Associate - Portfolio Management

Farmer Mac is looking to hire a driven, analytical, industry-focused and personable individual for an experienced Associate - Portfolio Management position on its renewable energy infrastructure portfolio management team. The position will support Farmer Mac's Infrastructure Finance team.

Position Summary

The role will be responsible for supporting Farmer Mac's existing portfolio of complex renewable energy project finance loans to finance independent power projects, including loans to projects that are under construction or those that are operational, and construction bridge loans that monetize tax credits. The Associate will interact and coordinate closely with other members of the Infrastructure Finance team, which includes Credit Underwriting teams, Relationship Managers, and Portfolio Strategy & Analytics within our Renewable Energy, Broadband Infrastructure, and Power & Utilities business segments. Responsibilities include, but are not limited to, preparing and managing loan modification/consents/amendment requests, performing ongoing risk rating assessments and required reviews, loan refinancing transactions, legal document review, coordinating with loan operations on reviewing and processing borrowing and disbursement requests, interfacing with internal stakeholders, including Underwriting, Credit, Capital Markets, and Loan Operations. Additionally, this role will support underwriting of new loans, preparation of credit memos, performing and managing due diligence activities, industry and market analysis, preparing and/or reviewing complex cash flow project finance models, closing activities, and assisting in the execution of loan purchases.

This role is expected to immediately make key contributions towards accelerating growth within Farmer Mac's Infrastructure Finance business and significantly contribute to Farmer Mac's strategic objectives and initiatives. Suitable candidate must be a proactive self-starter, be able to work on and assist in completing various deals at multiple stages of development, work with minimal supervision and be an active and efficient communicator.

Team Summary

Farmer Mac's Infrastructure Finance team is a fast-paced, knowledgeable, mission-oriented team lending to organizations that finance renewable energy project finance transactions, power and utility entities and broadband companies, in addition to providing wholesale lending to a select group of financial institutions. Infrastructure Finance has delivered significant growth and is a crucial business in the execution of Farmer Mac's strategic plan. The segment's focus is on deepening existing client relationships, developing new customer relationships, and diversifying the products offered to clients.

The People You Will Work With

The Associate will be an integral part of the Infrastructure Finance team, reporting directly to the Portfolio Manager - Renewable Energy and will have regular ongoing interactions with the Underwriters, Managing Directors within Infrastructure Finance, Capital Markets, Transaction Management, and internal and external advisors and legal counsel.

Where and When You Will Work

The position can be based in Farmer Mac's Washington, DC or Johnston, IA, locations or remote. Farmer Mac embraces a Presence with Purpose work environment, which allows for flexibility of work location while providing the opportunity for teams to come together in the office with purpose. Work outside of core hours may be required for planned and unplanned activities to complete time sensitive projects or to attend off-site meetings or events.

Primary Responsibilities and Duties

• Support Infrastructure Finance loan performances and collaborate with key internal stakeholders, including Credit, Underwriters, and Relationship Managers.

• Collaborate with the Portfolio Strategy & Analytics and the Credit team to support strategic credit assessments of the portfolio, ensuring alignment with business strategies and performance goals as outlined in Farmer Mac's business plan.

• Work closely with Portfolio Strategy & Analytics to:

• Prepare and manage loan modification/consents/waivers/amendment requests, term conversion, legal document reviews,

• Coordinate with Loan Operations on reviewing and processing of borrowing and disbursement requests,

• Gather appropriate project information and documents for due diligence and provide support to credit underwriters, as necessary,

• Assist in creating management reports that include quarterly monitoring of portfolio deals as well as portfolio trends and statistics.

• Gather and assess industry information to understand macro impacts on the portfolio and individual transactions.

• Interact closely with Underwriting to support loan acquisitions in alignment with Farmer Mac policy and standards.

• Take lead on special projects that enhance the portfolio management team's decision- borrower- and portfolio-level reporting capabilities.

• Advise business partners on credit risk-related matters that pertain to making underwriting decisions on portfolio borrowers' loans that come up for refinancing.

• Provide technical advice on engineering, procurement, construction, and operations of renewable energy and other infrastructure projects as each relates to covenants, reserve requirements and events of default included in project finance and structured credit documentation.

• Work closely with the Managing Director of Renewable Energy in the development of policies and procedures that drive efficiencies across the business.

• Assist and support the ongoing development of loan administrative, operations and closing functions, and the implementation of infrastructure projects.

• Represent Farm Mac at industry conferences and individual lender visits.

• Make key contributions to organization-wide initiatives and processes to improve efficiency, productivity, sourcing and credit quality.

• Provide guidance to junior portfolio management team members by reviewing and advising on deliverables.

Desired Skills and Qualifications

• Strong verbal and written communication skills with the ability to communicate effectively with Farmer Mac staff and clients.
• Proficiency in operating in a computerized office environment, with solid ability in all MS Office applications, especially focused on PowerPoint, Excel, Teams, Power BI, and Copilot.
• Familiarity with and ability to become proficient with Farmer Mac's online loan origination and servicing platforms and applications.
• Strong work ethic with the ability to work on one or more tasks efficiently and effectively with minimal supervision.
• Understanding of finance and accounting, particularly energy finance, public accounting, banking, or related experience.
• Self-starter mentality with high intellectual curiosity.

Education and Experience

• Bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, business administration, economics, engineering or related field.
• Five or more (5+) years of experience in finance, commercial banking, renewable energy, or other energy-related fields.

Our compensation philosophy is targeted pay positioning relative to peers, our industry, and external markets. Farmer Mac is committed to a compensation program that will enable the organization to attract, motivate, reward, and retain highly skilled and creative talent to maintain sustained long-term performance and achieve the organization's strategic business objectives. Salary is competitive. The typical starting salary range for this position is between $120,000-$150,000, although wages can vary based on experience and geography, plus performance-based bonus and equity-based awards. Individual compensation will be commensurate with the candidate's experience.