Program Officer, ECE - Portland, OR, US

THE COMPANY  · The Low Income Investment Fund is a non-profit Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) that mobilizes capital and partners to achieve opportunity, equity and wellbeing for people and communities. LIIF innovates financial solutions to create more equitabl ...

Job description

THE COMPANY 

The Low Income Investment Fund is a non-profit Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) that mobilizes capital and partners to achieve opportunity, equity and wellbeing for people and communities. LIIF innovates financial solutions to create more equitable outcomes for all by building and preserving affordable homes, quality educational opportunities from early childhood through higher education, health clinics, healthy food retail and community facilities. In this way, LIIF provides a bridge between private capital markets and communities. LIIF's headquarters is in San Francisco and has offices in Los Angeles, New York, Atlanta, and Washington D.C.

REPORTING RELATIONSHIPS:

This position reports to the Program Manager, Early Care and Education Program and collaborates with the broader Early Care and Education and LIIF teams.  

JOB SUMMARY:  

The Program Officer, Early Care and Education Facilities plays a critical role in implementing and expanding the Early Childhood Facilities Fund. This fund supports high-quality early learning environments across Multnomah County. The Program Officer manages grants, provides technical assistance to childcare providers, and collaborates with public and private partners to enhance the supply and quality of early childhood education facilities. This role is ideal for a mission-driven, organized, and collaborative professional dedicated to improving outcomes for children and families.

Must be in the Multnomah County, Oregon to conduct Site Visits

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Facilities Grant Management 

• Administer a complex portfolio of facility improvement grants for licensed childcare centers, family childcare homes, and other child-serving spaces (e.g., libraries, shelters, family resource centers).
• Manage full grant lifecycle including application intake, due diligence, contracting, disbursement, and closeout.
• Review grant applications for compliance, feasibility, readiness, and alignment with strategic program goals.
• Maintain real-time tracking systems to monitor pipeline activity, award status, project timelines, and budgets.
• Conduct virtual and in-person site visits to assess facility needs, document progress, and ensure compliance with program milestones.
• Draft grant recommendations, presentations, and summary reports for internal review committees and funding partners.
• Support communications and outreach to ensure grant opportunities are equitably distributed across diverse provider communities, including monolingual and underrepresented populations.

Technical Assistance and Capacity Building 

• Provide individualized technical assistance to ECE providers on facility-related topics including scoping of repairs, space planning, health and safety, regulatory compliance, and business planning.
• Assist providers in navigating building code requirements, local licensing regulations, and zoning issues in collaboration with city and county agencies.
• Develop and lead trainings or workshops on facility best practices, physical environments for young children, business readiness, and long-term maintenance planning.
• Create and disseminate resource guides, tip sheets, and planning tools tailored to small business operators and nonprofit childcare programs.

Data, Evaluation, and Continuous Improvement

• Track and analyze grant performance metrics and project impact data (e.g., number of slots created, improved quality indicators, geographic equity).
• Maintain accurate, timely records in Salesforce or equivalent cloud-based databases.
• Contribute to reports for funders, internal leadership, and external stakeholders on program outcomes and success stories.
• Identify areas for process improvement, propose enhancements to internal systems, and participate in cross-team learning sessions.

Stakeholder Engagement and Collaboration 

• Serve as a liaison with local government departments, including but not limited to Preschool For All in Multnomah County, Oregon Department of Early Learning and Care, and local Fire, Building, and Planning Departments, affordable housing developers, and licensing bodies to align facility funding and development strategies.

Other Duties as Assigned:

• Support the overall mission and work of the ECE team as needed.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor's degree in Early Care and Education, Architecture, Planning, Operations, Business Administration, Public Administration, Finance, or a related field.
• Minimum of 2-3 years experience in Early Care and Education (ECE), Oregon childcare licensing, and government funding regulations.
• Bilingual Spanish preferred.
• Strong organization and project management skills.
• Ability to work independently while managing multiple priorities.
• Training and business technical assistance experience for childcare providers or small businesses.
• Knowledge or willingness to learn about planning and building codes for childcare and community facilities.
• Understanding of facilities construction, management, project planning, and cost estimation.
• Strong collaboration skills with diverse stakeholders in public and private sectors.
• Excellent communication skills.
• Willingness to travel throughout Multnomah County, OR for site visits and occasional evening/weekend work.
• Proficiency in cloud-based systems and databases (Salesforce experience a plus).

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

LIIF offers a hybrid work environment with flexibility to balance in-office and remote work. However, all employees are expected to work on-site at least two (2) days per week. The successful candidate may be expected to travel occasionally for meetings or other Company sponsored events.

All Low Income Investment Fund (LIIF) employees must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. In accordance with LIIF's policies, we provide reasonable accommodations, absent undue hardship, to qualified individuals who cannot get vaccinated against COVID-19 because of sincerely held religious or medical reasons. If you believe you need an accommodation from the vaccination mandate required by this policy, please notify our Human Resources Department.

HOW TO APPLY: 

Please apply with Resume and Cover Letter via our recruitment portal: Recruitment ). 

Notice to Third Party Recruitment Agencies:

Please note that Low Income Investment Fund does not accept unsolicited resumes from recruiters or employment agencies.  In the absence of an executed Recruitment Services Agreement, there will be no obligation to any referral compensation or recruiter fee.

In the event a recruiter or agency submits a resume or candidate without an agreement Low Income Investment Fund shall explicitly reserve the right to pursue and hire those candidate(s) without any financial obligation to the recruiter or agency. Any unsolicited resumes, including those submitted to hiring managers, shall be deemed the property of Low Income Investment Fund. 

We do not accept unsolicited phone calls. Only candidates being considered for a position will be contacted.