Director of Rural Lending

Farm Credit of Northwest Florida • Milton, FL

4d • Onsite

About The Position

Farm Credit of Northwest Florida is seeking a visionary and results-driven leader to serve as our Director of Rural Lending. This high-impact, highly visible role is responsible for leading one of the Association's key growth initiatives and driving the continued growth and performance of the rural lending business. Reporting directly to the Chief Lending Officer, this role executes the Association's rural lending growth strategy through business development, team leadership, product expansion, and operational excellence. The Director of Rural Lending serves as a strategic leader for the home, home construction, land, and rural property lending portfolio and as the Association's trusted subject matter expert for consumer lending and secondary mortgage market programs, investor requirements, and servicing operations. While initially focused on rural residential and consumer lending, this role will play a key part in growing home lending volume, expanding secondary mortgage market opportunities, and developing lender expertise to increase utilization of existing and future financing solutions. This position works closely with the Chief Lending Officer and other leaders to influence and execute strategic growth initiatives, strengthen organizational capabilities, and support the continued success of the rural lending business, making a lasting impact on an organization committed to growth and rural prosperity. As a key member of the lending management team, this position is accountable for the performance, growth, and development of the Association's rural lending business line while partnering closely with the Chief Lending Officer on strategic priorities.

Requirements

• Leadership experience within a sales-focused lending environment
• Extensive experience with consumer lending, secondary mortgage market programs, investor requirements, MERS, loan servicing operations, and related regulations
• Demonstrated expertise interpreting and applying investor guidelines, advising lending teams, and serving as a subject matter expert on consumer lending and secondary market matters
• Strong knowledge of residential mortgage, construction, rural property, land, consumer, and other rural lending products, with the versatility to expand expertise as business needs evolve
• Proven success developing and coaching teams, and driving business growth
• Exceptional relationship management and business development abilities
• Demonstrated ability to leverage technology, data, and digital tools to enhance business performance, customer experience, and operational efficiency
• A genuine passion for serving rural communities and helping customers achieve their goals

Nice To Haves

• Farm Credit System experience preferred
• Bilingual Spanish proficiency is a plus

Responsibilities

• Lead profitable growth across home, construction, land, and rural property lending products
• Identify and execute opportunities for market expansion
• Develop strategies that increase market share and customer engagement
• Partner with executive leadership to shape and execute long-term growth initiatives
• Leverage technology, data, and market insights to identify growth opportunities and enhance business performance
• Drive growth in home lending volume and secondary mortgage market activities while increasing utilization of existing Farm Credit lending solutions
• Create and expand fee-income and non-interest income opportunities
• Cultivate relationships with investors, referral partners, and industry stakeholders
• Strengthen partnerships with realtors, builders, real estate agents, and community leaders
• Develop sustainable pipelines that support continued growth across the Association's territory
• Develop, recruit, coach and retain a highly engaged and high-performing lending team with strong customer service, production, and leadership capabilities while building organizational capacity for future growth
• Build on the established culture of accountability, collaboration, and customer excellence
• Further strengthen team capability and confidence to enhance results and maximize individual and organizational goals
• Serve as the Association's subject matter expert for consumer and construction lending, secondary mortgage market programs, investor requirements, and loan servicing operations
• Provide leadership and guidance on consumer lending products, secondary market requirements, and industry best practices
• Monitor investor, regulatory, and industry developments to maintain competitive and compliant lending programs
• Oversee secondary mortgage market programs and servicing relationships
• Ensure compliance with investor requirements, servicing standards, and operational best practices
• Maintain compliant, efficient, and scalable lending processes that support growth while meeting investor and regulatory expectations
• Champion the adoption and effective use of technology, data, and digital lending tools to enhance the customer experience, improve efficiency, and support scalable growth

Benefits

• Competitive salary commensurate with experience, plus incentive compensation
• Comprehensive benefits package includes up to a 9% employer contribution to the 401(k) plan
• Competitive compensation
• Top-rated benefits program
• Training and development opportunities
• A culture of giving back

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director
• Education Level: No Education Listed