CRA Credit & Investment Business Strategy Manager

The SouthState story is one of steady growth, deep community roots, and an unwavering commitment to helping our customers move forward. Since our beginnings in the 1930s to becoming a trusted financial partner across the South and beyond - we are known for combining personal relationships with forward-thinking solutions.

We are committed to helping our team members find their success while maintaining the integrity of our values: building trust, fostering lasting relationships and pursuing excellence. At SouthState, individual contributions are recognized, potential is cultivated and team members are inspired to achieve their greater purpose. Your future begins here!

Summary

The CRA Credit & Investment Business Strategy Manager is responsible for developing and implementing long-term community development credit and investment strategies that drive growth throughout the Bank’s Assessment Areas, in congruence with the Bank’s goals and objectives. The CRA Credit & Investment Business Strategy Manager will assess CRA credit and investment opportunities aligned with both CRA/Community Development and Bank Strategic goals; to include underwriting and transaction structuring, documenting and lead underwriting and due diligence for qualifying CRA investments such as LIHTC, NMTC, EQ2, SBIC, and others. The CRA Credit & Investment Business Strategy Manager will balance the Banks strategic goals, Community Engagement mission impact, profitability, policy and risk. The CRA Credit & Investment Business Strategy Manager will act as the internal CRA advocate in collaboration with internal business line partners, external partners to include investors, developers, vendors, and others as necessary.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Work with Senior Leadership, CRA Investment Working Group, Director of Community Engagement, Director of Corporate Stewardship and others (i.e. CD Officers, Local Leadership) to create and deploy strategies in collaboration with stakeholders efforts surrounding enhancing community development lending and investments.

• Organizational alignment and cross-functional collaboration – align with various business lines, (Credit, Small Business, Commercial, Retail, Mortgage, ERM, MarCom, Corporate Stewardship etc.) and Regional & Community Leadership on local needs and incorporating local relationships with a Community Development focus. Includes supporting the various local leadership in investment opportunities and understanding resources required to implement new Community Development loans and investment initiatives in their local community.

• Takes initiative to lead and successfully supports and defends communities needs for new community development loans and investments to include both commercial and mortgage related transactions , i.e. LIHTC, NMTC, EQ2, down payment assistance programs, mortgage-backed securities etc.

• Conduct or support commercial and community development credit underwriting, including analysis of borrower/guarantor financial statements, cash flow, collateral, repayment sources, global debt capacity, and risk factors. Not with the intent to approve the transaction, but advocate for approval by local leadership and credit team.

• Evaluate, structure, and recommend community development loans and investments consistent with CRA objectives, credit policy, and risk appetite. Includes due diligence on opportunities including but not limited to LIHTC, NMTC, EQ2, loan funds, CDFI related credit extensions, and securitized investments as applicable.

• Prepare or contribute to credit memos, investment summaries, approval packages, and portfolio monitoring materials. Collaborate with internal partners (i.e. Credit, Finance, Risk, CRA Investment Working Group, CD Officers, and line of business leaders) to assess transaction structure, policy compliance, risk appetite, and community development eligibility.

• Monitor performance, covenant compliance, and impact/results of community development credit and investments.

• Identify and mitigate transaction, credit, operational, compliance and strategic risk associated with loans and investments. Analyze data and prepare risk assessment and mitigation efforts for new and on-going Community Development Loans and Investments.

• Engage stakeholders both internally and externally through various means of communication, planning, networking, volunteering, etc. to ensure plans and ideas are aligned to support both the Bank’s vision and the community’s needs.

• Present opportunities to drive Community Development Loan and Investment growth and build Meaningful and Lasting Relationships.

• It is the responsibility of this role to take ownership of all tasks and challenges that they encounter in the operation of their assigned position.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 

Qualifications

Education Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent work experience.

Minimum Experience

• 8+ years of experience in CRA/Community Development finance, commercial credit, underwriting, lending, and/or community development investments.

• Demonstrated experience evaluating community development loans, tax credit investments, structured finance, or securitized investment products.

• Experience partnering with credit/risk/legal/compliance/business line stakeholders in transaction execution.

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities

• Must have experience in commercial credit analysis and underwriting non-profit and community development financing structures.

• Must have experience in financial statement spreading and cash flow analysis, credit risk assessment and risk rating concepts.

• Must have experience with structuring and conduct due diligence on complex community development lending facilities such as LIHTC, NMTC, EQ2, and others.

• Experience and knowledge of securitized community development investment vehicles and related risk considerations.

• Ability to conduct due diligence for securitized community development investments.

• Ability to synthesize financial, community impacts, and regulatory factors into business line and leadership recommendations.

• Maintain strong knowledge of the Community Reinvestment Act and Fair Lending Laws and regulations.

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with the ability to prepare reports and presentations are required.

• Willingness to collaborate with a strong ability to work across business lines, high emotional intelligence, adaptable to change, able to pivot and ability to exercise discretion.

• Requires the ability to effectively manage workflow and assignments, appropriate prioritizing work. Attention to detail and accuracy is necessary.

• Requires the ability to work well with diverse work groups, team and group-oriented activities.

• Expertise in stakeholder engagement, partnership development, and cross-functional development.

• Demonstrated success in quantifying community development impact and leveraging data to tell compelling stories.

• Deep commitment to the Bank’s Core Values and understands the value of storytelling.

Physical Demands and Work Environment

Physical Demands

• Ability to communicate in person, on the phone, and through electronic channels

• Ability to use a computer on a frequent basis, including typing and sustained attention to a monitor

• Ability to sit, walk, and/or stand for extended periods of time

• Ability to bend and reach

Work Environment

• Office: If the position reports to a physical Company location, the setting will be a typical office environment.

• Remote or hybrid: For remote or hybrid positions, a secure and distraction-free setting is required, with a reliable internet connection (cable or fiber preferred, mobile hotspots not acceptable).  Hybrid positions will report to a physical Company location, as directed by the manager, and that setting will be a typical office environment.

Benefits | SouthState Careers

Equal Opportunity Employer, including disabled/veterans.