The Lead Business Relationship Specialist partners with Commercial Relationship Managers (CRMs) and Business Development Officers (BDOs) to provide high-level support that enables the successful prospecting, development, and retention of banking relationships. This position serves as a subject matter expert and resource for the Business Relationship Specialist team, helping to ensure consistent service delivery, efficient workflows, and adherence to F&M policies, procedures, and risk management standards. This role also trains, develops, and mentors Business Relationship Specialists, supports workflow coordination, identifies opportunities for process improvement, and collaborates with internal business partners to deliver a seamless and consultative banking experience.

The Lead Business Relationship Specialist incumbent will manage and service their own client relationships while also providing leadership, guidance, and support to the Business Relationship Specialist team. 

Company Culture:

At F&M we are committed to community, collaboration, and continuous growth. Guided by our GROW values—Gregarious, Resolute, Original, and Wholehearted—we foster an environment where employees feel empowered, respected, and inspired to make a positive impact on our customers, communities, and one another.

Defining Success in this Role:

Success in the Lead Business Relationship Specialist role is demonstrated by delivering exceptional customer experience, providing proactive and effective support to CRMs and BDOs, maintaining strong portfolio and risk management practices, and serving as a trusted resource and leader to the Business Relationship Specialist team. The successful incumbent promotes collaboration, operational excellence, and continuous improvement while helping F&M build and maintain strong commercial banking relationships.

Essential Duties: 

Customer Experience 

• Fosters a positive F&M customer experience. 
• Responds to customers’ requests/inquiries within 24 hours resolving the request or setting a new expectation.
• Provides administrative and portfolio assistance to assigned CRMs; including but not limited to, helping with the collection of financials, monitoring maturities, loan renewals, and loan reviews.  
• Attends in-person service and sales calls with CRMs/BDOs to promote business relationship building and a positive customer experience. 
• Assists CRMs in initiating credit requests and loan renewals by collecting data and inputting necessary documents into various systems. 
• Assists CRMS with construction loan disbursements.
• Assists Treasury Management with servicing and onboarding tasks. 
• Serves as an escalation point for complex customer service and operational requests, working collaboratively with internal teams to facilitate timely resolution. 

Leadership, Team Support, and Collaboration

• Serves as a subject matter expert and resource to Business Relationship Specialists, providing guidance and support on Processes, procedures, systems, and complex customer or loan-related matters.
• Assists with onboarding, training, and mentoring new and existing Business Relationship Specialists.
• Coordinates team workflow and prioritization to ensure timely completion of customer requests, portfolio management, and administrative responsibilities.
• Provides guidance and support to Business Relationship Specialists in resolving complex or escalated customer, operational, and portfolio-related issues. 
• Collaborates with internal teams, including operations and treasury management, to deliver seamless banking services to clients.
• Supports the sales process by recognizing referral opportunities and actively communicating with F&M banking partners to provide customers with a consultative banking experience. 

Risk Management

• Monitors daily overdrafts and past-due payments.
• Responds to Connect inquiries and Business Relationship Specialist group emails within the hour. 
• Runs credit reports and performs OFAC checks. 
• Accesses various websites to retrieve documents when necessary to complete loan files. 
• Ensures current and accurate Resolution is on file for borrowing purposes and CIP requirements. 
• Communicates daily with Loan Operations, Loan Processing, and Loan Review to ensure errors and missing
• documentation is resolved, and the loan file is perfected. 
• Ensures accuracy of loan documents and extended credit is within policies, procedures, and guidelines. 
• Assists CRMs in evaluating and managing problem loan and collection activities.
• Gathers needed documents from customers for renewals for underwriting purposes. 
• Provides guidance to Business Relationship Specialists regarding risk
• Requests, tracks, and collects financial information.
• Manages collateral exceptions and covenants.
• Manages post-closing activities in a timely manner. 

Supervisory Responsibilities: 

• This position will supervise a team of Business Relationship Specialists. Carries out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with the bank’s policies and applicable laws to include training, performance appraisals, rewarding and disciplining employees, addressing complaints and resolving problems.  

Other Duties: 

This job description is not designed to be an exhaustive list of duties. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may 

change at any time with or without notice. 

GROW Competency Alignment: 

Gregarious – Relations & Communication

• Build positive relationships with customers and coworkers through professional, friendly communication.
• Collaborate effectively across departments to support customer and operational needs.
• Demonstrate active listening and maintain a welcoming, approachable demeanor.
• Provide exceptional customer service while representing the Bank professionally.

Resolute – Management Effectiveness

• Foster a positive work environment while leading the team to achieve business objectives efficiently
• Maintain composure and professionalism during high-volume or challenging situations.
• Supervise, coach, mentor, and provide continual feedback while ensuring operations run smoothly
• Demonstrate reliability and ownership in daily operational responsibilities.

Original – Innovation

• Identify opportunities to improve customer experiences and operational efficiency.
• Embrace change and support new processes, technologies, and initiatives.
• Contribute ideas and recommendations that strengthen team performance.

Wholehearted – Emotional Intelligence

• Demonstrate empathy, professionalism, and respect in all interactions.
• Build trust with customers and teammates through honesty and consistency.
• Support a positive and collaborative work environment.
• Show commitment to the Bank’s mission, community involvement, and customer relationships.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The 

requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skills, and/or abilities required. 

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Possess effective interpersonal skills to relate to all audiences.
• Possess effective customer service and sales skills.  
• Understands business financials and other pertinent documents.
• Proficient organizational skills with ability to function in a flexible work environment.
• Excellent pc skills to include MS Office products, Word, Excel, and Outlook. 
• Ability to communicate effectively orally and/or in writing.
• Ability to respond to questions from customers. 
• Ability to add, subtract, multiply, divide in all units of measure using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals. Ability to compute rate, ratio, and percent.   
• Ability to respond to sensitive inquiries.
• Ability to concentrate for extended periods of time with attention to detail.  
• Ability to prioritize and meet deadlines.
• Ability to work independently with limited supervision.
• Ability to work with and maintain confidential information. 
• Ability to maintain composure under pressure.  
• Ability to work on multiple tasks efficiently in an environment with interruptions, managing time and resources to ensure work is completed within established timeframes.

Education and/or Experience

• Associate’s degree or equivalent from two-year college or technical/trade school; or 
• A minimum of three years’ related experience or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• A minimum of three years’ supervisory experience. 
• Preferred work-related experience should consist of working in a financial, legal, or title institution’s operations, sales, or customer service areas.
• Prefer intermediate experience, knowledge, and training in branch operation activities, terminology, and products and services relating to retail and commercial account customers. 
• Prefer intermediate knowledge of related state and federal banking compliance regulations and other Bank operational policies.  

Certificates, Licenses, and Registrations: 

• Notary or willing to obtain. 

Physical and Mental Demands: 

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 

• The employee regularly sits and uses hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools, or controls.
• The employee frequently is required to talk or hear.  
• The employee is occasionally required to stand, walk, reach with hands and arms, stoop, kneel, or crouch.  
• The employee must regularly lift and/or move up to 10 pounds.  
• Specific vision abilities required include close vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and 

the ability to adjust focus.  

Work Environment: 

• Work is primarily performed in an office setting where the noise level is usually moderate. 
• This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, calculators, phones, photocopiers, filing cabinets, and fax machines.  

Position Type/Hours: 

This is an exempt position working Monday – Friday. 

Travel:

Limited travel for training purposes and visits to customers’ locations as necessary.