Senior Originator

LISC is one of the country’s largest community development organizations, helping forge vibrant, resilient communities across America. LISC works with residents and partners to close gaps in health, wealth, and opportunity so that people and places can thrive. We do this by acting as a conduit for grants, loans and equity--and by providing technical assistance and capacity building--to locally rooted organizations that carry out the work in communities.

 

Position Description

LISC Fund Management (LFM) seeks an experienced and collaborative professional to serve as Senior Originator. This role is responsible for sourcing, structuring, and advancing mission-driven real estate investments across LFM’s place-based and national funds, with a primary focus on affordable housing transactions.

Reporting to the Senior Director, Fund Investments, the Senior Originator leads origination efforts in designated markets and funds, including the Cleveland Housing Investment Fund, the National Strategic Investment Impact Fund (NSIIF), and future place-based vehicles. The position is accountable for developing and maintaining a strong pipeline of transactions and managing deals from initial sourcing through intake, credit committee approval, closing, and transition to asset management.

The Senior Originator works closely with underwriting, construction, asset management, fund management, and investor relations to ensure transactions are structured appropriately and executed efficiently. While supported by dedicated underwriting staff, the role requires the ability to evaluate financial analysis, assess credit considerations, and contribute meaningfully to investment committee discussions.

This position requires a self-directed professional who can manage multiple transactions simultaneously, cultivate relationships across markets, and contribute to market development through outreach, conference participation, and partner engagement. The Senior Originator plays a key role in advancing LFM’s investment strategy and supporting annual origination goals across its affordable housing and community development portfolio.

Responsibilities

Deal Origination and Market Development (40%)

• Source and develop a pipeline of affordable housing and community development transactions across assigned markets and funds, including Cleveland Housing Investment Fund, the National Strategic Investment Impact Fund (NSIIF), and future place-based vehicles
• Cultivate and maintain relationships with developers, lenders, public agencies, and community stakeholders
• Conduct market analysis to evaluate new opportunities and identify strategic entry points in target geographies
• Represent LFM at conferences, industry events, and partner meetings to expand deal flow
• Contribute to broader “One LISC” positioning when engaging with external stakeholders

 

Transaction Structuring and Execution (35%)

• Lead transactions from initial sourcing through Intake Committee, Credit Committee, closing, and transition to Asset Management
• Collaborate with underwriting to structure transactions, assess feasibility, and align deal terms with fund strategy and risk parameters
• Review financial analysis and underwriting outputs to ensure accuracy and consistency with market realities
• Coordinate with construction oversight, legal, and closing teams to ensure timely execution
• Manage multiple transactions simultaneously while maintaining forward momentum

 

Fund Coordination and Investor Engagement (15%)

• Coordinate with Fund Management to confirm pricing, capital availability, and fund allocation considerations
• Partner with Investor Relations on pipeline updates, investor presentations, and fund-specific approval processes
• Participate in fund-specific reporting and presentations to public partners, including municipal stakeholders, as required
• Support alignment between deal execution and fund-level impact and financial performance goals

 

Cross-Functional Collaboration and Portfolio Transition (10%)

• Ensure smooth handoff of closed transactions to Asset Management and respond to follow-up inquiries as needed
• Participate in closing calls and support coordination with construction risk and asset management teams
• Maintain clear communication across internal teams regarding deal status, timelines, and emerging risks
• Contribute to process improvements that enhance deal flow, coordination, and execution efficiency

 

LISC offers a competitive salary and excellent fringe benefits. This position is expected to travel once per month, up to 15% annually.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Real Estate, Economics, Business, or related field from an accredited college or university; Master’s degree preferred
• Minimum 5–10 years of experience in affordable housing finance, commercial real estate lending, banking, or community development finance, with demonstrated experience sourcing and executing real estate transactions
• Experience working with affordable housing capital stacks, including familiarity with LIHTC structures and other public subsidy sources; experience with agency financing (Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae) preferred
• Strong understanding of real estate finance fundamentals, including project feasibility, valuation, market analysis, and capital structuring
• Ability to review and evaluate financial models and underwriting analyses, with proficiency in Excel and financial projections
• Demonstrated experience managing multiple transactions simultaneously and advancing deals from initial sourcing through closing
• Proven ability to build and maintain relationships with developers, lenders, public agencies, and other stakeholders
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to present transactions clearly to internal committees and external partners
• Ability to operate independently in a lean team environment, balancing production goals with disciplined credit and execution standards
• Demonstrated commitment to LISC’s community development mission and ability to balance financial performance with community impact objectives

 

Compensation

LISC provides a competitive salary ($93,362-$116,703) and excellent fringe benefits for this position.

*Actual salaries may be based on several factors including, but not limited to, a candidate's skill set, experience, education, work location and other qualifications.

Our benefits include: 

Medical, Dental, Vision Coverage: Comprehensive health plans for you and your family's well-being; Disability Insurance: Long-term and short-term coverage for peace of mind; Retirement Savings: Secure your future with our 401(k) and 403(b) plans; Generous Holidays: Enjoy ample time off to recharge and celebrate; Vacation, PTO, and Sick Days: Take advantage of flexible time-off policies to maintain work-life balance; Tuition Assistance: Pursue your educational goals with support from our tuition assistance program; Referral Program: Earn rewards for referring qualified candidates to join our team; Professional Development Opportunities: Grow and advance in your career with access to ongoing training and development programs tailored to your goals.

LISC is an equal opportunity employer. LISC does not discriminate in employment on account of actual or perceived race, color, creed, religion, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, age, sex or gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, lactation and related medical conditions), gender identity or expression (including transgender status), sexual orientation, marital status, military status or veteran status, unfavorable discharge from military service, physical or mental disability, protected medical condition as defined by applicable state or local law, genetic information or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state or local laws and ordinances.

We will endeavor to make a reasonable accommodation to the known physical or mental limitations of a qualified applicant with a disability unless the accommodation would impose an undue hardship on the operation of our business.