Kiva U.S. Program Associate, Entrepreneurial Ecosystems & Operations

Role Description

The Kiva U.S. team provides 0% interest, no-fee loans of up to $15,000 to entrepreneurs and small businesses in the United States that are typically excluded from formal financing products. With no minimum credit score and an inclusive approach to underwriting, Kiva U.S. extends access to capital to small businesses across the country.

In communities and cities where there is an expressed gap in affordable financing options, Kiva offers a plug-in microlending partnership model for small-business support centers, city governments, and community development financial institutions, called the Kiva Hubs program. In more than 40 cities, including Oakland, New York, Detroit, and Pittsburgh, partners are developing small-business ecosystems and deepening their impact by making Kiva loans accessible to the entrepreneurs they serve.

The Program Associate, Entrepreneurial Ecosystems & Operations plays a critical role across the full lifecycle of the Kiva U.S. borrower and partner experience, from ecosystem engagement and borrower acquisition through underwriting, fundraising, repayment, and portfolio management.

This role combines relationship management, program operations, underwriting, and data-driven strategy. You will support and coach community-based partners, manage borrower and partner inquiries, review loan applications, monitor portfolio performance, and identify opportunities to improve systems, processes, and impact.

Success in this role requires strong analytical skills, exceptional organization, attention to detail, and a passion for expanding access to capital for underserved entrepreneurs. You will work closely with colleagues across Operations, Business Development, Strategic Partnerships, Impact, Marketing & Communications, Product, and Engineering to ensure an exceptional experience for borrowers and partners while helping Kiva scale its impact nationwide.

At this time, we can only consider applicants with authorization to work in the United States on a permanent, full-time basis; unfortunately, we cannot provide visa sponsorship.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent professional experience.
• 2–4 years of relevant experience in program management, operations, community development, customer success, lending, underwriting, economic development, or related fields.
• Strong analytical, critical-thinking, and problem-solving skills.
• Exceptional attention to detail and process management.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects, priorities, and stakeholders simultaneously.
• Experience working independently in a remote or distributed team environment.
• Strong organizational and time-management skills.
• Commitment to financial inclusion, entrepreneurship, and social impact.
• Ability to build trusted relationships with external partners and internal stakeholders.

Requirements

• Experience supporting entrepreneurial ecosystems, small business development, community lending, or economic development initiatives.
• Experience with underwriting, loan operations, portfolio management, or risk management.
• Familiarity with Salesforce, Looker, Google Workspace, Excel, FormAssembly, Canva, Asana, Slack, Zoom, or similar platforms.
• Experience creating training materials, technical assistance resources, or educational content.
• Spanish language proficiency.
• Experience with grant-funded programs and partner reporting.

Benefits

• A work-from-home position; final candidate must be authorized to work in the U.S.
• An opportunity to improve real lives, solve hard problems, and change the world.
• Friendly, supportive, and adventurous environment with a team of engaged colleagues.
• A comprehensive, industry-leading benefits package including health, dental and vision insurance, parental leave, professional development, 401k matching, and unlimited PTO. Some of these benefits have eligibility requirements. Many of these benefits are subsidized or fully paid for by Kiva.
• Opportunities to connect with and learn from colleagues and partners around the world.
• Salary range: $55K - $64K; a final offer will be dependent upon a candidate’s location, skills, and experience.
• Currently, we are not open to working from home employees residing in the following states: AL, AK, DE, HI, IN, KY, MS, MO, NE, NM, ND, OK, RI, SC, SD, VT, WV, WI, and WY.
• We offer JOON, a flexible lifestyle spending account that gives you an annual stipend to spend on Wellness, Professional Development, or Working from Home.
• A diverse and inclusive workplace where we learn from each other is an integral part of Kiva's culture. We actively welcome people of different backgrounds, experiences, abilities and perspectives. We are an equal opportunity employer and a great place to work. Join us and help us achieve our mission!
• We will only accept applications directly from candidates. Kiva will not be responsible for any recruiting agency fees, absent a formal agreement.