Project Manager, Executive Team

WHO WE ARE: The Center for Responsible Lending (CRL) is a non-partisan, nonprofit research and policy advocacy organization that promotes financial fairness and economic opportunity for all, including families of color, rural residents, women, military personnel, low-income borrowers, low-wealth individuals, and early-career workers.

CRL provides a strong voice on both the state and national levels for these families to expand family wealth and financial stability through sustainable homeownership, affordable higher education, and support for small businesses, and protect their financial stability by preventing abusive products that trap families in debt and strip away their income, by ending payday lending and other predatory high-cost lending, exorbitant bank fees, and abusive debt collection practices. CRL’s staff, allies, and funders reflect a collective commitment to eliminating systemic injustice in America’s financial services. CRL is an affiliate of Self-Help, a community development lender founded in 1980 that has provided more than 9 billion dollars in financing to help over 185,000 low-wealth borrowers buy homes, build businesses, and strengthen community resources.

THE OPPORTUNITY:

The Executive Staff Project Manager ensures that CRL's research, policy, and communications work moves from insight to impact — keeping the organization's most critical initiatives on track, on time, and aligned with its mission to advance wealth building and economic security for underserved communities. Sitting within the Executive Staff, this position reports to the COO/Chief of Staff and works closely with the Management Committee. This role serves as the connective tissue across CRL's research, state and federal policy, communications, outreach, operations, and philanthropy teams — ensuring that high-priority projects move forward with clarity, accountability, and momentum.

At the heart of the role is ownership of cross-team projects that advance the mission of CRL. The Project Manager will build and steward the systems, timelines, and relationships that make each project successful — and use data and post-project analysis to continually drive results. Beyond these cross-team projects, this person will support Board operations and take on ad hoc projects that draw on their strengths and support the organization's evolving needs.

The Executive Staff Project Manager will serve as a visible, trusted resource for staff at every level — whether someone needs to understand an organizational policy, navigate a process, or get support executing an event, this person is often the first call. This is a role for someone who wants to leave their mark on how a high-impact advocacy organization operates — and who understands that building the infrastructure for good work is itself a form of mission.

WHAT YOU’LL DO:

Cross-Team Project Coordination ● Lead and manage critical cross-functional projects at the Executive Staff level, such as policy paper releases.

● Track and analyze metrics to drive cross-team coordination and results.

● Partner with the COO and team leaders to keep high-priority organizational initiatives on track, proactively following up on commitments and surfacing risks before they escalate.

● Facilitate coordination across departments — translating leadership direction into clear action, managing competing timelines, and ensuring nothing falls through the cracks.

Board & Executive Support

● Support the preparation and logistics for quarterly CRL Board meetings and joint CRL/Self-Help board meetings, including document management, scheduling support, and providing materials to the accounting team for annual reporting.

● Handle confidential organizational information — including board decisions and staff matters — with discretion and sound judgment.

Ad Hoc Projects ● Lead and support ad hoc projects that draw on the candidate's strengths, which may include contributing to grant writing in support of the philanthropy team or partnering with the accounting team on grants management and tracking.

Organizational Systems

● Support teams in building effective workflows, troubleshooting challenges, and helping the organization get more out of its project management infrastructure.

● Maintain the organizational calendar and identify opportunities to streamline how work is tracked, documented, and communicated across teams.

Organizational Resource & Events Support

● Act as a reliable, congenial point of contact for staff at all levels — from researchers to senior leadership — on organizational policies, processes, and day-to-day operational questions.

● Provide hands-on support for the execution of staff events, retreats, and organization-wide gatherings, from logistics coordination through to wrap-up.

The essential functions are listed above, and reasonable accommodations will be made to meet the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED: ● 5–7 years of experience in project management, operations, or a related field within a nonprofit, government, advocacy, or mission-driven organization; Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience ● Demonstrated alignment with CRL's mission and values through prior work or civic engagement, including policy, advocacy, research or advocacy-related communications

● Experience working with or in close proximity to senior leadership, with the judgment and discretion to handle confidential information appropriately.

● Demonstrated ability to manage complex, cross-functional projects from inception to completion — on time and with attention to detail — in a fast-paced environment.

● Proficiency with project management tools (e.g., Asana) and comfort building and improving workflows within those platforms. ● Strong writing skills.

Nice-to-Have Qualifications

● Familiarity with policy-advocacy work.

● Exposure to grants management, budget tracking, or financial reporting processes.

● Grant writing experience.

As a Project Manager working with Executive Staff….

● Above all, you take ownership. You follow up, you follow through, and you understand that in an organization doing work that matters, your ability to execute is directly connected to the impact CRL can have in the world.

● You are a natural organizer and confident operator who finds satisfaction in building systems that work and helping smart, busy people do their best work. You bring structure without rigidity, and calm without disengagement.

● You move work forward through relationships rather than authority. You read people well, communicate clearly across organizational levels, and build the kind of trust that makes you the first call when something needs to get done.

● You adapt, problem-solve with what's in front of you. When priorities shift — and they will —you

maintain the steady presence others lean on under pressure.

● You’re analytically-minded, using data to assess performance and — and you're always asking how to make it better next time.

WORK ARRANGEMENTS

The Project Manager is a hybrid role, based out of Durham, NC or Washington D.C.. Staff are expected to be in the office three days per week, with Monday and Wednesday as communal days and the third day determined by each individual. In order to connect and collaborate with colleagues across the organization, this role may include occasional travel for team retreats or special events. Similarly, because we work across three time zones, leaders often make themselves available to connect during evening hours.

COMPENSATION PHILOSOPHY & BENEFITS

CRL believes that wealth inequality undermines the security and strength of families, communities, and the US economy. For that reason, we maintain a minimum salary floor well above the federal minimum wage for our staff, to help them meet their basic needs and save for the future. We also cap salaries at the higher end of our compensation scale, where many staff, including the CEO and other senior leaders, earn the same salary, subject only to geographic adjustments.

Salary: ● Durham, NC: $88,600 - $126,610

● Washington, D.C.: $102,200 - $153,400

Compensation ranges are based on local market rates and are determined by geography, role, and experience. The higher end of each range represents the current organizational salary cap for each location, which increases annually based on cost of living and organizational performance.

Health

● Medical, dental & vision insurance for employees and eligible dependents, with 80% to 100% of premiums paid by Self-Help depending on coverage levels selected

● Employee Assistance Program Access

Paid Time Off

● Vacation accrued at 15 days/year; sick time accrued at 12 days/year

● 11 paid holidays

● Paid parental leave of 12-16 weeks, prorated for staff with less than 1 year of service

Financial Wellbeing

● 401k match - 3% company contribution, plus an additional $1 for $1 on first 6% that the employee contributes

● CRL-paid life insurance of $50,000, plus long-term disability and accidental death & dismemberment coverage

● Tuition reimbursement

● As a 501(c)(3) organization, employment with CRL may provide an opportunity for student loan forgiveness. Candidates should review the provisions of their student loans to determine if this is applicable.

JOIN THE TEAM! Visit the Center for Responsible Lending Careers page to submit your resume. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

CRL’s work focuses on those who may be marginalized or underserved by the existing financial

marketplace, or in many cases, people who are targeted for unfair and abusive financial products that leave them worse off. This includes people of color, women, rural residents and low-wealth families and communities. We strongly encourage applicants from these communities to apply, even if they may not meet every listed qualification. Diverse perspectives drive innovation, and we are committed to building a team that reflects the identities and experiences of the communities we serve.

Interview Process

CRL’s aim is that the hiring process is both robust and efficient, ensuring that there is time for mutual discovery along the way. For this role, candidates can expect a phone screen, video interview with the hiring manager, panel interview, as well as an on-site final interview that will connect them with colleagues from across the organization. Once the interview process begins, we anticipate it will take 4-6 weeks until an offer is made and communicated.

The Center for Responsible Lending is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all persons, regardless of race, religion, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression (including transgender status), age, sexual orientation, military and veteran status, class or family status.