Commercial Group Head

First American Bank•Elk Grove Village, IL

About The Position

First American Bank was founded in Chicago, and over the years has expanded throughout Wisconsin and Florida. As the largest privately held bank in Illinois, we now have over 60 locations and assets of $5+ billion. We are a community bank at heart with international expertise, traditional values, and a forward-looking philosophy. Our employees have the experience and vision to meet the needs of savers, borrowers, and businesses in the 21st century. First American Bank can offer employees a level of visibility, career growth, and stability that is difficult to find in many larger corporations. The Commercial Group Head is responsible for directly managing the Commercial Relationship Managers, Portfolio Managers, and/or Analysts within a group. This individual is responsible for managing, retaining, and expanding a portfolio of commercial clients in an assigned market with primary emphasis on growing client relationships. Responsibilities encompass driving business development and achieving sales objectives for both new and existing relationships, including structuring credit solutions, managing the group’s portfolio, and ensuring strategic growth.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required with a focus in accounting, business, economics, or finance preferred.
Minimum of twelve years in commercial lending is required. Prior supervisory experience managing commercial lenders is preferred.
Extensive experience in credit analysis, structuring, and negotiation; including documentation.
Demonstrated ability to generate new business, preferably in the assigned market.
Must be professional and comfortable speaking with an ability to tailor the message appropriately based on the situation.
Demonstrated ability to convey thoughts and ideas effectively and succinctly via written formats, including emails, letters, and electronic platforms. Maintain professional standards relating to spelling and grammar.
Maintain credibility through professional demeanor, appearance, and presence by modeling standards appropriate to our environment and industry.
Maintain good working relationships with internal partners by exhibiting exemplary interpersonal skills, adopting a constructive, solutions-focused approach.
Use sound professional judgment to balance the interests of the organization and customer, understanding and using available resources to mitigate risks.
Proficiency with Microsoft 365 products and applications, including the ability to effectively prepare or review documents, procedures, and reports. Working knowledge of Microsoft Excel required.
Demonstrated ability to learn new systems and applications, as well as the ability to understand, adapt and adjust responsibilities/workflows as a result of system upgrades.
This position requires regular travel to various locations throughout the Bank's market; occasional out-of-state travel may be required.
Typical hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Additional hours may be required depending upon business need.
Punctuality is required to maintain First American Bank’s customer service standards.

Responsibilities

Formulate and execute comprehensive strategies to accomplish financial and operational targets for a designated commercial loan group. This includes identifying growth opportunities, optimizing loan portfolio performance, ensuring regulatory compliance, and driving innovation to enhance customer satisfaction and profitability.
Directly manage the daily activities of employees within a designated commercial loan group, coordinating and prioritizing requisite duties and daily assignments while appraising employee productivity and performance. Monitor staff attendance, work standards, and adherence to company policies. Compose and deliver performance evaluations.
Responsible for employee hiring, training, staff development, scheduling, and direct assistance with coverage of daily workloads when needed.
Assist Portfolio and Relationship Managers in cultivating and sustaining strong relationships. This includes providing timely and effective support, facilitating open communication, and proactively identifying opportunities to strengthen client engagements.
Manage a high signing authority for the designated group, through discretion and independent judgment, for loan and credit approval for business customers, including assessment of cash flow, collateral, loan structure, and pricing.
Oversee the comprehensive management of designated commercial loan portfolios to guarantee compliance, optimize performance, and mitigate risk. This involves monitoring adherence to regulatory standards, evaluating portfolio health, implementing risk management strategies, and fostering continuous improvement to achieve financial stability and growth. Identify any concerns within the portfolio and properly communicate with senior management.
Resolve challenges associated with loan origination, portfolio management, and client relationships. This involves diagnosing underlying issues, devising effective solutions, and implementing best practices to ensure seamless operations, compliance, and client satisfaction.
Identify and generate new client relationships through sales calls, referrals and networking. Utilize expertise in selling, structuring, and closing new large and complex commercial lending deals.
Maintain and expand relationships with professional firms in the regional market including Accountants, Lawyers, Private Equity and Investment Banking Sponsors to introduce and sell First American Bank products and services.
Provide expert advice, counsel, and manage a portfolio of commercial business clients through regular contact and responsive high-level customer service.
Sell a broad range of products and services to customers, including Treasury Management, Wealth Management, Private Banking, and Trade Finance.
Maintain a deep understanding of all aspects of the commercial loan transaction process, including decisions on credit approving, loan pricing, collateral provisioning, and loan structuring.
Manage all facets of the loan production process, including underwriting, documentation, closing, and ongoing servicing.
Responsible for the collection of loans, review of overdrawn accounts, and loan workouts.
Exemplify best practices in loan analysis and credit assessment to set a high standard for the analysts.
Conduct and complete additional assignments/projects as designated by management.