Graduate Intern

Description

WHO WE ARE

City First Bank N.A. is a mission-driven Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) principally focused on a transformative impact in underserved, urban markets with the highest needs to drive equitable economic development. Our lending activities are purely commercial and focused on the following segments: Multifamily Affordable Housing, Not-for-Profit Finance, and Small Business Finance. As a depository and commercial lending provider with over $1.3 billion in bank assets as of December 31, 2024, our unified organization has over 100 employees in Washington DC and Los Angeles/Inglewood, CA. 

ROLE SUMMARY

City First Bank is excited to offer a dynamic and hands-on internship experience designed for innovative, mission-driven students and recent graduates who are eager to contribute to the growth of the nation’s largest Black-led Minority Depository Institution (MDI) and Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI). Interns will work on high-impact, project-based assignments across departments and gain exposure to the inner workings of a purpose-driven financial institution.

This is a unique opportunity for emerging professionals interested in helping build a more inclusive and equitable banking system. Interns will collaborate with experienced leaders and contribute meaningfully to real projects that support our mission of economic justice and community empowerment.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Supporting departmental initiatives through research, writing, data analysis, or administrative coordination.
• Contributing to presentations, reports, or visual materials for internal and external stakeholders.
• Assisting with community outreach, partnerships, or engagement activities.
• Participating in brainstorming sessions and offering fresh, creative ideas.
• Preparing communications materials such as social media posts, marketing collateral, or training guides.
• Compiling and synthesizing data for team dashboards, decision-making, or impact tracking.
• Collaborating with team members to support events, campaigns, and internal projects.
• Attending team meetings, shadowing leaders, and learning banking industry best practices.
• Functional Areas of Opportunity & Sample Projects
• Finance: Assist with budgeting, reporting, financial modeling, and analysis projects that support the bank’s fiscal health and growth strategies.
• Marketing & Communications: Support campaigns, content development, brand storytelling, digital engagement, and community messaging.
• Operations: Help optimize internal processes, support technology or system upgrades, and contribute to cross-functional efficiency projects.
• Social Impact: Work with teams developing programs focused on affordable housing, small business growth, nonprofit lending, and racial equity initiatives.
• Training & Development: Assist in creating employee learning tools, onboarding materials, or tracking organizational development initiatives.
• Commercial Banking: Support client engagement efforts, assist in credit analysis, research industries and markets, and help manage lending pipelines.

Requirements

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE

Required Education/Experience:

• High school diploma or equivalent required.
• Preferred fields of study: Business, Finance, Marketing, Communications, Public Policy, Sociology, Urban Planning, Education, Economics, or related disciplines.
• Students from HBCUs and minority-serving institutions are strongly encouraged to apply.

CERTIFICATIONS

• Not applicable

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

Required Knowledge & Skills:

• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Creative, proactive, and solution-oriented mindset.
• Willingness to learn, take initiative, and contribute in a team environment.
• Demonstrated interest in social justice, inclusive finance, or economic development.
• Comfort with Microsoft Office Suite, Google Workspace, and virtual collaboration tools.
• Experience with data analysis, graphic design, or content creation is a plus (not required).