Universal Banking Manager

Merchants Bank•Winona, MN

13d•Onsite

About The Position

Merchants Bank is seeking a service‑driven, relationship‑focused Universal Banking Manager to join our Retail Banking team. This leadership role oversees a team of experienced Universal Bankers within the Winona market and ensures the delivery of exceptional customer experiences across all channels. This position plays a key role in developing staff, deepening customer relationships, supporting consumer lending, and promoting a culture aligned with our “One Merchants” values. This individual will serve as both a leader and a hands‑on banker—providing direct customer service, coaching and mentoring teammates, assisting with complex customer needs, and ensuring operational excellence. The ideal candidate demonstrates strong customer service expertise, sales leadership, problem‑solving abilities, and a high degree of professionalism.

Requirements

A minimum of four years of front-line banking experience required.
Individual must desire leadership position.
Ability to coach and train staff.
High degree of tact and professionalism.
Must be skilled at handling sensitive situations.
Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
Strong customer service skills and experience.
Demonstrated success handling difficult customer situations.
Demonstrated ability to stop, pause and speak up when concerned about a coworker’s or customer’s behavior.
Ability to use intuition and common sense to carry out instructions, understand procedures, speak professionally and clearly to customers and employees as well as to escalate to supervisor when needed.
Strong time management skills and the ability to multi-task and prioritize.
Strong math skills and abilities.
Strong computer system proficiency.
Ability to learn and follow established regulatory and compliance guidelines, policies and procedures.
Strong attention to detail.
A genuine desire to have engaging conversations with customers to identify and solve customer needs, as well as to offer additional appropriate products and service solutions.
Maintain a neat and organized work area.
Project a well groomed and professional appearance.
Adhere to bank policy on absenteeism and the established work hours.
Avoid personal phone calls, text messages, and non-business related emails (internal and external), and internet usage (unless in an urgent situation).
Cooperate and collaborate with other staff members.
Respond to supervisory guidance and direction, ask good questions, listen and do the appropriate detective work to either help yourself or our customers.
Regular and dependable on-time attendance is an essential function of the job.
Accurately within the established guidelines.
Organize time to complete duties without sacrificing service to customers.
Stay calm, professional and focused under pressure.
Complete assignments independently and in a timely manner.
Accept accountability for personal and bank success.
Adapt well to change.
Flexible to changing needs, such as staffing needs for the Branch.
Is confidential (Internal and External).
Is a team player.

Nice To Haves

May include crop insurance duties.

Responsibilities

Oversees Universal Bankers in a defined market and ensures that we are providing exceptional customer service to customers (internal and external).
Has direct customer contact daily and will require tact, courtesy, and a genuine desire to serve others.
Applies effective problem solving and resolution when assisting Universal Bankers and serving customers.
Participates in the hiring process, performance reviews, and coaching/mentoring teammates.
Plays a crucial role in building customer relationships.
Plays an important role in fraud prevention.
Represents Merchants Bank in a manner aligned with our aspiration to be the financial institution of choice and recognized as a top business leader in the community.
Exemplifies exceptional customer experience standards by modeling the way in the market.
Focuses on staff development, coaching and team building and serves as a mentor to the Universal Bankers.
Contributes to expectations in areas of transparency and communication to ensure internal stakeholders on the team have a strong connection to the strategic direction of the Company.
Embraces and embodies the “One Merchants” culture of responsibility – setting the tone, living our core values and holding others accountable through a collaborative process of ongoing and consistent improvement efforts.
Supervises activities of Universal Banker levels I, II, III; Make hiring decisions, do performance reviews and coaching/mentoring teammates.
Ensures that team members have the tools, education and support they need to respond to internal and external customers in an efficient manner, and while providing exceptional customer service.
Motivates Universal Bankers to reach sales goals by creating a positive department culture.
Maintains knowledge of and adheres to all applicable laws and regulations and policies and procedures relevant to Merchants Bank.
Maintains excellent fraud prevention and resolution procedures at all levels.
Properly diagnoses customer needs and proactively offers new opportunities to customers by cross-selling or referring to appropriate business line to deepen customer relationships.
De-escalates situations involving dissatisfied customers, offering patient assistance and support.
Researches, analyzes and resolves customer issues; determines appropriate resolution; manages difficult customer situations and follows up on resolutions to ensure customer satisfaction.
Assists Universal Banker team and customers in resolving issues within our digital channels.
Responsible for ensuring testing and product knowledge is completed by entire team.
Responsible for completing workflow requests and internal processes.
Establishes effective working relationships with customers; obtains necessary information to determine creditworthiness to make sound financial decisions.
Initiates the preparation of the appropriate loan documentation ensuring all terms and conditions are accurate and as agreed.
Collects on loans.
Attends to the needs of potential real estate customers for in-house loans.
Works with regulation changes in regards to Consumer Lenders at all affiliates.
Follows through on loan transactions and department procedures.
Identifies and initiates cross-sales opportunities of other banking products and takes appropriate action in directing customers to other banking departments for further service and establishment of accounts.
Provides ongoing account maintenance to customers; responds to customer inquiries and concerns in a timely, accurate, and professional manner.
Responsible for individual loan, fee income and referral goals, and expected to participate in over-all department, bank and MFGI goals.
Ensures that internal and external customers receive outstanding service from every employee (and speaks up when they do not).
Is efficient and accurate when processing customer transactions, as outlined in current policies and procedures.
Provides excellent customer service by greeting customers, seeking to understand their needs, and offering them personalized solutions.
Provides high-quality consultative conversations to uncover needs and opportunities.
Resolves customer issues and concerns promptly and effectively; escalates when needed.
Is proficient and happily able to assist customers on the systems including internet banking products, bill pay, e statements, mobile banking, telephone banking and anything else the customer may need assistance with.
Builds strong relationships with customers to understand their financial goals and identify opportunities to meet their needs.
Fosters long-term customer loyalty through ongoing relationship management and exceptional service.
Builds strong internal relationships with immediate coworkers as well as Merchants Bank employees in all shared services areas.
Meets or exceeds individual and team/branch sales targets for banking products (such as deposit accounts, loans and credit cards) to contribute to overall business growth.
Leads and directs Universal Bankers to conduct outbound sales activities (such as prospecting, lead generation, and follow-up on sales opportunities).
Responds to all customers inquiries and forwards any appropriate requests to other departments.
Promotes bank products by answering inquiries; informs customers of new services and product promotions.
Attends external customer meetings as requested.
Participates in partnership banking visits, as requested.
Ensures team members maintain in-depth knowledge of the bank's products, services, and promotions.
Educates customers on the features, benefits, and terms of various banking products to help them make informed decisions.
Stays updated on industry trends, regulatory changes, and competitive offerings to provide accurate and up-to-date information to customers.
Completes all required compliance training and certifications on time to maintain a comprehensive understanding of compliance requirements.
Ensures the Universal Banker team completes all required courses.
Collects Privacy Codes/Security word as well as updates email addresses and contact numbers.
Processes transactions efficiently and accurately, ensuring compliance with internal policies, procedures, controls, and banking regulations.
Follows all bank policies, procedures, and regulatory guidelines to ensure compliance and mitigate risk.
Adheres to security and fraud prevention measures to safeguard customer information and bank assets.
Disseminates information regarding legal and fraud issues, to protect customers and retailers against fraud.
Performs various administrative and operational tasks when opening and closing accounts, account maintenance and changes, and documentation.
Follows maintenance and closed account procedures for all types of deposit accounts.
When working in the Teller area, processes financial transactions including receiving deposits and loan payments, cashing checks, issuing withdrawals, recording night deposits, selling cashier's checks and money orders as well as answering customer questions.
Maintains a balanced cash drawer and maintains an accurate supply of cash and coin.
Updates central file information when working with account portfolios & compliance regulated forms.
Accurately submits customer workflow/task requests as required in the appropriate systems.
Reviews the daily overdraft report to proactively catch your customers before they default.
Complies with any and all audit regulations concerning the security of your work area and branch location.
Performs all other duties, as assigned, to increase performance of Merchants.
Accepts requests to cross-train for additional duties.
Ensures that all team members collaborate to ensure branch operations run smoothly and efficiently.
Coordinates team members and participates in trade shows, promotional events, and marketing activities during work hours and on evenings and weekends as requested.
Participates in community activities to actively promote the bank.
Contributes to a positive working environment through words and actions.