Lending Manager

The Washington Area Community Investment Fund (Wacif) seeks a full-time Lending Manager (LM) to manage the day-to-day client facing operations of the lending department. The LM is responsible for implementing Wacif’s portfolio growth and quality strategy and manages the following areas: 1) lending pipeline and acquisition; 2) loan production; 3) loan servicing including delinquency management; and 4) portfolio quality. Overall, the Lending Manager manages Wacif’s client services, loan readiness, portfolio quality and management functions. Additionally, the Lending Manager manages and provides guidance, coaching, and development to the lending front-office team.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

Leadership/People Management

• Supervise the day-to-day responsibilities of the Loan Officers and all customer facing interactions with a focus on quickly resolving issues raised to the management level;
• Manage, coach, develop, and provide timely feedback to team.
• Define, establish, and implement effective loan products;
• Manage relevant projects to drive process improvements and remediation of front-office/client facing issues;
• Collaborate with the CLO regarding the continuing education and training of the loan officers.
• Collaborate within the Lending Department as well as across Wacif to ensure efficient and coordinated completion of the lending department’s goals and priorities;
• Achieve lending targets including loan production, improvement of turnaround time of lending pipeline from inquiry to loan closings, portfolio quality and delinquency management.
• Provide strategic recommendations to the CLO to improve the overall operations of the lending department.
• Works with the CLO and Lending Operations on establishing and implementing lending framework, processes,,etc.

Portfolio Management & Loan Acquisition/Origination

• Implement and executes the portfolio management strategy set by the CLO related to front-office activities;
• Manage the active loan portfolio to ensure growth and quality;
• Collaborate closely with the CLO on setting Wacif's digital acquisition strategy. Responsible for the successful Implementation of new client acquisition strategy;
• Communicate and track target market and numbers to the Programs department;
• Collaborate and coordinate with the Programs department on client acquisition, and directly support their development and implementation of an awareness strategy;
• Communicate and train all staff/departments who interact with potential clients on changes in policies and procedures;

Loan Production

• Manage day-to-day management of Loan Officer productivity and loan turnaround time (TAT), ensuring loan applications move smoothly and efficiently through the pipeline;
• Ensure loan officers achieve targets both in volume and turnaround time of lending pipeline from inquiry to loan closings;
• Oversee, verify, and coach loan officers during the entire lending pipeline (i.e., data collection, underwriting, and closing);
• Advance loans to production through the approval process smoothly, managing the communication between the loan officers, loan approval authorities and clients;
• Oversee communication and interactions with clients to ensure the highest standards of customer service and communication are provided;
• Connect and resolve problems with clients when issues are escalated to management level from clients or loan officers.

Loan Servicing

• Manage and provide solutions, along with the Loan Officers, to clients experiencing difficulty repaying loans.
• Oversee client relationship management and make recommendations for products and additional services based on client feedback. Allocate the relationship management of active clients to individual loan officers;
• Lead regular delinquency management meetings with the lending team to analyze late payments and coach staff on delinquency management;
• Make decisions regarding the delinquent portfolio including the need to restructure or refinance loans, send loans to collections, write off loans etc.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in business, finance or a related field required.
• At least 6 years of proven experience with skills in loan portfolio management, commercial lending, loan servicing, compliance, or reporting for businesses. Ideally, an emphasis on understanding businesses and entrepreneurs who encounter challenges related to systemic and institutional inequity.
• Prior work-related experience and knowledge of community development lending, federal and/or state-sponsored lending programs such as the CDFI Fund, Small Business Administration (SBA) Microloan, and 7A loans, as well as traditional and alternative loan programs preferred.
• Able to effectively manage, coach, develop, and lead a team;
• Able to define, establish, and implement lending operations structures. Requires thought leadership and ability to provide clear direction to team for implementation;
• Thorough understanding of commercial lending policies and procedures;
• Proven experience in streamlining processes, continuous improvement and focus on efficiency;
• Strong analytical, problem solving, and critical thinking skills.
• Strong technical skills with Microsoft Office Suite (Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint) and Adobe Acrobat (or comparable tools), operating systems, and networks;
• Proven ability to build relationships with potential clients, as well as business and lending partners.