Job Summary Overview
This position is responsible for originating, managing, and closing business lending loan opportunities with a primary focus on inbound small business lending and commercial loan requests. The Loan Officer II – Business Lending role is designed as an entry-level commercial lending production position that allows the employee to develop technical lending expertise, credit structure knowledge, relationship management skills, and production discipline while supporting the credit union’s broader business lending growth strategy.
The position serves as the primary point of contact for assigned business members and prospective borrowers from the initial introduction and discovery conversation through loan closing. The role is responsible for gathering and reviewing preliminary financial information, identifying appropriate credit union lending solutions, coordinating with inputting, underwriting, processing, closing, and other internal partners, and ensuring a positive borrower experience throughout the loan process.
In addition to originating new business lending loans, this position will manage a portfolio of existing commercial relationships. The Loan Officer II – Business Lending will be expected to maintain regular contact with assigned members, foster and deepen existing relationships, identify opportunities for additional lending, deposit, treasury management, and referral opportunities, and support long-term member retention and relationship growth.
This position is intended to provide a development path toward handling larger and more complex commercial lending transactions over time. The primary scorecard metric for this role will be unit-based, focused on the number of business lending and commercial loans successfully closed.
Essential Job Functions
- Originates business lending and commercial loan opportunities, with a primary focus on inbound business lending requests.
- Serves as the primary relationship contact for business lending borrowers from initial introduction through loan closing and fosters and deepens these relationships after closing.
- Conducts initial borrower discovery conversations to understand business background, ownership structure, financing needs, repayment sources, collateral, and overall loan purpose.
- Reviews and organizes borrower-provided information to support initial loan evaluation and internal underwriting review.
- Structures and advances business lending opportunities in alignment with credit union lending policies, risk appetite, and production strategies.
- Coordinates with underwriting, processing, closing, servicing, and other internal departments to support a seamless member experience from application through closing.
- Maintains an active pipeline of assigned business and commercial lending opportunities.
- Manages a portfolio of existing commercial relationships and maintains consistent member contact through calls, meetings, relationship reviews, and follow-up.
- Identifies opportunities to deepen existing commercial member relationships, including additional lending needs, deposit relationships, treasury management services, and partner referrals.
- Supports growth of the credit union’s business lending portfolio by fostering long-term relationships with business members and prospective borrowers.
- Works toward development as a commercial loan officer capable of handling larger and more complex lending transactions.
- Achieves assigned annual and periodic production goals, with a primary scorecard emphasis on the number of business lending and commercial loans closed.
- Reviews loan documentation to ensure consistency with loan approval requirements and proper collateral perfection and lien position.
- Organizes and manages the loan process through internal systems, including Sageworks and other department-specific systems.
- Supports operations, risk management initiatives, and a strong control environment.
- Maintains professional and community relations to increase the credit union’s visibility and enhance new business opportunities.
- Keeps well informed of the financial industry, business lending trends, market conditions, and competition.
- Demonstrates strong knowledge of the credit union’s products and services.
- Develops and maintains a network of referral sources.
- Ensures compliance with regulatory requirements, internal policies, procedures, and documentation standards.
- Performs other job-related duties as assigned.
Position Required Qualifications
Minimum Education and Experience
Bachelor’s Degree and five (5) years of experience in a financial institution in business banking, commercial banking, or related financial services, with an emphasis on developing and growing commercial deposit and loan portfolios.
Formal credit training is required or in process at time of application submission.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
Knowledge of Microsoft Office and JHA. Professional written and verbal communication, problem solving, and interpersonal skills, along with the ability to produce quality work within tight time frames while managing multiple assignments.
Ability to work on the credit union core processing systems, including JHA, and department-specific processing systems, including Sageworks.
Strong work ethic, ability to prioritize and adapt to changing deadlines, advanced interpersonal skills, excellent communication, strong problem-solving skills, and the desire to work as part of a team to support the overall success of the credit union.
Ability to conduct professional borrower conversations, gather and organize financial information, understand basic commercial lending structures, communicate loan requirements clearly, and coordinate effectively with underwriting, processing, closing, servicing, and other internal partners.
Ability to manage a pipeline, follow up consistently with borrowers and internal stakeholders, and maintain a high level of organization throughout the loan process.
Ability to develop and maintain business member relationships with the intention of fostering long-term relationship growth.
Preferred Qualifications
- Previous business lending, commercial lending, or business banking experience.
- Prior experience with small business lending, commercial lending, SBA lending, or commercial credit analysis.
- Experience managing borrower relationships, lending pipelines, financial document collection, and loan closing coordination.
- Experience with Sageworks, JHA, or similar financial institution systems.
Hybrid Work Environment and Physical Demands
- Work additional and flexible hours, including mornings, evenings, and weekends, as required.
- Occasional lifting, 25 pounds or less.
- Sitting and standing for extended periods of time.
- Working on a computer for extended periods of time.
- Employees who work from home must have business operational internet to complete work tasks and communicate via video call or chat messaging systems in a dedicated workspace.
NOTE: The job description is intended to be generic in nature. It is not an exhaustive list of all duties and responsibilities. Requirements listed in the above qualifications and physical requirements are representative of the knowledge, skill, abilities, physical demands, or work environment required or encountered that must be met by an employee to successfully perform each duty and each function of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these essential functions.