SVP, Consumer Lending

Job Description

Job Description

HOPE Overview

HOPE (Hope Enterprise Corporation, Hope Credit Union and Hope Policy Institute) provides financial services; leverages resources; and engages in advocacy that strengthens the financial health of people in under-resourced Deep South communities. Since 1994, these efforts have benefited more than three million people in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee, and influenced billions in persistent poverty communities across the nation. Learn more at

Title: SVP, Consumer Lending

Department: Retail Sales

Reports To: Chief Retail Officer

Supervises: Consumer Underwriting, Consumer Sales, Quality Control, Collections, Portfolio Management

Job Classification: Full-time, Exempt

Location: Jackson, MS

Job Summary

The Senior Vice President, Consumer Lending is responsible for the strategic leadership, growth, profitability, operational excellence, and risk management of the credit union's consumer lending division. This individual oversees the entire consumer lending lifecycle, including loan origination, underwriting, processing, funding, servicing, collections, portfolio management, and indirect lending programs. The SVP is accountable for developing and executing lending strategies that drive loan growth, enhance member relationships, optimize portfolio performance, improve operational efficiency, and ensure regulatory compliance. This leader partners across the organization to deliver exceptional member experiences while balancing growth objectives with sound credit risk management. The SVP serves as the executive champion for all consumer lending activities and is responsible for achieving loan production, quality, profitability, and service goals.

Responsibilities

Consumer Lending Strategy & Leadership

• Develop and execute the credit union's consumer lending strategy.
• Lead all aspects of direct, indirect, and digital consumer lending.
• Align lending initiatives with the overall strategic plan.
• Establish and execute annual and long-term consumer lending growth strategies aligned with organizational goals. 
• Achieve loan production, portfolio growth, profitability, and return objectives.
• Optimize portfolio performance while maintaining appropriate risk parameters.
• Partner with executive leadership to identify and implement lending growth initiatives.
• Evaluate market trends and competitive opportunities to expand lending programs.
• Drive innovation in lending channels, products, and member experiences.
• Develop and manage the consumer lending budget.
• Evaluate pricing and product profitability.
• Oversee all consumer lending operations from application through funding. 
• Manage lending-related expenses and operational efficiency.
• Optimize staffing, workflow, technology, and process efficiency to improve turnaround times and member satisfaction.
• Monitor operational performance metrics, service levels, and production goals.
• Develop sales and referral strategies that increase loan volume.
• Establish underwriting standards and credit policies.
• Ensure consistency in lending decisions across channels.
• Manage delegated lending authority programs.
• Balance growth objectives with prudent credit risk management.
• Review and recommend policy changes to support business objectives.
• Monitor portfolio quality and credit trends.
• Support achievement of overall organizational financial goals. 
• Oversee credit exception reporting and risk mitigation strategies.
• Lead digital lending strategy to enhance member experience, increase adoption, and streamline end-to-end lending processes.
• Monitor member satisfaction and continuously improve ease of doing business across lending channels.
• Other duties as assigned

Indirect Lending Management

• Oversee indirect lending programs and dealer relationships.
• Develop strategies to increase indirect loan production.
• Monitor dealer performance and profitability.
• Maintain strong relationships with dealership partners.
• Evaluate new dealer opportunities and program expansion.
• Assess indirect portfolio quality and concentration risk.

Collections & Portfolio Management

• Oversee collections and loss mitigation strategies.
• Monitor delinquency and charge-off trends.
• Ensure early-stage collections effectiveness.
• Develop programs to improve loan performance and member retention.
• Manage repossession and recovery processes.
• Monitor portfolio concentrations and credit quality.
• Implement proactive risk management practices.

Regulatory Compliance & Risk Management

• Ensure compliance with all applicable lending regulations and requirements.
• Partner with Compliance, Risk Management, and Internal Audit teams.
• Maintain strong internal controls and governance.
• Oversee fair lending practices and monitoring.
• Manage examination and audit responses.
• Ensure adherence to state and federal regulations.
• Mitigate operational, credit, and reputational risks.

Talent Development & Leadership

• Recruit, develop, and retain top lending talent.
• Build a high-performance culture focused on growth and service.
• Develop leadership succession plans.
• Coach and mentor lending leaders.
• Drive employee engagement and accountability.
• Promote continuous learning and professional development.

Qualifications

• Required
  • 10+ years of progressive experience in consumer lending, retail banking, or credit union lending operations.
  • 5+ years of executive or senior leadership experience managing consumer lending teams.
  • Proven experience overseeing multiple lending functions
  • Demonstrated success in portfolio growth, loan production, and profitability management.
  • Experience developing lending strategies that balance growth, risk, and member service.
• Preferred
  • Credit union experience.
  • Experience in institutions exceeding $500 million in assets.
  • Experience leading digital lending initiatives and loan automation.
  • Bachelor's degree in Finance, Business Administration, Accounting, Economics, Management, or related field.
  • Graduate School of Banking certification or equivalent executive banking program.

Key Competencies & Skills

• Organizational Awareness- Having and using knowledge of systems, situations, procedures, and culture inside the organization to identify potential problems and opportunities; perceiving the impact and the implications of decisions on other components of the organization.
• People Development and Leadership- Having the ability to assess skill strengths and weaknesses of individuals and teams in order to determine what actions are appropriate to build and/or improve the needed skills. Achieving results through people by successful objective setting, performance review, motivation, delegation, teambuilding, commitment gains, and empowerment.
• Strategic Thinking and Accountability-Understands and processes complex information and exercises sound judgment, considering the situation, the issues, the key players, and the levels of authority involved. Proposes courses of action that further the objectives, priorities, and vision of the organization. Accepting responsibility that results in anticipation/prevention of problem areas from actions, and problem solving inside and outside the department/organization.
• Results Orientation-Being persistent and showing perseverance on achieving concrete and tangible results out of personal responsibility; getting optimum results from situations and being ready to take action and show tenacity in case of obstacles or resistance.
• Entrepreneurship/Intrapreneurship - Recognizing (market or business) opportunities for current/new products/services and finance, considering them in a businesslike manner (profit focus, cost savings, delivery timing) and taking action; taking risks and achieving a business advantage.
• Quality Orientation-Setting high standards regarding his/her work and working environment and acting accordingly; developing quality standards, continuously evaluating performance, products, and procedures; actively seeking ways to improve quality.

Work Environment

• Employee spends the majority of time in office environment, generally accessible to the public, customers, and potential customers by telephone.
• Noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.
• Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Comprehensive Benefits Package

• Paid Vacation and Sick Time
• 11 Paid Holidays
• 401(k) with Company Match
• Medical, Dental, and Vision Benefits
• Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
• Disability Benefits
• Life Insurance, Critical Illness, Accident
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Tuition Reimbursement, Professional Development

Hope Enterprise Corporation does not participate in or engage in any form of visa sponsorship, including employment-based visa applications or extensions (e.g., H-1B, TN, O-1, OPT, STEM OPT, etc.). Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States at the time of application and throughout the duration of employment.

We are an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status.