Vp Innovation Jobs in Washington (NOW HIRING)

Position Summary

The Vice President, Solutions will play a leadership role within OFN’s Programs team, supporting the execution of innovative, high-impact initiatives that advance the community development financial industry and improve economic opportunity in underserved communities. Reporting to the Senior Vice President (SVP), Innovation Programs, this position leads key aspects of various initiatives led by the Programs team, including but not limited to the CDFI Innovation Initiative. The CDFI Innovation Initiative is a multi-faceted strategic effort to design and implement new systems, solutions, and approaches that enhance the capacity and sustainability of the CDFI industry.

This role requires exceptional organizational, project management, and strategic planning skills, along with a demonstrated ability to manage complex initiatives and collaborate cross-functionally in a fast-paced, mission-driven environment. The role also requires a background in innovation processes and knowledge of finance, technology, and community development to advance new capital solutions, financial products, digital tools, and data systems for the community development finance industry. The ideal candidate will have strong knowledge of needs and solutions for financing the small business sector.

OFN is the nation’s leading investment intermediary and network CDFIs serving rural, urban, and Native communities across the United States. With over $1 billion in total assets under management, OFN manages a national membership network of over 490 mission-driven lenders and CDFIs, including community development loan funds, credit unions, green banks, community development banks, minority depository institutions, and venture capital funds. OFN is a trusted investment partner to the public, private, and philanthropic sectors – foundations, corporations, banks, government agencies, and others. For more than 40 years, our team has helped partners invest in communities to catalyze change and create economic opportunities for people and places traditional finance doesn’t reach.

To learn more, visit www.ofn.org

• People who work at OFN come from a variety of professional and academic backgrounds. If you have:
• Passion for the mission and true believer in our core purpose.
• Courage to be a fearless advocate who is confident and resilient in our fight to drive capital into low-income communities.
• Smart, quick seekers of knowledge who thrive on creating and developing new strategies, products, and programs for increasing capital to communities we serve.
• Desire to be a collaborative team player who possesses humility and a willingness to lean in all areas of our work.

Come be a part of our growing diverse, highly committed, skilled, and collaborative staff. At OFN, we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive workplace, so if you are excited about this role but your experience does not align perfectly with every qualification, we encourage you to apply nonetheless. You may be the right candidate for this or other roles.

This position is based in Washington, D.C. All staff currently work a hybrid schedule.

Key Responsibilities:

Project Management

• Develop and maintain a detailed work plan for programmatic initiatives, ensuring alignment with program goals and strategic priorities.
• Establish and manage project tasks, timelines, and dependencies using project management software (Asana).
• Design and maintain comprehensive tools, such as RACI charts, to clearly define roles, responsibilities, and accountabilities across initiative components.
• Create and refine templates, standard operating procedures (SOPs), workflows, and internal systems to optimize project execution and reduce operational risk.

Program Design & Execution

• Support the development and execution of strategies for the Program Team’s initiatives, such as a strategy for the Innovation Initiative to drive innovative solutions, scale systems, and enhance CDFIs’ capacity for capital mobilization, operational efficiency, and data-driven decision-making.
• Support the ongoing design and implementation of an innovation framework designed to transform the CDFI sector with digital tools, AI, data analytics, and other innovations.
• Manage specific cohorts and communities of practice (such as accelerators, working groups, and hackathons) to identify, develop, test, and scale new financing products, tools, and operating models across the industry.
• Draft and oversee scopes of works and related budgets for both staff and contractor-led activities
• Draft and produce high-quality documents and deliverables (such as project proposals, outreach materials, whitepapers, and funder reports) to support the implementation, coordination, and reporting of the Programs team’s initiatives.
• Collaborate with OFN members to understand their needs, challenges, and opportunities, ensuring innovative efforts address member priorities.
• Represent the organization externally in partner meetings and industry events as requested.
• Proactively identify and troubleshoot implementation challenges, resolving issues to ensure progress and impact.

Governance, Coordination, & Insight

• Support the governance and structural design of the Innovation Initiative and other programs, providing independent analysis and actionable recommendations to leadership.
• Coordinate internal and external stakeholder meetings, including preparing agendas, taking notes, tracking follow-up actions, and ensuring accountability to ensure teams are aligned.

Staff Management

• This position may manage one or more direct reports.

Education and Professional Experience

• Bachelor's degree in a related field or 5-7 years of related work experience in lieu of a degree.
• Minimum of 5 years of progressively responsible experience in program management, nonprofit strategy, community development, or impact investing.
• Demonstrated success in managing multi-stakeholder initiatives and delivering results on large-scale, mission-driven programs.

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities and Physical Requirements:

• Strong project management expertise, including use of tools like Asana, Smartsheet, or similar platforms.
• Knowledge of AI, digital tools, and data analytics as applied to finance and community development.
• Familiarity with CDFIs, program design, small business lending, community development finance, or disaster recovery is preferred.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to synthesize complex ideas into clear, actionable documents.
• High attention to detail and strong organizational skills to handle multiple priorities with attention to detail in a fast-paced environment.
• Proven ability to collaborate effectively across departments and lead cross-functional teams.
• Experience designing systems, templates, or processes that drive efficiency and transparency.
• Adept at navigating ambiguity and delivering high-quality results under tight deadlines.
• Mission-Driven: Passion for OFN’s mission and advancing equity through community finance.
• Strategic Thinker: Brings a forward-looking, systems-level perspective to problem-solving.
• Proactive & Independent: Comfortable taking initiative with minimal direction.
• Adaptable: Thrives in dynamic environments and can deftly navigate shifting priorities.
• Collaborative: Values teamwork and relationship-building with diverse stakeholders.
• Standard physical requirements for an office position, with occasional travel (10–15%).

EOE

Supervisor: SVP, Innovation Programs

FLSA Status: Exempt

The target salary range for this position is $100,000 - $125,000. The salary offered will depend on internal pay equity and the candidate’s relevant skills, experience, qualifications, and job market data. Exceptional performers in this role who make an outsized contribution can make well in excess of this range.

Salary is one part of OFN’s comprehensive total rewards package, which includes benefits like dental, health, and vision care plans, and family-building benefits like hybrid work arrangements to promote a better work-life balance. OFN also offers Lifestyle Spending Account, Employee Assistance Program, and mental health benefits. To maximize teammate financial well-being, OFN offers financial education and auto-enrollment in the company's 403(b) plan with employer contributions. To maximize professional growth, OFN provides professional development dollars for each employee, alongside learning and development opportunities.

Thank you for your interest in joining the OFN team in our effort and commitment to create opportunity for all.