Head of Business Banking Credit and Operations

At Community Financial System, Inc. (CFSI), we are dedicated to providing our customers with friendly, personalized, high-quality financial services and products. Our retail division, Community Bank, N.A., operates more than 200 customer facilities across Upstate New York, Northeastern Pennsylvania, Vermont and Western Massachusetts. Beyond retail banking, we also offer commercial banking, wealth management, investment management, insurance and risk management, and benefit plan administration.

Just as our employees are committed to helping our customers manage their finances, we're committed to our employees. After all, they make it happen for our customers every day.

To ensure our people can enjoy long and successful careers here at CFSI, we offer competitive compensation, great benefits, and professional development and advancement opportunities. As an equal-opportunity workplace and affirmative-action employer, we celebrate and support a diverse workplace for the benefit of all: our employees, customers and communities.

This role can be based out of any of our major site locatons in the Northeast, including Dewitt, NY, Albany, NY, Buffalo, NY, Rochester, NY, Wilkes Barre, PA, Bethlehem, PA, Williston< VT and Manchester, NH.

Responsible for management, supervision and direction of the Business Banking Credit and Operations Departments including Department Managers in credit, portfolio management, SBA, and loan documentation. This includes ensuring premium credit quality, timely and accurate underwriting and appropriate risk analysis while driving innovation through the integration of advanced technology and software platforms; maximizing profitability related to Business Banking activities. Establish specific goals for the department; determining work flow procedures to expedite the process; ensure compliance with all regulatory guidelines, loan policy and procedures; and assist the Business Banking Portfolio Manager in the detection of deterioration in loan quality of the portfolio. Assist in developing plan for the department's role in fulfilling overall strategic plan for Commercial Banking. Develop and train staff; deploy and maintain software programs for overall department efficiency and generation of reports for tracking.

Essential Responsibilities:

• Oversee and manage the centralized processing of loan applications, underwriting, approval, portfolio management, loan documentation and closings within the Business Banking Department parameters.
• Directly manage department heads responsible for specific business functions along with monitoring and review of performance.
• Coordinate the workflow between business lines within the department to ensure timely turnaround of loan requests and adherence to policy.
• Set Business Banking interest rates and loan processing fees.
• Approves loans within lending authority.
• Spearhead the adoption and optimization of credit decisioning platforms, workflow automation tools, and AI-driven analytics.
• Partner with IT and data teams to implement scalable credit risk models and digital underwriting solutions.
• Evaluate and integrate fintech solutions to enhance customer experience and operational efficiency.
• Maintaining digital software platform to include upgrades to improve functionality.
• Development of Business Banking staff through training and mentoring.
• Assist in hiring of new staff members.
• Responsible for setting departmental goals and specific individual goals for staff members.
• Communicate with Senior Management to integrate Business Banking goals with those of the overall Commercial Banking business segment.
• Develop and participates in training of Branch Lenders and Commercial Bankers in regards to the Business Banking process.
• Monitoring the department's success through reports received and status reports prepared for Senior Management.
• Monitoring of loan delinquencies within the portfolio and work with Senior Management to change procedures if necessary.
• Drives teamwork and partnership with various departments within the organization to allow for an excellent customer experience.

Ancillary Duties:

As an integral member of the Commercial Lending Department this position is responsible to lead the department in assisting the Bank to achieve its goals.

Education, Training and Requirements:

• Bachelor's Degree in Business field of study (finance, accounting, economics, management) or equivalent experience; advanced credit analysis, loan structuring; commercial and/or retail lending experience; management experience. All applicants must be 18 years of age or older.

Skills:

• Proficient reading, writing, grammar and mathematics skills; effective interpersonal and communication skills (both verbal and written).
• Thorough knowledge of commercial lending, credit analysis, loan structuring, risk rating and loan documentation requirements.
• Strong systems and organizational management skills; effective training and mentoring skills, the ability to work independently with minimal oversight; PC proficiency including Microsoft Word and Excel.
• Proven track record of implementing or managing credit technology platforms (e.g., Baker Hill, nCino, Salesforce, Moody's, FICO, or similar).

Experience:

• Minimum of 10 years of commercial/retail lending/credit analysis experience as well as a minimum of 5 years supervisory experience.

Compensation: Commensurate with experience plus potential for annual merit increase. In addition to your competitive salary, you will be rewarded benefits including: 11 paid holidays, paid vacation, Medical, Vision & Dental insurance, 401K with generous match, Pension, Tuition Reimbursement, Banking discounts and the list goes on!

Physical Requirements:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee may be required to stand, walk or sit. Use hands and fingers, handle or feel, reach with hands or arms, and speak and hear. The employee may occasionally be required to lift and or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, and the ability to focus.

The Company is an Affirmative Action, Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation and gender identity), national origin, citizenship status, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state or local law.

The Company will make reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with a disability. If you have a physical or mental impairment and would like to request an accommodation with respect to the application process, please contact the Human Resources Department.