Officer, Financial Solutions (Sustainable Affordable Housing)

at  Federation of Canadian Municipalities

The Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) is the national voice of municipal governments, representing the interests of cities and communities with the federal government.

YOUR SKILLS MAKE US BETTER

You bring:

EDUCATION:

• University degree in Finance, Business administration, Economics, Commerce, or a related field.

EXPERIENCE:

• Minimum of 3 - 5 years of professional experience in construction and takeout financing in the housing sector.

KNOWLEDGE:

• Knowledge of planning, delivery, and administration of housing finance, with an ability to analyze, reason and work within complex construction projects
• Knowledge of federal and provincial funding programs for the not-for-profit and co-operative housing sector considered a strong asset.

YOU IN THIS ROLE

The Sustainable Affordable Housing (SAH) Financial Solutions Officer provides financial analysis and guidance to housing provider applicants in the GMF lending process, while providing superior client service in all phases of the funding lifecycle. The Financial Solutions Officer is responsible for reviewing applications for quality, completeness and adherence to application criteria and a specified supporting document checklist, summarizing Peer Review and financial assessments and recommending files and amount of funding for approval. The Financial Solutions Officer is also responsible for guiding borrowers through the contract negotiation, execution and fund disbursement processes.
The future of work at FCM includes a commitment to being a more inclusive and anti-racist racist organization with a people centered approach. The incumbent embodies FCM’s commitment to being a healthy, diverse, inclusive, and anti-racist organization.
The work at FCM includes FCM becoming an even more member-driven organization that balances the realization of its goals with a people-centered approach. The incumbent embodies FCM’s commitment to being a healthy, diverse, inclusive, and anti-racist organization. As a member of the officer works in a manner that embraces these values, the corporate culture and the passion for FCM’s mandate.

WHAT YOU’LL BE DOING

• Acts as the primary client contact on a portfolio of applications and funding agreements through the project cycle
• Responsible for internal and external communications, document review, keeping accurate and up to date financial records of the project and borrower, and ensuring timely processing to facilitate the underwriting and environmental review process
• Conducts an initial review of capital project applications, accounting for the housing provider’s request, and adherence to eligibility criteria and financial documentation requirements
• Provides assistance and guidance to applicants with a view to clarifying the financial viability of the loan and contribution request, and providing information of importance to finalizing funding agreements and contracts
• Liaising with internal expertise on environmental viability of projects, which includes sharing relevant knowledge products and capacity building resources
• Facilitates and supports the Peer Review process, including reviewing scores and comments, conducting additional research or consulting with applicants and FCM staff to clarify and/or elaborate content information
• Writes and reviews application summaries and prepares recommendations for funding and is prepared to answer questions. This may involve reviewing translated presentation documents as required
• Prepares recommendations following approval, which may include contract amendments, scope changes and closure memos
• Assists with the overall preparation and administration of term sheets and funding agreements within the assigned portfolio, which includes consulting with clients on contract terms, negotiating where required, reviewing, and finalizing agreements and obtaining applicable signatures
• Reviews contracts for adherence against mandatory requirements, ensures that it reflects the pre-approved terms and conditions, and submits for processing
• Reviews and recommends disbursement requests, and content of progress and final reports, based on contract requirements
• Communicates with direct supervisor and main internal stakeholders to provide status updates on files, consults on complex contract negotiations, and reports any significant changes in disbursement timing and cash flow
• Reviews project and in some cases, environmental result reports to identify significant results or lessons learned which may be used as case studies or to support the development of knowledge/communication products, and shares relevant information with other teams
• Participates as required in cross-functional team project work for GMF, FCM Programs department or in FCM-wide initiatives
• Contributes to ongoing process improvements in application and contracting process with a focus on improving client service. This may include reviewing new application forms and developing/updating tools and templates for applicants.