AVP Associate Director of Credit - Equipment Finance

At Stearns Bank, we’re helping people, entrepreneurs, small businesses, and local communities nationwide reach their full financial potential. Sound like something you want to be a part of? If so, we’re currently looking for a AVP, Associate Director of EFD - Credit Specialty. This is a Connected Mobile Work Environment.

Come see how we’re doing business unusual and charting our own path to reimagine a more inclusive financial services and banking ecosystem for all.

BENEFITS Stearns Bank understands and respects that everyone is managing unique career, family, and wellness needs. That’s why we offer industry-leading benefits to employees to help them live healthy lives and bring their full selves to work every day. Benefits may vary for part-time positions. Some of those benefits include: Employee Stock Ownership Plan & 401k Plan Healthcare (Medical, Dental, Vision, Telehealth, Life insurance) 12-week Paid Parental Leave and Medical Leave: With a cap of 20 weeks for eligible team members who qualify for both Medical and Parental Leave related to the birth of a child $5,000 Family Care Reimbursement: Childcare, Elder Care, Student Loan Debt, Pet expenses, Down Payment Assistance PTO from 13 to 23 days depending on tenure. Cashout and Carryover options 10 Days Sick Time 11 Paid Holidays 4 Days Volunteer Time 2 Days Self Allowance Time Tuition Assistance

For this position, we anticipate an annual salary range between $115,000 - $155,000. Final employment offers will be dependent upon the selected candidate’s relevant qualifications and experience.

JOB SUMMARY The Associate Director of EFD Credit is responsible for leading, developing and strategically managing the Equipment Finance credit function. This role requires advanced operational leadership, strong cross functional collaboration and partnership, and a very proactive approach to efficiency optimization, KPI-driven performance management, and critical thinking-based decision making. This position will require extensive communication with all business units within Equipment Finance Division (EFD) and other internal departments within Stearns Bank.

RESPONSIBILITIES Leadership & Strategy

Provide discipline, vision and oversight for EFD credit function, ensuring processes are standardized, controlled, transparent and responsive. Lead the strategic direction and continuous efficiency improvements of our Equipment Finance credit function, including frequent review of the Bank’s loan policy and underwriting standards and bringing forward recommended updates to the Chief Credit Officer to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements and our Stearns Bank N.A. “Credit Strong” culture. Build, measure and sustain accountability, urgency, precision, Gold Standard service, financial discipline, and process integrity within the EFD Credit Team. Work with other departments to ensure all processes function seamlessly, setting and enforcing clear ownership, accountability, and performance expectations for the EFD Credit team and function. Establish, manage, and report on EFD credit performance metrics. Provide high-impact strategic leadership and ensure team culture reflects accountability, communication, and performance excellence.

Workflow & Process Management Lead key projects, transformational initiatives and cross functional workstreams. Establish key performance and key risk indicators to oversee and effectively monitor the process that pinpoint effectiveness and ineffectiveness. Partner with development teams to enhance processes with Salesforce, .Net options etc. where needed.

Financial Budget Oversight Manage the budget for EFD Credit and ensure staffing and capacity aligns with production trends and strategic objectives. Manage proper business unit assignment for all EFD Credit resources and expenses.

Team Leadership & Development Hire, mentor, and develop high-performing credit professionals. Promote culture of urgency, precision, professional communication, and financial ownership. Manage and supervise the EFD credit team and ensure superior knowledge, skills, training and underwriting of our equipment finance leases and contracts with the speed necessary to Get the Job Done the Stearns Bank N.A. way and with the quality and consistency demanded by regulatory requirements as well as our loan policy and underwriting standards. Model focused partnership level collaboration with internal teams, vendors and customers and reinforce those behaviors across the team. Demonstrate a continual professional self-improvement mindset through continued training and education. Lead and manage under conditions of ambiguity and uncertainty. Communication Leads strategic meetings with executives, team leaders, and business partners to resolve bottlenecks, align priorities, and improve service delivery. Demonstrate a senior leadership level communication, influence and negotiation skills. Consistently demonstrates high quality documentation and reporting skills. Communicates KPI’s, issues, risks, and solutions effectively to senior management. Demonstrates the ability to restate/clarify discussions to ensure alignment with team members and business owners. Presents confidently to senior leaders and large internal groups.

Core Competencies Highly organized, detailed-focused, financially disciplined, and decision and execution orientated. Service mentality balanced with accountability and a risk management perspective. Strong collaborator who aligns with lending, credit, operations, finance/liquidity, legal, compliance and all other internal and external teams as necessary. Analytical thinker with a bias for improvement, escalation, and resolution. Excellent communication, influence and leadership skills. Calm under pressure and confident in managing deadlines, findings and change.

REQUIREMENTS

Occasionally lift and/or move up to 10 lbs. Literacy in English. Ability to sit for extended periods of time, twist, bend, sit, walk use hands to twist, handle or feel objects, tools or controls, such as computer mouse, computer keyboard, calculator, stapler, telephone, staple puller, etc., reach with hands and arms, balance, stoop, kneel, talk or hear. Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and the ability to adjust focus.

QUALIFICATIONS

Bachelor’s degree in accounting, business administration or finance from a four-year college or university. 7+ years related experience including 3+ years in leadership capacity. Strong interest in technology and automating the credit underwriting process and workflow. Proven experience with workflow optimization, budget ownership, fee process discipline and KPI driven management. Strong knowledge of equipment finance underwriting.

THE COMPANY Founded in 1912, Stearns Financial Services Inc. (SFSI) is a $3.2 billion, independently owned financial institution with locations in Minnesota, Florida and Arizona, and over 35,000 small business customers nationwide. Specializing in affordable housing financing, USDA and SBA lending, and small business and equipment financing, Stearns Bank is regularly recognized as one of the country’s top-performing banks and “Best Banks to Work For” by American Banker.

As a Star Tribune Top Workplaces award recipient and an award recipient of the Minnesota Business Magazine 100 Best Places to Work in Minnesota, Stearns takes pride in their team and holds their employees in extremely high regard. We offer a competitive salary and benefit package including our Employee Stock Ownership Program-one of the best long-term incentive programs in the nation. To learn more about Stearns Bank, visit www.StearnsBank.com

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER /AFFIRMATIVE ACTION PLAN We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, or creed, religion, sex, marital status, familial status, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, veteran’s status, status with regard to public assistance, or any other class protected by Federal, State, local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment.