Business Development Officer

Who We Are

Pursuit is a community-focused lender that provides small businesses with affordable loans and resources so that they can reach higher, transform, and grow. That transformation may start with an individual borrower, but ultimately extends into the broader community, taking shape as new employment opportunities, economic development, and positive change.

What We Do

For more than 70 years, we have been 100% invested in the success of our clients. Pursuit offers a suite of innovative financing products designed to expand access to capital for small businesses. Our range of loans and lines of credit range from $10,000 to $5.5 million for businesses ready to make their next big investment. We have designed our application processes and loan terms with more flexibility than traditional banks. Our signature loan programs include commercial real estate financing, general business funding, and fast business funding through a digital platform. We leverage deep, long-term relationships with banks and community partners to serve clients in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Chicago, Nevada, and Washington.

About the Job

The Business Development Officer - Small Business Lending is responsible for working directly with banks, business service organizations, associations, chambers of commerce, economic development organizations, professional service firms, lending organizations or marketplaces, and others to secure client referrals and acquire loan customers. The ideal candidate will be someone with deep experience in the state, especially in areas with a high concentration of mission-aligned small businesses.

Based in or around Connecticut with the ability to travel frequently across the region.

What You’ll Do

· Maintaining a network of bankers and referral partners and securing new deal channels.

· Engaging in strategic networking to develop new partners and clients.

· Quickly understanding business conditions, conducting business assessments, and providing feedback and guidance to potential clients on the appropriateness of various products.

· Maintaining expert familiarity with Pursuit Community Finance products and those of its affiliates.

· Nurturing and advising clients to help resolve access to capital barriers, with a focus on loan readiness, loan packaging, and addressing challenges to accessing capital.

· Conducting follow-up assessments and check-ins with clients.

· Managing reports and IT systems related to tracking and reporting on business development.

· Supporting efforts related to new grant proposals and reporting to funders, including monitoring and measuring program outcomes as needed.

· Additional position-related duties and responsibilities as assigned by supervisor.

What You’ll Bring

We’re looking for a confident and capable business development officer who checks most of these boxes:

· Education: Bachelor’s degree (required)

· Experience: 3+ years’ experience with banking, small business lending, or business development in the financial services industry

· Credit Knowledge: Strong credit analysis skills; formal credit training a big plus

· SBA Familiarity: Previous SBA 504 or 7(a) experience preferred

· Communication: Clear, persuasive, and professional in writing and in person

· Presentation Skills: Comfortable presenting to referral partners and prospects

· Self-Motivation: You don’t wait to be told what to do—you make things happen

· Location: Connecticut

Additional Information

· We will give consideration to and provide training for veterans interested in a career in finance/ banking provided that the applicant has completed at least two years of college with an accredited institution.

· Final candidates must pass all pre-employment screenings, including background check, credit check, and drug screening.

· Applicants must be authorized to work in the U.S. We do not provide sponsorships for those who require a sponsorship in order to work in the U.S.

What We Offer

A collaborative environment of mission-focused professionals dedicated to helping communities and economies grow through business lending. We seek individuals who want to blend a career in financial services with a career serving others. Pursuit extends its employees’ competitive salaries and a range of benefits including, including but not limited to:

· Health Insurance, generous employer premium contribution

· Fully paid Dental, Vision, and Life Insurance

· Generous 401(k) match

· Flexible spending account

· Holiday and Paid Time Off

· Paid Parental Leave

· Volunteer Time Off

· Referral Program

· Educational assistance after two years of employment

· Mentorship Program

· Summer work hours

How to Apply/Contact

Please submit a cover letter and resume and/or complete Employment Application.

HRTeam@pursuitlending.com

https://pursuit-hr.formstack.com/forms/employment_application

How We Help

We believe that when local businesses thrive, they provide good, stable jobs, recycling the money they spend back into the community to help it grow. Our loans are offered with affordable rates to ensure that our clients can continue growing and positively impacting their neighborhoods. While compelling founders’ stories are what drive us every day, we are proud to work with small businesses at scale:

$4+ billion lent, $1.2 billion in the last 5 years

$2 billion portfolio of small business loans 70,000+ jobs created.

10,000+ loans to small businesses

10,000+ hours of advisory and educational services

Based on our compensation benchmarking survey, the estimated salary range for this position is $70,000 – $90,000 and is commensurate with education and commercial lending experience.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and comply with all applicable federal, state and local laws regarding nondiscrimination. We provide equal opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, creed, color, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, citizenship status, age, veteran status, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions or any other status protected under applicable federal, state or local law