Lending Manager

Careers with our clients through Forvis Mazars | Executive Search

The Lending Manager provides tactical and operational leadership for the Credit Union's

Consumer, Business, and Mortgage divisions. This position is accountable for consistent, high-quality and compliant underwriting; effective staff leadership and development; efficient lending processes and system controls; and clean internal, external, and regulatory audits. The Manager ensures lending decisions support member needs while protecting the Credit Union's safety and soundness and advancing its strategic goals.

Responsibilities:

Lending Leadership and Underwriting

• Provide oversight of Consumer, Business, and Mortgage lending, including underwriting, processing, quality control, policy administration, and product delivery.
• Establish and maintain consistent underwriting standards that reflect the Credit Union's risk appetite, lending policy, applicable investor requirements, and sound lending practices.
• Maintain strong quality-control and documentation standards so loan files are accurate, complete, supportable, and ready for internal, external, and regulatory review.

Risk Compliance and Audit Readiness

• Lead audit and examination preparation for Consumer, Business, and Mortgage lending; respond promptly to findings, identify root causes, and ensure sustainable corrective actions are completed and documented.
• Stay current on federal and state laws, regulations, agency guidance, and industry developments affecting credit union lending, including fair lending, consumer protection, mortgage, flood insurance, and appraisal.
• Partner with Compliance, Risk, Operations, Accounting, Information Technology, Retail, and other leaders to translate regulatory and business requirements into effective policies, procedures, controls, and staff practices.

Performance Systems and Process Excellence

• Monitor credit quality, policy exceptions, approval and funding trends, turnaround times, and other key performance indicators; take timely corrective action when needed.
• Ensure lending systems, decision engines, workflows, integrations, and reporting tools support accurate decisions, regulatory compliance, efficient service, and reliable management information.
• Evaluate staffing, workloads, and workflows across the lending divisions and allocate resources to meet service, quality, compliance, and growth objectives.

People Leadership and Development

• Develop lending leaders and staff through clear expectations, regular coaching, technical training, cross-training, performance feedback, and succession planning.
• Promote a culture of sound judgment, accountability, consistency, continuous improvement, and respectful service to Members and internal partners.
• Lead assigned lending managers and staff through workforce planning, hiring and onboarding, work assignment and review, performance evaluation, recognition, corrective action, issue resolution, and development for expanded responsibility.

Products Vendors and Executive Reporting

• Recommend lending products, pricing, guidelines, and process improvements based on Member needs, risk, financial performance, market conditions, and regulatory expectations.
• Provide accurate and timely reports to executive management, clearly communicating performance, emerging risks, significant exceptions, compliance matters, and improvement initiatives.
• Manage vendor and third-party relationships supporting Consumer, Business, and Mortgage lending, including due diligence, performance monitoring, access controls, and issue resolution.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in business, finance, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
• Working knowledge of credit union lending regulations, fair lending requirements, audit and examination expectations, loan origination systems, automated decisioning, reporting, and portfolio risk management.
• Ability to perform the essential duties of the position with or without reasonable accommodation.
• Seven or more years of progressively responsible lending experience, including significant Consumer and Mortgage underwriting experience.
• At least three years of leadership or management experience.
• Knowledge of secondary-market or investor guidelines where applicable.