Financial Counselor South Bend Financial Empowerment Center

Full job description–Financial Counselor

This is an outstanding opportunity to be a Financial Counselor for the forthcoming South Bend Financial Empowerment Center to be located in the City of South Bend’s MLK Dream Center in 2025. The purpose of the Financial Empowerment Center is to effectively implement high‑volume, quality, one‑on‑one financial counseling services to low‑income individuals and families. The Financial Empowerment Center model has operated for over thirteen years across more than thirty municipalities in the United States.

In total, current FECs have worked with over 150,000 clients, helping them reduce debt by more than $226 million and increase savings by $46 million. Professionally trained FEC counselors help low income residents manage their finances, pay down debt, increase savings, establish and build credit, and access safe and affordable mainstream banking products. Core to the FEC model is integrating financial counseling into other social services, including home ownership services, workforce development, emergency assistance programs, benefits access, and more.

Part of a growing national network, the South Bend FEC will launch in 2025 as a downtown hub, with a focus on high‑volume, one‑on‑one counseling to serve the community’s financial needs.

Bachelor degree in finance, accounting, economics, or quantitative analysis preferred but not required. Current students of finance, accounting, economics at an accredited university will be considered. May have prior work experience in the financial counseling field. Experience in community service‑oriented jobs in low income communities is a preferred.

Ability to commute to South Bend locations using own vehicle.

• Approach each client with professionalism, compassion and the care needed to address each client’s unique circumstances
• 1:1 Financial Counseling sessions, based on FEC’s guidelines and training
• Accurately assess what is important for each client, prepare written and oral reports concerning each client’s financial situation, and develop new ideas for client’s financial wellness strategies.
• Send follow up correspondences to clients, respond to client calls and set up follow up consultations when appropriate
• Understand and communicate client performance reporting
• Ensure financial wellness strategies are implemented
• Monitor and ensure completion of meeting follow up tasks

• Obtain client data and use it to effectively prepare financial solutions required to address the client’s specific situation
• Efficiently and accurately collect, manage, and track data using the CFE Fund’s national FEC data system.

• Maintain strong analytical skills in financial, numerical, economic and other areas of financial counseling.

• Attend all regularly scheduled FEC staff meetings
• Assist financial advisor with compliance measures
• Assist in marketing and partnership opportunities as assigned
• Other duties as assigned

• Proficient user of MS Excel and other MS Applications
• Experience with online meetings applications (Zoom, Google Meet, Apple Face Time)
• Willingness to be trained under all Bloomberg FEC Counselor Training Standards and meet all continuous training requirements.
• Experience performing financial and quantitative analysis
• Effectively prioritizes, communicates and manages workflow and meets deadlines
• Effective written and verbal communication skills with experience in working with broad and diverse clientele.
• Flexible; willing to travel locally and work in different locations in the local area.
• Thorough and attentive to details when assisting clients
• Excellent customer service skills
• Self‑motivated; works hard and follows through
• Performs high‑quality, accurate work
• Able to collect and document client data with discipline and respect to client confidentiality.
• Demonstrates strong cooperation and a positive attitude

Full‑time; 40 hours weekly

$50,000.00 per year

• Monday to Friday 8am to 4pm or 12pm to 8pm
• Some weekends required.

• In‑person, various locations (public/community centers)
• The MLK Dream Center (anticipated 2025)
• Virtual meetings applications (Zoom, Google Meet, Apple Face Time) and various satellite location.

The Near Northwest Neighborhood, Inc. is an organization of diverse members dedicated to the preservation and revitalization of the neighborhood through: providing affordable housing to low‑moderate income households, organizing and empowering community residents, promoting the neighborhood’s interests and fostering an inclusive community that values diversity.