Chief Capital Architect & Ecosystems Officer

Description

Title: Chief Capital Architect & Ecosystem Officer

Employee Status: Full Time – Exempt

Salary: Grade 11

Starting range of $210,000 – $274,000 | Chicago | Detroit | Milwaukee

Starting range of $195,000 – $255,000 | Ohio | Missouri | Indianapolis | Grand Rapids

Reports to: Chief Executive Officer

Department: Executive: (Capital Architecture & Ecosystem)

Location: Any IFF office

Hybrid Remote: In office: T/W | Remote: M/Th/F

Department Function:

The Capital Architecture & Ecosystem function is responsible for designing, implementing, and evolving IFF’s enterprise capital system. This includes capital strategy, sequencing, aggregation, and deployment logic; ecosystem development to increase capital absorption capacity; and the creation of scalable capital mechanisms that align public, philanthropic, and private capital with community need.

The function operates at the enterprise level, working across regions, sectors, and business lines to ensure capital flows are intentional, aligned, and durable.

The Organization

IFF is a mission-driven lender, real estate consultant, and developer that helps communities thrive. Key to our success has been a deep sense of purpose, a broad perspective, and a relentless focus on achieving positive results. Across the Midwest we help clients from every sector, including human service agencies, health centers, schools, affordable housing developers, and healthy food grocery operators. Staff contribute extensive business experience and an unrivaled connection to the mission of IFF to the clients we serve.

Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

Partnering to create thriving communities is at the heart of everything we do. We leverage knowledge, capital, and resources to advance equitable and transformational outcomes in under-resourced communities, guided by our commitment to be an inclusive, anti-racist and anti-oppressive institution that honors communities as asset-rich and as experts in their own stories.

Basic Job Function

Provides enterprise-level leadership for the design, sequencing, and stewardship of IFF’s capital, ensuring alignment between capital sources, institutional capacity, and community readiness to advance IFF’s impact across the Midwest. In close partnership with the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, the Chief Capital Architect & Ecosystem Officer leads capital strategy development and ecosystem development to expand, innovate, and amplify IFF’s role as the go-to CDFI for community development finance in the Midwest.

Primary domains include: Enterprise-level capital architecture and ecosystem orchestration, including the design and implementation of capital identification, aggregation, staging, and deployment strategies; the development and activation of systems that increase capital absorption capacity across IFF geographies and sectors; and the translation of IFF’s strategic priorities into scalable capital-based solutions that accelerate community impact. The CCAEO ensures strong alignment between capital strategy, ecosystem development, and enterprise priorities by establishing feedback loops, performance measures, and adaptive learning practices that inform continuous improvement. The CCAEO partners with business and cross functional leads on the development of annual service and regional plans in alignment with the strategic plan, informed by strong feedback loops.

IFF is looking for candidates with a commitment to the work we do who can demonstrate their creativity, diligence, enthusiasm, growth-mindset, thoughtfulness, and passion to make meaningful change in the areas of economic and racial justice.

Requirements

Core Responsibilities:

1. Provide strategic, proactive, and enterprise-level leadership to expand, innovate, and amplify IFF’s impact as the go-to CDFI for community development finance and development across the Midwest and beyond. Lead the design and stewardship of capital and ecosystem strategies that align public, philanthropic, and private capital with community need and IFF’s strategic priorities.

• Serve as a senior enterprise leader shaping how capital is identified, influenced, aggregated, staged, and deployed across geographies and sectors.
• Maintain strategic relationships with key federal, state, and local government actors, philanthropy, civic institutions, association networks, and current and prospective investors in service of enterprise capital strategy and ecosystem development.

2. Strategic and proactive collaboration on co-created enterprise framework(s) for external stakeholder engagement with strong feedback loops, identified leading practices, documented lessons learned all in service to replicating what works and deepening impact.

• Ensure alignment between enterprise capital architecture and external stakeholder engagement through collaboration with the Chief External Affairs Officer and senior leadership to co-create and steward enterprise-wide frameworks for external engagement, policy alignment, and ecosystem influence.
• Collaborate on strategies that align capital architecture, policy, advocacy, and external engagement to unlock capital flow and increase system capacity.
• Establish and maintain relationships with key influencers and system actors to support policy, advocacy, and systems-change efforts aligned with IFF’s strategic plan.
• Ensure feedback loops, learning, and documented leading practices inform replication and enterprise-wide strategy.

3. Strategic and proactive collaborative support for business executives in the development of high-impact annual regional plans that respond to identified needs, leverage opportunity, maximize impact, and catalyze investment aggregation and deployment in service to the four strategic domains of expansion, innovation, amplification, and replication.

• Develop business relationships with the nonprofit sector to accelerate IFF’s Communication and Marketing efforts to build loan and real estate consulting business pipelines and, when appropriate, help identify development opportunities.

4. Develop, leverage, and connect relationships in tandem with CEO, CFO, and VP of Investor Relations and Capital Catalyst (IRCC), and Resource Development team to activate capital strategies into IFF including thought leadership on upstream structures and partnerships that enable capital to flow to communities.

• Lead the design and management of capital aggregation plans informed by IFF’s five year forecast and strategic capitalization plan.
• Set enterprise capital strategy in partnership with the CEO and CFO, informing resource development and capitalization planning informed by IFF’s annual budgeting process and longer-term strategic resource development plan(s).
• Provide executive leadership and strategic direction for IFF’s Investor Relations and Capital Catalyst staff, ensuring capital sourcing, investor engagement, and deployment strategies are fully aligned with enterprise capital architecture, sequencing, and ecosystem priorities and the team is effectively managed and supported.
• Maintain effective alignment and coordination with VP IRCC, CEO, CFO, and Resource Development team on outreach efforts with a commitment to excellence through full investor lifecycle.

5. Cultivate ecosystems development and cross stakeholder innovation informed by cross functional learning from IFF and broader sector thought leadership to support the design of new capital mechanisms that align investor intent with community need, reduce barriers to feasibility, and increase the number of investable projects across sectors.

• Proactive coordination on local or regional implementation of piloted strategies with strong feedback loops.
• Knowledge sharing and dot connector to inform enterprise capital aggregation and capital absorption.

6. Model solutions-oriented leadership on cross regional and cross departmental collaboration to make the enterprise more effective and better serve the needs of customers and communities.

• Primary partner to business leads modeling deep commitment to culture keeping and enterprise alignment.
• Model and inspire execution with excellence focused on customers and communities.
• Commitment to deep and aligned partnership with business executives as an aligned leadership team.

7. Act as primary executive liaison to/for regional relationships in close alignment with CEO and business leads with a focus on aligned, strategic, and effective representation of IFF and the region.

• Proactive coordination with CEO, Chief External Affairs Officer, Communications and Marketing team on IFF representation and visibility.

8. Provide executive leadership and direction for all multiple Regional and Service Area lead direct reports in multiple markets:

• Provide supervision, coaching, and collaborative problem-solving through regular check-ins with assigned staff.
• Utilize best management practices and interpersonal skills to facilitate the collaborative work environment necessary for the issue-free execution of all service area and regional responsibilities.
• Direction to formulate and implement professional development plans for direct reports providing growth opportunities to remain current and enhance specific areas of expertise.

9. Demonstrate a commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion. Promote an environment of empathy and respect, ensure the inclusion of all team members, and engage in EDI events and learning opportunities.

10. Perform other projects as assigned. No job description can be entirely comprehensive, and the jobholder will be expected to carry out such other duties as may be required from time to time and are broadly consistent with the job description and status of the position within the organization.

Performance Measures:

1. IFF is recognized and engaged as a trusted enterprise capital and ecosystem solutions partner by public, philanthropic, private, and civic stakeholders across multiple geographies, with evidence of influence over capital flow, system design, and investment readiness.

2. Effective enterprise-level collaboration with the Chief External Affairs Officer (CEAO) resulting in clear, repeatable stakeholder engagement frameworks that align capital strategy, policy, and ecosystem development.

3. Demonstrated enablement of high-impact regional and sector strategies, evidenced by business executives’ ability to execute aligned plans supported by capital orchestration, ecosystem design, and enterprise frameworks.

4. Successful execution of capital aggregation plans with strong and growing networks of satisfied investors approaching and returning to IFF as a preferred capital deployment partner.

5. Effective, collaborative partnerships with cross functional leadership including CEO, CFO, VP IRCC, and Resource Development Leadership.

6. Effective, collaborative partnership with President, COO and strong alignment on knowledge sharing, evaluation, documentation of lessons learned, implementation of lifecycle, sector, and place-based work.

7. Tangible creation and scaling of upstream capital structures, partnerships, and mechanisms that measurably increase capital absorption capacity, reduce structural barriers, and expand the number and readiness of investable projects across sectors and communities.

8. Model solutions-oriented leadership on cross regional and cross departmental collaboration to make the enterprise more effective and better serve the needs of customers and communities.

9. Aligned, strategic, and effective representation of IFF and the region promoting IFF’s role as the go-to CDFI in the Midwest.

10. Proactive facilitation of and participation in reflective practice and other learning activities to elevate EDI-related lessons learned and best practices.

11. Cultivate a culture of openness in information sharing. Encourages open communication, cooperation, and the sharing of knowledge.

12. Model personal accountability that promotes ownership and engagement.

13. Build and maintain effective working relationships with colleagues, peers and team members.

14. Value and support differences in others, contributing to an inclusive work environment. Demonstrate the ability and willingness to communicate effectively with people of diverse backgrounds and experiences to create a collaborative, collegial, and caring community.

15. High level of satisfaction with both internal colleagues and external contacts.

Position Qualifications:

Education: Bachelor’s degree required, preferably in business, economics, accounting, or finance. Advanced degree preferred. Or equivalent experience in a similar position.

Previous Experience:

• At least ten years of experience in the areas of commercial banking, accounting, investments, financial analysis, and/or credit for commercial, industrial, and nonprofit organizations required.
• Demonstrated executive leadership of regional teams, matrix reporting structures, and modeling highly effective, solutions-oriented lead.
• Demonstrated experience designing financial structures, multi-sector investment strategies, or system-level community investment tools.
• Proven ability to coordinate cross-functional teams and manage complex, multi-stakeholder initiatives.
• Strong understanding of risk, capital markets, and community development underwriting principles.

Additional Requirements: Regular travel throughout the Midwest is required; occasional early start or extended hours and evening or weekend work.

Standard Benefits:

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

Paid time off

401(k) retirement plan with employer contribution

Life Insurance

Short and long term disability

Work-Life Balance Benefits:

Hybrid workplace

Summer Fridays

Employee Development Benefits:

Professional development stipend

Mentorship program

Miscellaneous:

Wellness programs

Employee assistance

Referral Bonuses

IFF does not offer the following:

· relocation package

· 100% remote

· provide sponsorship to applicants who require or will require a work permit.

Check off only some boxes in the requirements listed above. Studies have shown that marginalized communities - such as women, LGBTQ+ and people of color - are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every qualification. So, if you're excited about this role, we encourage you to apply.

Application Instructions: Please visit the Careers section of our website to apply online.

IFF values equity, diversity, and inclusion as part of its mission to strengthen nonprofits and the communities they serve. IFF is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to building and maintaining a culturally diverse workplace that is free of discrimination and harassment of any kind. We encourage women, minorities, individuals with disabilities and veterans to apply. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, veteran status, or any other status protected by the laws or regulations in the locations where we operate