Economic Development Officer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Who We Are

Pursuit is a community-focused lender that provides small businesses with affordable loans and resources so that they can reach higher, transform, and grow. That transformation may start with an individual borrower, but ultimately extends into the broader community, taking shape as new employment opportunities, economic development, and positive change.

What We Do

For more than 70 years, we have been 100% invested in the success of our clients. Pursuit offers a suite of innovative financing products designed to expand access to capital for small businesses. Our range of loans and lines of credit range from $10,000 to $5.5 million for businesses ready to make their next big investment. We have designed our application processes and loan terms with more flexibility than traditional banks. Our signature loan programs include commercial real estate financing, general business funding, and fast business funding through a digital platform. We leverage deep, long-term relationships with banks and community partners to serve clients in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Chicago, Nevada, and Washington.

About the Job

The Business Development Officer is responsible for working directly with banks, business service organizations, associations, chambers of commerce, economic/community development organizations, professional service firms, lending organizations, and others to secure client referrals and acquire loan customers. The Business Development Officer position is with our CDFI arm of Pursuit and the geographic focus is the City of Chicago metropolitan area.

This position will also be responsible for assisting with business advisory services, which include pre- and post-loan technical assistance.  The Business Development Officer will work with members of the Pursuit business advisory team on an ongoing basis to help assess clients’ needs and pair them with services to help them grow.

What You’ll Do

· Maintain expert familiarity with Pursuit Community Finance products and those of its affiliates.

· Maintain a network of community partners, bankers, and referral partners, and secure new channels for client acquisition.

· Engage in strategic networking to develop new partners and clients.

· Quickly understand business conditions, conduct business assessments and be able to provide feedback and guidance to potential clients on the appropriateness of various products.

· Nurture and advise clients to help resolve access to capital barriers, with a focus on loan readiness, loan packaging, and addressing challenges to accessing capital.

· Conduct follow-up assessments and check-ins with clients.

• Manage engagements to ensure quality service and work, together with other staff, to ensure that all Pursuit goals and funder goals are met or exceeded. 
• Develop new ways to engage clients in consulting services and business advisory offerings.
• Manage reports and IT systems related to tracking and reporting on consulting engagements.
• Work with other staff to develop content that provides value to small business owners, especially Pursuit borrowers.

· Support efforts related to new grant proposals and report to funders, including monitoring and measuring program outcomes as needed.

• Additional position related duties and responsibilities as assigned by supervisor.

What You’ll Bring

• Bachelor’s degree required. 
• Master’s degree in business administration, public administration, or related field a plus.
• Clear communication, sales, presentation & interpersonal skills.
• Minimum of 3-5 years’ experience in small business lending/credit, business development in financial services industry, economic/community development, or related field in Chicago market.
• Self-starter with ability to set and manage timelines and outcomes to help Pursuit quickly establish a presence in the Chicago market.
• Multilingual candidates are encouraged to apply.

Essential Functions

• Ability to communicate effectively.
• Ability to manage deliverables and goals effectively.
• Ability to travel and visit clients in the Chicago metropolitan area.

Why Join Pursuit?

· Be part of a mission-driven organization making a real impact in communities

· Join a collaborative, innovative, and values-aligned team

· Enjoy a flexible, remote work environment with opportunities to grow

· Help shape how small businesses access capital and thrive

Additional Information

· We will give consideration to and provide training for veterans interested in a career in finance/ banking provided that the applicant has completed at least two years of college with an accredited institution.

· Final candidates must pass all pre-employment screenings, including background check, credit check and drug screening.

· Applicants must be authorized to work in the U.S. We do not provide sponsorships for those who require a sponsorship in order to work in the U.S.

What We Offer

A collaborative environment of mission-focused professionals dedicated to helping communities and economies grow through business lending. We seek individuals who want to blend a career in financial services with a career serving others. Pursuit extends its employees’ competitive salaries and a range of benefits including, including but not limited to:

·         Health Insurance, generous employer premium contribution

·         Fully paid Dental, Vision, and Life Insurance

·         Generous 401(k) match

·         Flexible spending accounts

·         Holiday and Paid Time Off

·         Paid Parental Leave

·         Volunteer Time Off

·         Referral Program

·         Educational assistance after two years of employment

·         Mentorship Program

·         Summer work hours

How to Apply/Contact

Please submit a cover letter and resume and/or complete Employment Application.

HRTeam@pursuitlending.com

https://pursuit-hr.formstack.com/forms/employment_application

How We Help

We believe that when local businesses thrive, they provide good, stable jobs, recycling the money they spend back into the community to help it grow. Our loans are offered with affordable rates to ensure that our clients can continue growing and positively impacting their neighborhoods. While compelling founders’ stories are what drive us every day, we are proud to work with small businesses at scale:

$4+ billion lent, $1.2 billion in the last 5 years

$2 billion portfolio of small business loans

70,000+ jobs created

10,000+ loans to small businesses

10,000+ hours of advisory and educational services

Based on our compensation benchmarking survey, the estimated salary range for this position is $70,000 – $90,000 and is commensurate with education and commercial lending experience.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and comply with all applicable federal, state and local laws regarding nondiscrimination. We provide equal opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, creed, color, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, citizenship status, age, veteran status, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions or any other status protected under applicable federal, state or local law.