Loan Operations Analyst

WESTERN STATE BANK • West Fargo, ND

12d

About The Position

Western is looking for a Loan Operations Analyst to join their team. This role focuses on strengthening the processes, systems, and controls behind lending operations. The analyst will analyze how work is done, identify improvement opportunities, support compliance and audit activities, contribute to system and process changes, and collaborate with various internal teams. The ideal candidate will have a strong loan operations background and enjoy combining analysis, problem-solving, accuracy, and collaboration.

Requirements

• High school diploma or equivalent.
• An associate degree in business, finance, accounting, or a related field plus at least 3 years of related experience, or at least 5 years of directly related experience.
• Experience in areas such as loan operations, loan servicing, collateral perfection, lending support, compliance support, or financial services operations.
• Strong attention to detail, organization, confidentiality, and follow-through.
• Ability to learn and work with banking systems, reporting tools, spreadsheets, workflow tools, and other technology.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills and the ability to work effectively with internal partners.

Nice To Haves

• 7+ years of experience in loan operations, servicing, lending support, bank operations, or another regulated financial services environment.
• Experience with commercial, agricultural, or retail lending operations.
• Familiarity with HMDA, CRA, FHLB, audits, FDIC exams, or other compliance-related reporting.
• Experience with systems such as Navigator, Sageworks, LaserPro, Smartsheet, Quietrack, or similar banking and workflow platforms.
• Experience writing procedures, improving processes, testing system changes, or supporting implementation projects.
• Community banking experience.

Responsibilities

• Reviewing loan operations processes and identifying opportunities to improve efficiency, controls, and consistency.
• Supporting compliance-related activities and reporting, including HMDA, CRA, FHLB, and other assigned requirements.
• Creating and improving procedures, job aids, checklists, and workflow documentation.
• Analyzing reports, trends, processes, and operational issues to help identify practical solutions.
• Supporting audit and regulatory exam readiness, including documentation, issue tracking, and follow-up.
• Partnering with Loan Operations, Compliance, Risk, Audit, lending teams, Business Systems, and other internal teams.
• Participating in system testing, process changes, implementation projects, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Cross-training on critical Loan Servicing and Collateral Perfection functions to help provide dependable backup coverage.
• Researching operational questions and helping internal partners navigate loan operations processes.

Benefits

• Competitive base salary based on experience, skills, internal equity, and market location
• 5% discretionary annual bonus opportunity
• Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP)
• 401(k) and company contributions
• Health, dental, vision, life, and disability benefits
• Paid time off and paid holidays
• Employee assistance and wellness programs
• Professional development opportunities
• Banking benefits and additional team member programs

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: Associate degree