Investment Manager in Portland, Oregon at Prosper Portland

Prosper Portland, the City of Portland's economic development agency, seeks an experienced Investment Manager to oversee daily operations of Prosper Portland’s investment and lending activity, including deployment of financial resources through loan products, investment programs, credit enhancement tools, and other capital access strategies. Reporting to the Director of Capital Access, this individual leads the Investment Team, manages key institutional and community relationships, helps drive smooth, efficient loan application processing while ensuring quality underwriting standards and mission alignment. This role is ideal for a strategic, mission-driven professional who is equally comfortable building partnerships with service organizations, ensuring data-driven operations and managing fast-paced, real estate and business lending in urban communities. The Investment Manager and their team will work closely with Prosper Portland's Economic Development and the Real Estate and Community Development Teams to identify, shape and execute small business and real estate transactions.

The ideal candidate will have a breadth of experience in commercial real estate and small business finance with a demonstrated base of knowledge in development principles, best practices and procedures. This person will possess excellent communication, organizational and problem-solving skills along with the creativity and willingness to exchange and encourage new ideas. The Investment Manager will be a committed leader, a culturally competent thought partner and consensus builder who can collaborate in ways that embrace Prosper Portland's values of learning, innovation, putting people first, inclusion and excellence.

Accepting applications until Tuesday, October 13th.

What You Bring

• Extensive knowledge of commercial/corporate lending and credit standards, policies, procedures and products
• Experience in small business and construction lending, real estate finance, loan servicing, or portfolio management.
• Strong relationship management and business development skills
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Excellent presentation, verbal and written communication skills
• High attention to detail; strong ownership of data quality and documentation.
• Ability to manage a dynamic portfolio and prioritize effectively.
• Familiarity with construction budgets, timelines, and risk indicators (strong plus).
• Bonus: Experience with Power BI, inspections, and construction draws.

Key Competencies

• Genuine commitment to economic equity and serving low-income communities.
• Ability to build, motivate, and develop a high-performing team.
• Strong capacity to assess credit risk, interpret financial data, and make sound recommendations balancing strong commitment to borrowers' interests with Agency sustainability
• Sound decision-making, especially in cases of hardship, complex circumstances and balance of short- and long-term interests of the Agency.

Position Summary

This position develops and oversees Prosper Portland’s strategic investment and lending functions, including deployment of financial resources through loan products, investment programs, credit enhancement tools, and other capital access strategies. The Investment Manager leads the Investment Team and is responsible for the performance, compliance, monitoring, risk management, and continuous improvement of Prosper Portland’s loan portfolio and related investment programs.

The position provides strategic direction for loan portfolio management, investment strategy, underwriting standards, portfolio monitoring, borrower support, loan servicing, credit risk management, and financial sustainability. This position ensures that public and private investment resources are structured, deployed, monitored, and reported in a manner that advances Prosper Portland’s mission, supports responsible stewardship of public funds, manages credit and operational risk, and improves access to capital for businesses, developers, community partners, and projects that contribute to an inclusive Portland economy.

Because Prosper Portland’s Capital Access tools include loans, investments, and grants, this position works in close partnership with the Grants Manager to align capital deployment strategy, applicant and borrower support, funding-source compliance, impact reporting, and risk management across loan and grant programs.

Functions and Responsibilities

• Oversees and leads the team responsible for managing Prosper Portland’s loan portfolio and investment programs, including loan products, credit enhancements, participation structures, special purpose funds, and other public/private investment tools.
• Develops and implements portfolio management strategy, risk appetite, underwriting standards, loan committee processes, exception tracking, and investment criteria aligned with agency goals and long-term financial sustainability.
• Oversees the full loan lifecycle, including program design, intake coordination, underwriting review, credit analysis, approval routing, closing, disbursement, servicing, borrower monitoring, renewals, modifications, restructures, collections, workouts, charge-off recommendations, and closeout.
• Ensures consistent use of industry-standard loan portfolio practices, including borrower risk ratings, financial statement review, debt service coverage analysis, loan-to-value analysis, cash flow analysis, collateral review, covenant monitoring, concentration monitoring, sensitivity analysis, and stress testing as appropriate to the size and risk profile of the portfolio.
• Establishes and maintains strong internal controls for loan origination, closing, disbursement, servicing, payment processing, collateral documentation, insurance and lien tracking, borrower reporting, file maintenance, and compliance with funding source requirements.
• Maintains expert knowledge of the scope of authority delegated by the Board and to the Executive Director regarding lending activities, including who is authorized and the process to approve loans, modify loan terms, execute loan agreements and amendments, and release or subordinate collateral; and ensures negotiations with borrowers are within the bounds of that authority.
• Reviews and provides guidance on complex underwriting, credit memoranda, loan structures, borrower capacity, sponsor strength, repayment sources, collateral, guarantees, subordinations, intercreditor arrangements, and risk mitigation strategies.
• Monitors portfolio performance and emerging risk through dashboards and regular reporting on delinquency, default, repayment trends, risk ratings, covenant compliance, collateral status, exposure by program and sector, geographic distribution, concentration levels, loan loss indicators, and investment outcomes.
• Develops and oversees a formal portfolio review process, including periodic loan reviews, file quality reviews, exception reports, risk rating validation, corrective action tracking, and timely communication of portfolio conditions to department leadership, Finance, Legal, Executive Leadership, and other governance bodies as appropriate.
• Leads borrower relationship management and portfolio support strategies that address issues early, support borrower success, preserve public investment, and balance mission impact with prudent credit administration.
• Coordinates with Finance on loan accounting, receivables, payment reconciliation, accrued interest, reserves, budget monitoring, forecasting, loan loss considerations, financial reporting, and long-term investment planning to meet Financial Sustainability Plan goals,
• Partners with Legal and Procurement on loan agreements, promissory notes, security agreements, deeds of trust, guarantees, intercreditor agreements, subordination agreements, amendments, servicing actions, defaults, collections, and other legal or contractual matters.
• Evaluates existing loan and investment programs and identifies new public and private investment resources, including bank partnerships, CDFI partnerships, philanthropic capital, tax credits, federal and state funds, credit enhancements, loan guarantees, revolving funds, and other financing tools to achieve strategic outcomes.
• Nurtures strategic partnerships with banks, credit unions, CDFIs, community lenders, private capital providers, foundations, nonprofit organizations, public agencies, developers, and community partners to expand access to capital and leverage Prosper Portland’s resources.
• Oversees the development, monitoring, and management of project, program, and capital budgets related to loan and investment activity.
• Participates in the identification and resolution of key internal and external policy issues affecting Capital Access, loan programs, investment tools, borrower support, risk management, and agency funding strategies.
• Partners on programs, projects, initiatives, and opportunities with other Prosper Portland teams, including business finance products, commercial affordability, business development, grants, real estate development, public benefit agreements, and workforce development initiatives.
• Works closely with the Grants Manager to coordinate loan, grant, and blended-capital strategies, ensuring clear program handoffs, consistent applicant and borrower experience, coordinated compliance calendars, appropriate segregation of duties, shared dashboards, and unified reporting of Capital Access outcomes.
• Partners with the Grants Manager to determine when grants, loans, credit enhancements, or layered financing structures are the appropriate tools, and ensures underwriting, eligibility, award conditions, monitoring, reporting, and closeout requirements are aligned when projects receive multiple forms of Prosper Portland support.
• Oversees measurement, performance, and reporting of loan portfolio and investment initiatives, including financial performance, risk indicators, leverage, repayment, community impact, job creation or retention, business stabilization or growth, and other program outcomes.
• Represents the department and the agency on technical and policy matters with borrowers, lenders, funders, community partners, City bureaus, committees, task forces, City Council, press, and public stakeholders as assigned.
• Serves as an authority and resource within Prosper Portland, to City partners, and to outside agencies regarding mission-driven investment, economic development finance, loan portfolio management, and responsible deployment of public capital.
• Partners with the communications team to develops messaging and strategic storytelling using qualitative and quantitative data to communicate portfolio performance, investment impact, borrower outcomes, and risk management practices.
• Coaches, mentors, and empowers direct reports; manages staff performance; supports staff development; assigns work; monitors workload; and builds technical capacity across the team.
• May serve as Acting Director in the Capital Access Director’s absence, as assigned.
• Leads and/or assists the agency with special projects, committees, audits, process improvements, and other relevant duties as assigned.

Scope

• Operates independently with general direction from the Capital Access Director.
• Makes a wide variety of complex decisions that require technical expertise, leadership, initiative, discretion, and sound judgment. Decisions and errors in work can have significant legal, fiscal, political, compliance, reputational, and operational impacts to the agency.
• Work involves a high level of complexity due to the technical nature of lending, credit risk management, investment structuring, portfolio monitoring, borrower relationship management, public funding requirements, interdepartmental coordination, and the need to balance mission outcomes with prudent financial stewardship.
• Performs a varied scope of work that is often complex, time-sensitive, highly visible, and subject to public, funder, legal, fiscal, and operational scrutiny. Position serves as a subject matter expert to the agency.
• Position has full supervisory responsibilities for a team. Oversees the work of staff, consultants, temporary workers, and/or student staff.
• Position has oversight for administration of agency funds, private investment resources, City funds, federal or state funds, revolving loan funds, and other restricted or strategic capital resources as assigned.
• Role requires cross-functional coordination with the Grants Manager to manage overlap among loans, investments, and grants; reduce duplication; protect internal controls; maintain clear decision rights; and support transparent governance when Capital Access products are layered or sequenced.
• Position may possess expenditure, approval, loan, investment, disbursement, servicing, or delegated authority consistent with agency policy and assigned responsibilities.
• Routinely handles sensitive borrower, business, financial, legal, investment, and compliance information and must always ensure information security and maintain a high degree of confidentiality.

Competencies

• Interpersonal Skills: Advanced ability to establish and cultivate authentic and effective working relationships and partnerships. Exercises active listening, tact, patience, diplomacy, discretion, and political awareness.
• Mission-Driven Service: Ability to provide excellent service by demonstrating a people-oriented mindset and a willingness to help. Ability to train and provide mentorship, guidance, and thought partnership to others.
• Teamwork: Ability to work inclusively and collaboratively with others. Resolves conflict, builds consensus, and supports shared accountability across teams.
• Capital Access Collaboration: Ability to build operating rhythms with the Grants Manager and other peer leaders, including shared planning, coordinated pipeline review, cross-program risk escalation, consistent stakeholder communication, and joint performance reporting.
• Leadership: Ability to lead, organize, review, and support the work of others. Ability to effectively manage staff performance and invest in staff development. Ability to coalesce, motivate, and empower a team.
• Communication: Effective use of both verbal and written communication. Advanced ability to speak and present in public. Uses negotiation, facilitation, and persuasion skills. Ability to organize, simplify, and report complex lending, investment, financial, and portfolio information to a variety of audiences. Bilingual or multilingual skills are a plus.
• Cultural Curiosity and Reflection: Ability to learn and use culturally responsive practices to understand, communicate, and work with people across cultures and identities. Honors and embraces differences and models inclusivity in interactions and decisions.
• Inclusive Economic Development: Knowledge of and demonstrated commitment to advancing fair, accessible, and inclusive economic development outcomes. Ability to support investment strategies that expand access to capital and reduce barriers for businesses, borrowers, and community partners.

• Knowledge:
• Advanced knowledge of loan portfolio management, commercial and business lending, community development finance, credit administration, investment structuring, and public/private financing tools.
• Advanced knowledge of underwriting principles, credit analysis, repayment capacity, cash flow analysis, debt service coverage, leverage, loan-to-value analysis, collateral valuation, guarantees, covenants, financial statements, tax returns, and borrower risk assessment.
• Working knowledge of loan servicing, payment processing, disbursement controls, borrower reporting, insurance and lien tracking, modifications, restructures, collections, workouts, charge-offs, and special assets management.
• Knowledge of portfolio risk management practices, including risk rating systems, concentration monitoring, stress testing or sensitivity analysis, credit risk review, exception reporting, loan loss indicators, and internal controls.
• General knowledge of federal, state, local, City, funder, and agency requirements and authority related to public fund administration, lending programs, grants or loans, compliance, records retention, and public accountability.
• Knowledge of cross-functional capital deployment practices, including coordination of loans, grants, blended finance, award conditions, compliance monitoring, shared reporting, and governance controls.
• Understanding of economic development finance, revolving loan funds, CDFI partnerships, SBA or similar loan programs, tax increment financing, credit enhancements, tax credits, and other public financing tools.
• Understanding of project management, public/private partnerships, business finance, commercial affordability, and general public administration.
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office, financial modeling tools, loan servicing systems, database systems, reporting dashboards, artificial intelligence, web-based platforms, and other communication tools.
• Technical Abilities: Ability to analyze complex budgets, financial statements, underwriting packages, proformas, repayment sources, collateral, risk ratings, financial models, forecasts, portfolio dashboards, and investment performance data.
• Continuous Learning: Openness to new ideas. Ability to provide and receive constructive feedback. Ability to ask for help, learn from experience, and adapt practices based on portfolio performance, borrower needs, audit findings, funder requirements, and changes in the lending environment.
• Problem Solving: Applies advanced research, analytical, and creative problem-solving skills. Exercises sound judgment in carrying out responsibilities. Ability to identify borrower, credit, compliance, documentation, operational, and reputational risks and recommend practical solutions.
• Adaptability: Flexibility to respond to shifting and competing work demands. Ability to work with ambiguity, changing market conditions, evolving borrower needs, and time-sensitive credit or servicing issues. Perseveres in the face of obstacles.
• Planning and Organization: Ability to oversee complex loan programs, investment initiatives, agreements, deadlines, servicing requirements, reporting obligations, and portfolio reviews. Advanced ability to strategize, develop, implement, and evaluate goals, policies, procedures, workflows, and internal controls. Ability to develop and manage a budget with multiple funding streams.
• Accountability: Takes initiative and responsibility for actions. Follows through on commitments and meets deadlines. Maintains confidentiality as appropriate. Demonstrates strong attention to detail, documentation discipline, risk awareness, and public stewardship.

Minimum Education, Training and/or Experience

Seven years of progressively responsible experience in commercial lending, business lending, community development finance, credit administration, loan portfolio management, investment management, public finance, economic development finance, financial analysis, or equivalent experience.

Experience must include working knowledge of business or commercial loan underwriting, credit analysis, loan servicing, loan documentation, borrower monitoring, portfolio reporting, financial modeling, and risk management practices.

Supervisory or team leadership experience is required or must be demonstrated through equivalent experience leading projects, assigning work, managing consultants, coordinating cross-functional teams, or providing technical guidance to staff.

Experience with public-sector lending, revolving loan funds, CDFI or community lender partnerships, SBA or similar loan programs, economic development finance, commercial affordability, small business lending, real estate-secured lending, or mission-driven investment programs is highly desirable.

A bachelor’s degree in finance, accounting, business administration, public administration, economics, real estate, urban planning, public policy, or a related field is preferred. An equivalent combination of education, training, and experience that demonstrates the ability to perform the duties of the position may be considered.

Physical Requirements

Position requires ability to remain in a stationary position for extended periods of time along with the ability to frequently move throughout the office. Position often uses a computer and other standard office equipment. Position must communicate and interact with internal and external stakeholders often regarding complex lending, investment, financial, borrower, compliance, and portfolio issues.

Working Conditions

Normal working hours are Monday through Friday [8 AM - 5 PM] in a combination of in-person and remote work; however, additional hours may regularly be needed to meet deadlines, support loan closings, address borrower or portfolio issues, prepare reports, or respond to audit, legal, or compliance matters.

Early morning, evening, and weekend meetings may be necessary. Position will often travel to external meetings, borrower locations, project sites, properties, community meetings, or events and may occasionally travel out of the metro area.

Assigned work is often complex, shifting, and highly visible, which sometimes necessitates working under stressful conditions. Position will be expected to engage in conversation and personal reflection related to inclusive economic development, access to capital, community impact, financial stewardship, and public accountability.