Small Business Credit Manager

Job Description

IN0534 Fishers, NY0705 NY Region Business Office, OH0523 Independence Bus Office, OH0713 NW Bancshares HQ, PA0186 Mount Joy, PA0220 Erie - 8th & State, PA0258 Bellevue, PA0736 Administration Center

The Small Business Lending Manager leads and oversees a centralized small business lending platform supporting originations through the financial center banking system and Small Business Bankers. This role is accountable for driving high-quality, consistent production outcomes through clearly defined performance metrics, service-level standards, and disciplined execution across the end-to-end loan lifecycle.

The Manager is responsible for establishing, monitoring, and continuously improving measurable production, quality, and cycle-time metrics, ensuring loans are originated efficiently, accurately, and in alignment with risk appetite and profitability objectives. This includes the development and maintenance of a straight-through, scalable loan origination process that balances speed, quality, and control.

A core focus of the role is ensuring strict adherence to all applicable regulatory, legal, and compliance requirements, including internal policies, procedures, and operational risk management controls. The Manager ensures strong compliance governance, audit readiness, and consistent application of credit policy, while proactively identifying and addressing emerging regulatory, operational, and portfolio risks.

The role provides leadership and direct supervision to all small business underwriters, ensuring appropriate staffing levels, skill development, and performance management aligned to quality, accuracy, and productivity expectations. The Manager makes sound, risk-based credit decisions, reinforces underwriting discipline, and promotes accountability through ongoing quality reviews and portfolio analytics.

Additionally, the Small Business Lending Manager maintains a proactive portfolio management mindset, monitoring credit quality, concentration risks, and performance trends to support sustainable growth and early risk identification. The role partners closely with internal stakeholders, including Retail Banking, Loan Operations, and Small Business Loan teams, to ensure alignment, transparency, and continuous improvement across the small business lending ecosystem.

• Participate in developing Northwest strategic initiatives and objectives
• Work closely with Small Business Executive Director to align end to end lending process and communication strategy
• Determine customer expectations and develop methods to improve customer service
• Oversee and approve career development and key appointments
• Develop service and delivery enhancements, manage SLA's
• Achieve/demonstrate greater department efficiencies
• Remain cognizant of prevailing economic conditions and markets
• Manage partnership with other Business lines to ensure a cohesive business development team
• Provide for enhanced customer service
• Ensure growth in revenue producing products and services
• Plan and oversee expansion of Small Business Lending Department
• Partner with senior leadership to identify and develop technological advancements—Significant strength in Scoring and OCR technology preferred
• Maintain comprehensive process to evaluate the creditworthiness of loan applications
• Cultivate relationships with outside business partners
• Develop specific measurable departmental goals and targets
• Assure underwriting administration is sufficient to properly mitigate credit risk
• Develop relevant statistics and related reports
• Understand and engage in Business lending related public relations/community involvement programs
• Ensure ongoing administration of all Small Business loans in accordance with industry standards and bank policy
• Oversee appropriate staffing levels within Small Business Lending
• In partnership with senior management engage in regular policy review and recommend updates accordingly
• Continually improve lending practices / procedures
• Monitor / improve measured risk based credit decisions
• Evaluate and interpret lending / related economic trends
• Oversee small business loan delinquency to minimize loss exposure
• Oversee the…