Corporate & Commercial Banking Portfolio Manager Lead

Associated Bank • Omaha, NE

2d

About The Position

The Corporate & Commercial Banking Portfolio Manager Lead is responsible for leading underwriting, structuring, and credit approval for Associated Bank’s Corporate & Commercial Banking portfolio. This first-level people leader manages and develops entry-level portfolio managers and credit analysts while ensuring consistent, policy-aligned credit decisions that support the Bank’s middle-market and commercial growth strategy. The role partners closely with Business Development Officers, Relationship Managers, Portfolio Managers, Credit Administration, and Credit Committee to balance prudent risk management with responsive deal execution. It provides tactical leadership and operational discipline, with limited but meaningful input into strategy, policy interpretation, and process improvements.

The position leads underwriting for new credit facilities and renewals, including financial statement analysis, cash-flow modeling, borrowing-base analysis, collateral evaluation, and risk assessment. It structures and presents facilities in alignment with credit policy, risk appetite, and strategic objectives; reviews, approves, or escalates underwriting packages; and ensures compliance with internal policy, regulatory expectations, and underwriting standards. The role also maintains working knowledge of security agreements, borrowing-base certificates, collateral monitoring, and field-audit requirements.

The Portfolio Manager Lead provides day-to-day direction, coaching, quality review, training, feedback, and development planning for junior team members. It collaborates with internal and external partners throughout deal execution and ongoing monitoring, applies and interprets credit policy, escalates exceptions, supports process improvements, and reports on credit risk trends, portfolio performance, and industry and collateral exposure.

Associated Bank describes a growing commercial banking platform and an opportunity to contribute to portfolio strategy, underwriting quality, and team development. The organization serves more than 120 communities across Wisconsin, Illinois, Minnesota, and Missouri.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, Accounting, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• At least 5 years of commercial banking or credit underwriting experience.
• At least 3 years of asset-based lending experience, or demonstrated experience with transactions, collateral structures, and borrowing-base mechanics.
• At least 5 years of experience preparing and presenting credit recommendations to approval authorities or credit committees.
• At least 5 years of experience with credit structures, documentation, and collateral monitoring practices.
• Strong analytical and credit risk assessment skills, including the ability to interpret financial statements, collateral trends, and borrower risk.

Nice To Haves

• At least 2 years of experience leading or mentoring junior credit professionals.
• Demonstrated people leadership capability.

Responsibilities

• Lead underwriting for new credit facilities and renewals, including financial statement analysis, cash-flow modeling, borrowing-base analysis, collateral evaluation, and risk assessment.
• Structure and present credit facilities in accordance with Associated Bank’s credit policy, risk appetite, and strategic objectives.
• Review, approve, and/or escalate underwriting packages and credit write-ups to appropriate approval authorities or the credit committee.
• Ensure underwriting complies with internal credit policy, regulatory expectations, and approved underwriting standards.
• Maintain working knowledge of security agreements, borrowing-base certificates, collateral monitoring, and field-audit requirements.
• Manage, coach, and develop entry-level portfolio managers/underwriters and credit analysts.
• Provide day-to-day direction, guidance, and quality review to support consistent and timely credit decisions.
• Establish and reinforce underwriting standards, checklists, workflows, and best practices.
• Support team performance through training, feedback, and development planning.
• Partner with Business Development Officers, Relationship Managers, and Portfolio Managers on deal execution from origination through approval, closing, and ongoing monitoring.
• Participate in borrower or sponsor meetings as needed to present underwriting conclusions and discuss structure.
• Coordinate with Credit Administration, Legal, Documentation, and Operations.
• Engage appraisers, auditors, legal counsel, collateral specialists, and other external service providers to support diligence and credit decisioning.
• Apply and interpret credit policy consistently across transactions and escalate exceptions as appropriate.
• Support continuous improvement of underwriting workflows, documentation standards, and portfolio monitoring practices.
• Provide periodic reporting and insights to management and the credit committee on credit risk trends, portfolio performance, and industry and collateral exposure.
• Comply with applicable enterprise policies, procedures, laws, and regulations, including Bank Secrecy Act requirements.
• Report suspicious activity, customer complaints, procedure violations, and ethical concerns as prescribed.

Benefits

• 401(k) and pension retirement savings plans.
• Paid time off to volunteer in the community.
• Diversity-focused Colleague Resource Groups.
• Competitive salaries and professional development and advancement opportunities.
• Well-being programs and incentives.
• Parental leave.
• Employee stock purchase plan.
• Military benefits.
• Personal banking, loan, investment, and insurance benefits.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager