Commercial Lending Team Leader Overview

Our client, a highly respected community-focused financial institution, is seeking an experienced Commercial Lending Team Leader to oversee and grow its commercial lending division. Reporting to the Executive Vice President, this individual will lead a team of commercial lenders, manage complex commercial relationships, drive portfolio growth, and ensure strong credit quality across the portfolio. The ideal candidate brings formal credit training, deep commercial lending experience, exceptional leadership capability, and a strong presence in the market.

Commercial Lending Team Leader Key Responsibilities

• Lead, develop, and mentor a team of commercial lenders, ensuring strong performance, credit quality, and goal achievement
• Manage full-cycle commercial lending activities for complex C&I, CRE, construction, and commercial real estate relationships
• Support lenders in portfolio management, risk review, credit structuring, and regulatory compliance
• Participate in loan approvals, credit policy implementation, and ongoing portfolio oversight
• Review and evaluate lender performance, and make recommendations regarding promotions, compensation, and personnel decisions
• Originate and service large and complex commercial loans by meeting with applicants, collecting documentation, evaluating credit, and negotiating terms
• Present loans and portfolio updates to senior leadership, internal loan committees, and the Board of Directors
• Conduct ongoing portfolio monitoring including covenant tracking, risk grading, financial analysis, and loan file reviews
• Drive annual net portfolio growth of 15 to 20 million dollars while maintaining targeted profitability and credit quality
• Lead business development efforts through customer calls, referrals, COI development, and cross-selling of banking services
• Build and maintain a robust referral network including accountants, attorneys, brokers, and community partners
• Oversee selective problem loan management, including workouts, restructuring strategies, and collaboration with attorneys when necessary
• Participate in senior management discussions related to strategic planning, credit administration, regulatory changes, and problem loan action plans
• Ensure compliance with all lending policies, credit administration procedures, and regulatory requirements
• Represent the bank in community and civic activities to enhance visibility and support business development efforts

Commercial Lending Team Leader Qualifications

• Formal credit training and bachelor’s degree required
• Minimum of 10 years of commercial lending experience, ideally with leadership responsibilities
• Strong credit expertise across C&I, CRE, and construction lending
• Proven ability to develop, retain, and grow profitable commercial relationships
• Superior sales, presentation, communication, and negotiation skills
• Strong analytical ability with deep knowledge of bank credit policies and regulatory requirements
• Demonstrated ability to work independently while managing multiple priorities and team responsibilities
• Strong industry knowledge and established COI relationships
• Experience generating significant annual commercial loan growth (15 to 20 million dollars or more)

Why Join This Client?

• Key leadership role with direct influence on commercial lending strategy and portfolio growth
• Opportunity to lead, mentor, and build a high-performing commercial lending team
• Strong community reputation and relationship-driven banking culture
• Competitive compensation structure aligned with leadership responsibilities and portfolio performance
• Local decision-making that allows for flexibility, responsiveness, and meaningful client impact

For immediate consideration please contact Brendan Holt with a resume and relevant qualifications.

Email: brendan@theagencyrecruiting.com