Chief Lending Officer

Our client, Jersey State Bank, has asked us to assist in the search for a Chief Lending Officer to join their team in West Central Illinois.

This is a highly visible executive leadership role responsible for overseeing the bank's lending operations, providing strategic direction to the lending team, and ensuring continued loan growth while maintaining strong credit quality and sound risk management practices. The successful candidate will bring extensive lending experience across agricultural, commercial, and residential lending, along with the leadership capabilities necessary to develop employees, strengthen lending processes, and support the bank's long-term objectives.Reporting directly to the Chief Executive Officer, this individual will work closely with executive management and other departments to establish lending priorities, oversee credit administration, and ensure the bank maintains a disciplined approach to underwriting, portfolio management, and regulatory compliance.

This position presents an opportunity to play an important role in the continued success of an independently owned community bank by strengthening its lending capabilities, developing its team, and supporting sustainable growth while maintaining the relationship-focused approach expected of a community banking institution.

Essential Responsibilities:

• Provide strategic leadership, direction, and day-to-day oversight of the bank's lending department, including loan origination, underwriting, servicing, credit administration, and related lending operations.
• Lead, mentor, and develop lending employees by establishing performance expectations, providing ongoing coaching and training, and creating accountability around credit quality, operational efficiency, and customer service.
• Oversee lending activities across agricultural, commercial, and residential loan portfolios, ensuring appropriate loan structures, underwriting standards, and credit decisions.
• Direct the review, analysis, and approval process for loan requests, including evaluation of borrower creditworthiness, financial performance, repayment capacity, collateral, and overall credit risk.
• Review financial statements, tax returns, cash flow projections, collateral valuations, and other financial information to support sound lending decisions.
• Maintain strong underwriting standards and ensure lending decisions align with established bank policies, regulatory requirements, and prudent credit practices.
• Monitor overall loan portfolio performance, identify emerging credit concerns, and implement appropriate strategies to manage risk, minimize losses, and maintain asset quality.
• Lead the development, implementation, and ongoing review of lending policies, procedures, internal controls, and credit administration practices.
• Partner closely with the Chief Executive Officer and executive management to develop lending strategies, establish growth objectives, and support the bank's broader business goals.
• Oversee agricultural lending activities, including applicable USDA agricultural programs, Farmer Mac underwriting, and other specialized agricultural financing solutions.
• Provide oversight and guidance related to residential lending activities, including Freddie Mac fixed-rate mortgage programs.
• Prepare and present monthly, quarterly, and annual lending reports covering loan production, portfolio performance, delinquencies, charge-offs, policy exceptions, and credit risk.
• Serve as a key point of contact during regulatory examinations, internal and external audits, and other reviews involving lending operations, credit administration, and risk management.
• Coordinate with attorneys, title companies, appraisers, insurance providers, and other third parties on loan documentation, collateral matters, collections, and legal issues.
• Support business development and relationship growth by identifying opportunities to expand existing customer relationships and provide additional lending and banking solutions.
• Collaborate with lending staff, operations, compliance, and executive leadership to improve internal processes, strengthen communication, and deliver an efficient customer experience.
• Promote a collaborative, accountable lending culture focused on professional development, sound credit decisions, responsible growth, and exceptional customer service.

Key Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree required.
• Minimum of 10 years of lending experience, with a strong background in agricultural, commercial, and residential lending.
• Demonstrated experience leading lending teams, overseeing departmental performance, and developing employees.
• Strong agricultural lending background preferred, including familiarity with USDA agricultural programs, Farmer Mac underwriting, and Raymond James agricultural programs.
• Experience or exposure to Freddie Mac fixed-rate residential lending.
• Comprehensive understanding of loan origination, credit administration, underwriting, loan servicing, collateral evaluation, and portfolio management.
• Strong financial analysis capabilities, including the ability to evaluate financial statements, tax returns, cash flow, repayment capacity, and collateral documentation.
• Thorough knowledge of lending regulations, regulatory examination expectations, compliance requirements, and credit risk management practices.
• Demonstrated ability to establish and maintain sound lending policies, underwriting standards, and internal controls.
• Experience monitoring loan portfolio performance, identifying credit deterioration, and implementing appropriate risk mitigation strategies.
• Strong leadership and communication skills with the ability to work effectively with executive management, lending employees, regulators, auditors, and external business partners.
• Ability to prepare and present comprehensive lending reports and communicate portfolio performance, credit trends, and risk considerations to senior management.
• Strong organizational, analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making capabilities.
• Ability to balance loan growth objectives with prudent credit administration and the long-term financial strength of the institution.
• Strong integrity, sound judgment, and a commitment to ethical lending practices, confidentiality, and relationship-focused community banking.