VP, School Lending & Outreach

About the role

The Vice President, School Lending and Outreach will play a critical role in EFF’s effort to ensure every high-impact charter school operating in historically marginalized communities has a pathway to affordable financing. Reporting to the Principal of School Lending and Outreach, the Vice President will lead the execution of EFF’s regional lending strategy, including school outreach & pipeline management, and help prospective school partners efficiently prepare and apply for EFF support.

Responsibilities

• Strategic School Engagement & Pipeline Development
• School Intake & Pathmaking Strategy: Conduct intake meetings with ~50 prospective borrowers annually, assessing financial viability, project feasibility, and school performance data to determine whether to advance to underwriting, provide technical assistance, or refer to other funding sources.
• State & Specialty Fund Management: Oversee at least two of EFF’s state-specific or specialty funds, managing the pipeline of potential borrowers, assessing financial and operational readiness, and guiding schools through the lending process.
• Market Expansion & Business Development: Develop and execute a targeted outreach strategy in collaboration with the Senior Leadership Team, ensuring EFF’s lending portfolio aligns with regional and national priorities for Fund II.
• Financial Structuring & Strategic Planning Support: Provide light-touch advisory services to a subset of prospective borrowers, including affordability analysis, financial pro forma review, demand/enrollment strategy, and informal guidance to help optimize borrowing readiness for the right facility and right loan.
• External Relationship Management & Sector Leadership
• Regional Management & Market Positioning: Serve as EFF’s key representative in designated regions, cultivating relationships with school leaders, authorizers, policymakers, and local funders to strengthen EFF’s market presence and ensure alignment with state-specific financing needs.
• Ecosystem & Network Development: Identify and engage a vast network of charter school intermediaries including philanthropic partners, financial advisors, technical assistance providers, Ed Champions, co-lenders, developers, and other ecosystem partners—who can serve as advocates for equitable facilities financing and help facilitate quality loan structures for schools.
• Stakeholder Engagement & Thought Leadership: Act as a strategic advisor to school leaders, providing guidance on facilities finance while representing EFF at industry events, policy roundtables, and conferences to elevate the organization’s thought leadership.
• School & Portfolio Convenings: Lead the planning and execution of at least one in-person convening per year for schools and key stakeholders in each state or specialty fund portfolio, leveraging insights from the field to inform EFF’s strategies and market positioning.
• Internal Leadership & Team Development
• Team Management: Directly manage an Associate, providing mentorship, coaching, and oversight to execute school engagement and outreach objectives effectively.
• Cross-Team Collaboration: Work closely with EFF’s underwriting, portfolio management, and impact teams to ensure seamless coordination across all phases of the lending process.
• Organizational Leadership: Serve on EFF’s leadership team, contributing to strategic planning, decision-making, and organizational initiatives that enhance EFF’s impact and operational effectiveness.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of overall professional experience; 5+ years in the charter school sector
• 3-5+ years of experience in a senior charter school lending and/or real estate development role (or equivalent lending/financial structuring experience)
• Some experience working with a charter school or management organization, strongly preferred
• Unyielding commitment to EFF’s mission to ameliorate educational, financial, and racial inequities
• Demonstrated advocacy for diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace and investment practices
• Experience with business development and/or customer lead generation
• Expertise in rendering advisory services and other forms of support to schools
• Track record of meeting and exceeding aggressive goals
• Outstanding relationship management skills
• Extraordinary communication skills and an ability to clearly explain and answer questions about product-related details
• Strong problem-solving skills and an ability to think “outside the box” and pivot as needed to support a growing business
• Customer service orientation and ability to collaborate across functional areas
• High degree of integrity and authenticity and a good sense of humor
• Willingness to travel frequently (up 25-35% of time)

Compensation and Benefits

The target salary band for this position is $171,013 - $194,863; however we expect to bring someone into this role at the midpoint ($182,925) with eventual upside to align with our compensation practices. Final compensation will be determined based on experience, qualifications, and internal equity. This position offers up to a 10% annual bonus based on organizational performance. Compensation is competitive, commensurate with experience, and we are proud to offer excellent benefits, including a 6% 401k match.

Location

We are open to applicants from across the continental U.S. The role will be expected to travel to NYC or other locations for 3+ days most months to participate in team activities.

Reporting Relationship

The Vice President, School Lending & Outreach will report directly to the Principal of School Lending and Outreach.

Priority deadline

June 5, 2026