Program Officer - ACRE

BACKGROUND

LISC Milwaukee is a local office within National LISC, the nation's largest nonprofit Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI). LISC Milwaukee has 30 years of experience working as a catalyst for community reinvestment in Milwaukee. It helps resident-led, community-based development organizations transform underinvested neighborhoods into healthy places to live, work, worship, do business and raise families. Increasingly, we also work with and lend to for-profit entities that share our community development mission and goals. LISC and its affiliates have invested nearly $275 million in Milwaukee neighborhoods and over $783 million in Wisconsin - fueling affordable housing, economic development, and community-led revitalization efforts. LISC opened the LISC Milwaukee office in 1995, making 2025 the 30^th anniversary of LISC in Milwaukee. Learn more by reading our strategic plan.

LISC is seeking a team-oriented individual to help deploy the targeted strategies and tools that comprise the work of the Milwaukee office. This is a key position within the LISC team and critical for the success of the ACRE program and support of its alumni, emerging developers, and community partners.

Key Responsibilities:

• Responsible for successful development, execution, and alignment of the Associates in Commercial Real Estate (ACRE) program, alumni support, networking events, continuing education opportunities and resources in collaboration with our partners and other members of the LISC team.
• Administer financial resources for ACRE alumni, emerging developers, and nonprofit partners. This includes management responsibility over a $1 million Program Investment Loan (PIL) pool to provide early project investments, initiating additional loan intakes, and promoting other tools from LISC and our affiliates.
• Organize, convene, and facilitate 26 weekly classes each year, trainings, workshops, meetings, events, and orientations that drive program priorities and implementation. To accommodate the ACRE schedule and our partners, occasional weekend work and regular weekly (Wednesday) evening hours are required.
• Coordinate fund development for the ACRE program and related emerging developer initiatives to ensure program growth and innovation, including funder identification, cultivation, grant writing, reports, and compliance as needed.
• Facilitate project-specific technical assistance, directly or in coordination with other LISC team members, and by referral to qualified partners and providers.
• Prepare and oversee grants and contracts for programs, which may include administering government and private grants/consultant agreements, managing contracted partners, and monitoring grant and consultant performance to ensure program alignment.
• Provide oversight on disbursements and financial reporting of borrowers, grantees, and consultant contracts, including troubleshooting and providing recommendations if issues arise.
• Support ACRE academic partners, guest speakers, and students (to include some grading, homework, quiz and exam administration, and other administrative functions).
• Track and evaluate progress on programmatic milestones and contract compliance.
• Develop and disseminate resources by drawing on the content expertise of LISC staff, other offices, partners, and industry best practices.
• Prepare clearly written and visually appealing reports, such as private funder narrative/financial reports, compliance reports, and other required reports as assigned.
• Support the Executive Team to develop, launch, and manage new programmatic initiatives, including drafting concept papers as needed.
• Represent LISC Milwaukee in coalitions, working groups, and other forums.
• Build and maintain mutually trusting relationships with and among partners, including funders, community organizations, businesses, government officials, anchor institutions, consultants, and contractors.
• Coordinate with LISC national program teams to advance emerging developer and contractor initiatives and promote shared resources.
• Assume responsibility for special projects and other assignments, as needed.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree from an accredited college or university or relevant commensurate work experience.
• Minimum 3-5 years of experience in real estate, finance, community development, small business development, or related disciplines required.
• Working knowledge of the economic, political, and social environments in Milwaukee, especially of historically disinvested neighborhoods, organizations, and community development efforts.
• Working knowledge of community development policies and programs.
• Demonstrated success in managing multiple projects and maintaining strong collaborative relationships with clients and co-workers is required.
• Experience building relationships, networking, and collaborating effectively with community-based organizations and diverse stakeholders.
• Strong oral and written communication skills, including speaking publicly in diverse forums.
• Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite and the ability to learn and use other software and applications of LISC, social media platforms, and IT tools.
• Excellent research, writing, editing, and analytical skills.
• Fluency using, understanding, and presenting data to inform decision making.
• Commitment to accuracy, attention to detail, timely reporting, and deadlines.
• Work simultaneously on multiple tasks and set priorities for a challenging workload.

Compensation

LISC offers a competitive salary ($62,300 - $77,900) and excellent fringe benefits.