Director of Lending Operations

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Full Time Management Main Branch, Kansas City, MO, US

The Director of Lending Operations leads and continuously improves Central Bank of Kansas City's lending operating platform. Reporting to the Chief Lending Officer, this position translates lending strategy into clear workflows, responsibilities, service standards, controls, and measurable execution across Commercial Lending Coordination, Loan Documentation, and Loan Operations. The Director leads assigned teams, manages capacity and priorities, strengthens coordination among Lending, Credit, Documentation, Operations, and control functions, and ensures issues are identified and escalated early.

Success requires a hands-on operating leader who develops people, uses data to identify constraints, improves systems and processes, and balances customer service and speed with disciplined risk management.

• Operating strategy and leadership: Partner with the Chief Lending Officer to design and improve the lending operating model; translate priorities into clear workflows, decision rights, service standards, management routines, and measurable outcomes.
• People and capacity management: Lead, coach, and develop assigned managers and employees; set performance expectations, allocate and reprioritize resources, address performance concerns, build career paths, and maintain cross-training and backup coverage.
• End-to-end workflow: Maintain visibility from active credit request through underwriting, approval, closing, booking, post-closing, and portfolio administration; ensure material work has a clear owner, status, next action, and expected completion date.
• Documentation and closing quality: Lead documentation and closing operations, establish pre-closing and booking-ready quality standards, require unresolved issues to be corrected or appropriately approved, and monitor documentation defects, booking errors, and post-closing exceptions.
• Portfolio and lender support: Maintain consistent standards for Commercial Lending Coordination and proactive tracking of annual reviews, maturities, financial reporting, covenants, insurance, collateral, and other portfolio obligations while preserving lender and Credit accountability.
• Technology and process improvement: Advance an electronic-first operating environment; strengthen electronic loan-file, naming, checklist, and retention practices; and evaluate approved automation and technology that reduce duplicate work and unnecessary handoffs.
• Management information: Develop practical dashboards and performance measures for workflow aging, cycle time, service levels, documentation turnaround, exceptions, portfolio deadlines, booking quality, workload, and capacity; use results to identify constraints and drive improvement.
• Risk, controls, and escalation: Reinforce adherence to Bank policy, approved credit terms, and procedures; partner with Credit, Compliance, Internal Audit, legal counsel, vendors, and other stakeholders; and promptly escalation material operational, customer, capacity, or control concerns.
• Other duties: Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned.

• 5+ years in commercial lending operations, loan documentation, credit administration, commercial banking, or a closely related financial-services function.
• Demonstrated experience leading employees, managing performance and capacity, developing talent, and implementing cross-functional change.
• Strong working knowledge of the commercial loan lifecycle, including underwriting handoffs, approval conditions, documentation, collateral, closing, booking, servicing, and portfolio administration.
• Experience developing or improving workflows, procedures, operational controls, service standards, dashboards, and management reporting.
• Ability to establish priorities and make sound operating decisions within approved policy while recognizing matters that require executive, credit, legal, compliance, or audit involvement.
• Strong leadership judgment, communication, organization, systems thinking, problem-solving, and ability to build structure without creating unnecessary bureaucracy.
• Bachelor's degree in business, finance, accounting, economics, or a related field is preferred; equivalent relevant banking and leadership experience may be considered.
• Preferred:
  Advanced banking, commercial lending, operations, process-improvement, technology, or leadership education and experience.

All employees are expected to demonstrate CBKC's Heartbeat Principles:
It's About People, Pave the Way, Look for More, and Celebrate the Community. Leaders are also expected to model these principles, establish clear accountability, develop employees, and build an environment in which people can perform effectively.

• Maintain regular, reliable attendance during the Bank's…