Senior Director, Real Estate Finance at Civic Builders Inc – New York, New York

Department: Real Estate and Construction

Reports To: Vice President of Real Estate

About Civic Builders:
Civic Builders is the nation’s leading nonprofit lender and developer of public charter schools. Since 2002, the organization has invested more than $2.1 billion into over 100 schools, bringing high-quality educational opportunities to more than 55,000 students annually.

About the Position:
Civic Builders is seeking a Senior Director, Real Estate Finance, to lead complex financing, investment strategies, and underwriting decisions that support charter school development projects across the East Coast. This is a senior, externally facing role for a finance leader with strong judgment, technical depth, and experience structuring sophisticated real estate transactions.

Reporting to the VP of Real Estate, the Senior Director will lead transactions from underwriting through closing, working closely with senior leadership to advance financing strategies, manage capital relationships, and support Civic’s growing development pipeline. This role requires a high degree of independence and the ability to navigate complexity with both strategic thinking and strong execution.

The Senior Director will represent Civic with school leaders, lenders, government partners, and mission-aligned capital providers, helping shape transactions that expand access to high-quality public education through thoughtful real estate investment and development.

Responsibilities:

Real Estate Finance, Underwriting & Transaction Leadership

• Lead underwriting, financial modeling, capital stack design, and negotiation for real estate development transactions through closing and post-close compliance
• Develop project-level and portfolio-level financial models assessing financing feasibility, debt service coverage, loan-to-value, cash flow projections, and sensitivity scenarios
• Partner with the VP of Real Estate, CEO, and Investment Committee on projects ranging from $10M to $50M+, providing clear recommendations on portfolio optimization, risk minimization, return yields, and financing strategy
• Lead the sourcing, structuring, and compliance process for New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) allocations into Civic’s real estate development projects
• Structure and close complex transactions involving tax-exempt bonds, blended debt and equity, credit enhancement, and other leveraged financing sources
• Prepare investment memos, credit analyses, and financing recommendations for senior leadership, board members, and external partners
• Negotiate financing and partnership terms with developers, charter school partners, lenders, bond counsel, government agencies, and other stakeholders
• Maintain disciplined oversight of transaction pipelines, milestones, reporting, and compliance through Monday.com and related tools

Strategy, Growth, and Process Improvement

• Identify and evaluate financing opportunities aligned with Civic’s development and growth strategy
• Drive refinancing, stabilization, lease-up, and tenant buyout strategies that protect Civic’s financial interests and long-term impact
• Serve as a strategic thought partner to the VP of Real Estate and senior leadership on market expansion, financing tools, and long-term capital strategy
• Contribute to strategic initiatives, including new financial products, green building finance, and geographic expansion
• Strengthen underwriting tools, transaction processes, and internal standards as Civic’s portfolio grows
• Collaborate with Accounting & Finance, Portfolio Management, and Real Estate teams to proactively manage transactions and emerging risks
• Share expertise, strengthen internal capacity, and support the development of colleagues through collaboration, knowledge sharing, and informal coaching.

Stakeholder Engagement & External Representation

• Represent Civic externally to senior partners, investors, board members, and clients in meetings, negotiations, and industry settings
• Guide charter school clients through project feasibility and transaction milestones
• Manage school client relationships and engage school leadership at both staff and board levels to support successful financing outcomes
• Build and maintain relationships with mission-aligned lenders, funders, impact investors, and financing partners to expand Civic’s access to affordable capital

Who You Are:

• You are a strategic finance leader with strong technical acumen and the ability to structure complex real estate transactions with confidence and precision
• You are highly self-directed and comfortable operating with significant autonomy while knowing when to elevate key decisions and risks
• You are a persuasive negotiator who protects Civic’s financial interests while advancing mission-driven outcomes
• You are energized by deal-making and enjoy structuring creative, complex financings that deliver meaningful impact for schools and the broader charter sector
• You are analytical and detail-oriented, with strong judgment under pressure and a practical approach to solving complex problems
• You are highly organized and able to manage multiple priorities and transactions simultaneously, adapting as needed and communicating effectively with internal and external stakeholders
• You are a collaborative leader who values teamwork, supports the growth of colleagues, and builds strong long-term partnerships across lenders, operators, and public sector stakeholders
• You thrive in entrepreneurial environments and are motivated by expanding access to high-quality public education through thoughtful real estate investment and development

Qualifications:

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Real Estate, Business, Urban Planning, or a related field
• 8+ years of progressive experience in real estate finance, community development finance, investment, or lending, with demonstrated responsibility for large-dollar transactions
• Advanced financial modeling, underwriting, and credit analysis skills, including expert Excel capability
• Demonstrated experience structuring and closing complex transactions with layered financing sources
• Deep understanding of real estate finance structures (loans, lease-to-own, NMTCs, tax-exempt bonds, historic tax credits, etc.)
• Outstanding project management, organizational, and interpersonal skills
• Strong written, verbal, negotiation, and relationship management skills with the ability to influence senior executives, board members, and external partners
• Excellent negotiation, relationship-building, and problem-solving skills
• Ability to work independently in a hybrid environment and collaborate across functions

Strongly Preferred

• Experience with charter school facilities, nonprofit real estate or mission-driven developers, community development finance, or impact investing
• Direct experience in charter school facilities finance from the borrower, developer, operator, lender, or investor side, with borrower-side experience strongly preferred.
• Track record of success in entrepreneurial, fast-paced, mission-driven environments
• Familiarity with the regulatory, operational, and financial dynamics of charter school operators
• Existing relationships with lenders, bond counsel, credit enhancers, and mission-aligned capital providers

Compensation, Benefits & Work Environment:
Compensation is commensurate with experience and qualifications. The target salary range for this role is $190,179 to $208,890 annually. Final compensation will be determined based on experience, qualifications, and internal equity.

Civic Builders offers a competitive benefits package that includes health, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance; generous PTO and holidays; paid parental leave; professional development support; and participation in Civic’s 401(k) plan with employer match.

Civic Builders offers a hybrid, collaborative work environment, with New York Metro-based team members working in the NYC office two days per week and remotely for the remainder of the week. Flexible work arrangements may be considered for the right candidate.

Candidates must have permanent authorization to work in the United States.

Start Date:
Civic Builders is seeking candidates who can start as soon as possible; flexible for the ideal candidate.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer:
Civic Builders is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes candidates from diverse backgrounds and perspectives. Civic Builders provides employees with a safe and welcoming environment free of discrimination and harassment.

As an equal opportunity employer, we prohibit any unlawful discrimination against a job applicant on the basis of their race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, national origin, family or parental status, disability, age, veteran status, or any other status protected by the laws or regulations in the locations where we operate.

To Apply:
We encourage you to apply even if your experience is not a 100% match with the job description; we will consider people from a variety of backgrounds and career experiences. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.