Small Business Support Specialist 1 - Tempe, AZ

Small Business Support Specialist

The Small Business Support Specialist is responsible for providing high-quality client service, operational execution, and lending support to Small Business Relationship Managers NMLS and their assigned small business portfolios. The role supports clients with annual revenues generally between $500K and $2.5 million, typically not exceeding $5 million, by helping coordinate account servicing, loan administration, documentation, onboarding, renewal support, and issue resolution. This position enables Small Business Relationship Managers to spend more time on proactive relationship management, client deepening, prospecting, and portfolio growth while ensuring consistent, timely, and compliant client experience. The role combines the client service, operational, risk, and procedural discipline with selected portfolio and credit support responsibilities commonly performed in partnership with relationship managers. While not intended to own relationship sales goals or serve as the primary banker, the Small Business Support Specialist plays a critical role in supporting lending execution, maintaining portfolio discipline, coordinating across internal partners, and identifying opportunities or concerns that should be elevated to the Small Business Relationship Manager.

What you'll do:

• Provide centralized client service and operational support for Small Business Relationship Managers and their assigned small business portfolios.
• Support loan intake, documentation collection, account opening, client onboarding, renewals, exceptions, ticklers, covenants, collateral reporting, and other portfolio follow-up activities.
• Coordinate with underwriting, portfolio management, loan operations, title companies, outside counsel, product partners, branch partners, and other internal teams to advance client requests and clear outstanding conditions.
• Research and help resolve client servicing needs, including loan maintenance, overdrafts, payoffs, payments, account maintenance, wire transfer support, and documentation follow-up.
• Maintain accurate and timely information in applicable systems, including Salesforce, Fusion, nCino, Hogan, AFS, WebKYC, and other department-specific tools.
• Support account opening, product implementation, and onboarding activities for deposits, credit cards, digital access, treasury management referrals, cash management support, and other core small business banking solutions.
• Recognize client needs, documentation gaps, operational risks, or relationship deepening opportunities and elevate them to the appropriate Small Business Relationship Manager or partner.
• Provide timely, professional communication with clients and internal partners to support product installation, documentation completion, issue resolution, and client satisfaction.
• Participate in client calls, portfolio reviews, pipeline meetings, exception meetings, audit preparation, and operational huddles as needed to support execution discipline and consistent client outcomes.
• Contribute to procedural documentation, best-practice sharing, onboarding, training, and team effectiveness within the centralized Small Business Support team.

What you'll bring:

• Strong knowledge of small business banking operations, account servicing, lending support processes, documentation requirements, bank products and services, and applicable policies and procedures.
• Excellent client service, problem resolution, organization, follow-up, written communication, and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work effectively with Small Business Relationship Managers, clients, underwriting, portfolio management, operations, branch partners, and other internal business lines.
• Sound judgment in identifying client needs, documentation issues, operational risks, and matters requiring escalation.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications and department-specific systems; experience with Salesforce, Fusion, nCino, Hogan, AFS, WebKYC, or similar systems is preferred.
• Ability to operate in a centralized team environment while supporting relationship managers and clients across multiple regions.
• Typically an associate degree or equivalent experience and two or more years of related banking, client service, operational support, lending support, or small business banking experience; higher levels require broader experience and stronger credit, risk, and portfolio support knowledge.

Role expectations and requirements:

• This role is based in Tempe, AZ and is part of a centralized support team reporting to the National Small Business Support Specialist Leader.
• The role supports Small Business Relationship Managers across all regions and is not intended to own relationship sales goals or serve as the primary banker for assigned clients.
• The role actively ensures compliance with the U.S. Bank Code of Ethics and all Anti-Money Laundering, Bank Secrecy Act, information security, suspicious activity reporting, account opening, lending, documentation, and regulatory requirements, policies, and procedures.
• The role actively participates in required corporate and business line training, follows account opening and documentation procedures, and understands internal suspicious activity referral requirements and processes as required for the position.
• The role may perform other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications: -Associate degree or equivalent experience -Two to three or more years of related banking, client service, operational support, lending support, or small business banking experience Desired Qualifications: -Knowledge of small business banking operations, account servicing, lending support processes, documentation requirements, bank products and services, and applicable policies and procedures obtained through training and experience -Demonstrates strong client service, problem resolution, organization, follow-up, written communication, and interpersonal skills -Possesses the ability to work effectively with clients, Small Business Relationship Managers, underwriting, portfolio management, operations, branch partners, and other internal business lines to support client outcomes -Proficiency with department-specific systems and Microsoft Office applications; experience with Salesforce, Fusion, nCino, Hogan, AFS, WebKYC, or similar systems -Credit support knowledge, broader understanding of risk controls and regulatory requirements, greater autonomy, and the ability to support more complex client relationships and portfolio activity