Conversion & Special Projects Manager; Loans

Overview

At First Mid, base salary is one component of our Total Rewards program. Exact compensation is determined by factors such as (but not limited to) education, skills, internal equity, and experience. This position offers additional compensation in the form of discretionary short-term incentives (i.e. bonus, incentives, and/or commission). Benefits for this role include comprehensive healthcare, well-being benefits, paid family leave as well as generous paid time off.

Total Rewards also include banking perks, tuition reimbursement, an Employee Stock Purchase Plan, and a 401K plan with company match. Incentives and benefits are subject to eligibility requirements.

Provides specialized expertise for system/data conversions for Bank Acquisitions, projects, and system upgrades. Works as an independent, highly technical business partner in Loan Operations to understand processes, requirements, and systems to merge company systems together and to identify opportunities for improvement. Gathers requirements and evaluates existing systems/data and is responsible for working closely with the acquired institution’s team and/or appropriate vendor to ensure quality and timely conversions.

• Develops a conversion plan and conversion playbook for Loan Operations working with vendor timelines and resources.
• Performs and documents a thorough gap analyses (e.g. of systems, job processes, product design, and customer profile) and analyzes results to produce business insights and recommendations.
• Working with department heads, determine the need for developing new products, creating new service charge routines etc. prior to beginning system mapping.
• Creates data maps and transaction workflow documents showing exactly how every field of information will be converted. Data mapping forms the technical specification for the conversion and will generate code. Shares data maps with vendors as appropriate to ensure successful conversion.
• Validates results of conversion program and/or other programming changes. Develops, monitors, and leads the validation team.
• Utilizes Business Analytics and various other systems to streamline the mapping and validation process.
• Develops expertise in core and ancillary systems and processes (First Mid Bank’s and the acquired bank’s) and can identify interdependencies and impacts of changes to the systems.
• Maintains effective communication with both operational and project teams and acts as the “voice” of the business during the project.
• Identifies fields/data that must be corrected post conversion and develops a plan to get issues resolved. Utilizes various systems for process automation.
• Directs the post conversion clean-up process and engaging operational resources as needed.
• Reviews systems specs for cleanup pre and post conversion. Determines needs for changes for the combined institution.
• Primary conversion team lead for Business Line, including subcommittee with vendors.
• Acts as the primary resource during the conversion, answers questions, troubleshoots problems as they occur, supports implementation of new procedures, communicates last minute training if necessary and provides support during conversion week. Reviews the conversion results (reports, balancing of systems, balancing system conversion to associated General Ledger accounts, errors with the customer).
• Identifies and documents lesson learned and other opportunities for process improvements.
• When Bank conversions are not in play, the Implementation Manager will lead other business unit projects.

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Finance or Business Administration required
• Experience: 7+ years of specialized training or experience in all areas of bank operations, with focus on Loans.
• Skills: Be a self-starter, goal-oriented and able to function remotely with little direction; strong skills in analysis, critical thinking and problem solving; ability to prioritize and manage multiple projects/tasks; thorough knowledge of banking operations, regulations, processes, procedures, and computer applications; must be able to work with a significant amount of detailed information in an accurate, timely and…