk assessment, structuring, and pricing across deals and product lines.
• Align deal activity with capital strategy, credit policy, and organizational priorities.

Credit Committee & Board Process

• Lead preparation and management of the Credit Committee and Board process, including:
• Agenda-setting and scheduling.
• Determining timing for projects to advance for approval.
• Coinciding and distributing materials.
• Ensure materials support efficient decision making, clearly present deal structure, key risks and mitigants, and strategic alignment.
• Lead continuous improvement to streamline approval processes and documentation quality.

External Engagement & Deal Intake

• Serve as a point of contact for new inbound opportunities for HAF’s core lending products and existing borrower relationships, helping evaluate fit, shape deals, and route opportunities appropriately across the team.
• Build and maintain positive, constructive relationships with prospective and current borrowers and external partners, supporting deal development and responsiveness to inquiries.

The Hiring Process

• Step 1: Applications
• Step 2: Intro Call
• Step 3: Interviews
• Step 4: Offer

To Apply

Submit the following via this form link (https://forms.gle/32zrcNLRnFygbdoQ7). This will require sign-in to a google account (gmail / other google workspace). If you do not have a gmail or a google workspace account, please email to hiring@sfhaf.org.

Resume

Your resume.

Cover Letter

Your cover letter of 1-2 pages (addressed to Chief Lending Officer Kate Hartley) which includes:

• Your interest in the position.
• How your background and experience will support you in performing the position’s responsibilities.
• Your reflections on the following: in brief, how have your past experiences, activities, or background made you aware of inequities and challenges faced by historically underrepresented or economically disadvantaged groups, particularly in the context of HAF’s mission: to accelerate the production and preservation of affordable housing for California’s economically disadvantaged households, individuals, and communities by lending to, investing in, and directly acquiring real estate assets?
• How has this awareness shaped your personal and professional growth, including your professional work?