JOIN THE DevNW TEAM AS OUR
BILINGUAL (ENGLISH/SPANISH) ASSET BUILDING SPECIALIST
Salary Range $46,450 - $57,450 with benefits + flexible schedule
Hybrid Position: Remote + Onsite Hours in Salem, OR
 
DevNW and our CDFI partner, Community Lending Works (CLW) are fostering vibrant, inclusive communities by prioritizing housing, asset development, wealth building, and small business development. To do this work, we are deconstructing pervasive systems of oppression such as racism, classism, or sexism that maintain persistent disparities and perpetuate deep imbalances in power, opportunity, and wealth.
The ASSET BUILDING SPECIALIST’s critical contributions to this work are the following:

• Deliver financial wellbeing education and coaching, harnessing goal-setting towards financial stability and wealth building.  
• Build and maintain community partners in Lane County, especially with culturally specific organizations, focusing on providing access to education, coaching, and savings tools, ultimately increasing wealth-building and homeownership rates for communities that have faced historical discrimination in homeownership and mortgage lending.
• Support clients in accessing internal and external resources and collaborate with other departments to optimize the client experience.
• Ensuring the completeness and accuracy of client documentation, class data, and files, which is critical for maintaining compliance with regulations, program success, and accountability to funders.

 
To excel in this position, you will need these essential lenses:

• Recognize that coaching is a collaborative process that honors the individuality of each person and works together to create personalized paths toward their self-defined goals and aspirations.
• Understand the importance of homeownership on long-term housing affordability, generational wealth-building, and progress in a family’s economic growth.
• Understanding that trauma-informed care and empathy is a practice, and when integrated into service delivery, it is helpful in being sensitive to each client’s unique lived experience.
• Understand systems of oppression and historical inequities with specific attention to the barriers they create for people accessing housing and wealth-building opportunities.
• Commitment to advancing economic and social justice through increasing wealth building and homeownership rates within communities that have been historically excluded from homeownership and mortgage lending through redlining and other discriminatory practices.

 
It is CRITICAL that you have…

• Ability to read, write, and speak Spanish.
• An ability to analyze peoples’ financial picture, translate those findings into useful information, and co-develop pathways towards money-related goals and action steps.
• Have a foundational knowledge of personal finance and/or homeownership and a commitment to staying current on industry developments and best practices.
• Ability to explain financial concepts in accessible ways, and confident in applying basic mathematical functions like ratios and percentages.
• Experience working with a diverse range of individuals from different backgrounds, including those from different racial, gender, immigration, and socioeconomic status backgrounds, for at least one year.
• Demonstrated experience and comfort in adapting your coaching and teaching approach to meet the unique needs of each individual.
• Demonstrated ability to manage and navigate multiple tasks with competing deadlines while collaborating with internal and external stakeholders to ensure timely completion and successful outcomes.
• Ability to effectively utilize Microsoft Office Suite applications, including Excel, Word, and Outlook, Adobe Acrobat, Zoom, Teams, as well as experience learning and adapting to new software programs.
• A private and comfortable home office environment that allows for focused and uninterrupted counseling and class sessions.
• Reside full-time in Marion County
• A valid driver’s license and the ability to travel regularly across DevNW service areas, Lane, Benton, Marion, and Clackamas counties.
• Ability to lift and move objects weighing up to 40 pounds and comfortably stand for extended periods of time during class instruction.
• Ability to work a flexible schedule, including evenings and weekends, to meet the needs of the program and clients.

Additional requirements:

• Ability to pass the HUD Housing Counselor Certification exam within 60 days of hire. (Internal and external training will be provided)

 
Example tasks/responsibilities for the ASSET BUILDING SPECIALIST:

• Provide one-on-one financial or homeownership consultations, including budget counseling, analysis of credit, analysis of debt-to-income ratios, explanation of debt repayment options, creation of an action plan, and referrals to other programs and services.
• Facilitate adult education using various teaching methods to ensure educational content is accessible and practical for adult learners with varying learning styles.
• Coordinate and conduct classes in first-time homebuying, personal finance, other financial wellness topics, and other DevNW partnership group education efforts.
• Collaborate with your team of Asset Building Specialists to develop, revise, and evaluate DevNW curriculums, class material, and outreach collateral. Research alternative curriculums for potential enhancements.
• Create educational and social videos and content around financial wellbeing and homebuying.
• Keep up-to-date on relevant information in the personal finance and homeownership field.
• Provide language-appropriate instruction, counseling, and translation as needed or requested (Bilingual Asset Building Specialists only)
• Develop partnerships and conduct outreach with communities that have experienced marginalization and historical disinvestment, and partner with the in-house Outreach Coordinator on outreach approaches
• Compile and maintain complete and accurate client and class files to account for services supported through various funding streams. Ensure client and class data entry and administration tasks are completed in a timely manner.  
• Maintain up-to-date on IDA (Individual Development Account) eligibility and requirements.  Complete IDA client case management for enrollment, and exiting IDA clients. Coordinate with the IDA Manager and Finance department to ensure timely matching grant withdrawals.
• Recruit, train, and manage volunteer guest instructors, including mortgage lenders, realtors, home inspectors, insurance agents, and financial planners.
• Create written material to communicate with clients, volunteers, and partners. Ensure timely communication.
• Coordinate all aspects of classes, including reserving class spaces, confirming volunteers, conveying information to participants, and ensuring website and digital calendars are up-to-date.
• Identify issues and trends affecting clients, and communicate your observations (as well as potential program updates/changes) to the Financial Innovation Manager and Financial Wellbeing Director.
• Utilize study materials, training sessions, and designated study time in preparation for HUD exam
• Participate in staff and program area meetings and trainings.

 
It is GREAT if you have…

• Experience teaching or coaching adults or young adults who have faced adversity.
• Experience working with people experiencing trauma and/or trauma-informed principles.
• A background that includes navigating sensitive and confidential content.
• Knowledge of city, county, and state community resources
• Experience in financial, lending, or real estate professions
• Experience in training peers or colleagues

It is a BONUS if you also have…

• Have a bachelor’s degree in Education, Economics, Psychology, Business, Public Policy, or Spanish.
• Cultural or socioeconomic lived experience that relates to the clients we serve; includes but is not limited to receiving SNAP/TANF as a child, living in affordable housing as a child, being a dreamer, being a first-generation college graduate, or other experiences.
• Certification as a HUD Housing Counselor.

 
Apply for this opportunity to support DevNW’s suite of programs and services by providing an introduction letter detailing your interest that includes the following by priority date 10/6/2023:

1. Describe how your journey thus far has prepared you for the Critical Contributions of this position.
2. Current resume

 
DevNW is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. All qualified persons are encouraged to apply. Applications for employment will be considered without regard to race, color, national or ethnic origin, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status, age, disability, and any other characteristic protected by applicable law.
Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply for jobs unless they meet every one of the qualifications listed.  We are most interested in finding the best candidate for the job, and that candidate may be one who comes from a less traditional background.  If you meet key qualifications for the job, and believe you would be the best fit, we would encourage you to apply; please use your cover letter or introductory email to explain how you will accomplish parts of the job for which you have less experience.  If you are unsure whether you meet the qualifications of this position, please feel free to contact us.
DevNW values diversity and supports a welcoming, inclusive environment where all of our employees can thrive. We value a workforce that is representative of the communities we serve.

Employment Type:	Full Time
Location:	Salem , OR , United States
Experience Required:	Associate
Date Published:	25 Sep 2023