Lending & Relationship Specialist

Defence Bank; Canberra; On-site; AUD 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Defence Bank Limited is seeking a Lending & Relationship Specialist to support Defence members at ADFA and nationwide. The role blends relationship banking with personal lending expertise, handling enquiries through face‑to‑face, phone and digital channels.

You will be the lending SME across the branch network, guiding applications to settlement, promoting lending solutions, and driving sustainable growth while ensuring compliance and high service standards.

Qualifications

• Two years’ personal or consumer lending experience.
• Three years in retail banking.
• Strong knowledge of personal lending products and processes.
• Experience managing lending pipelines and performance outcomes.
• Solid understanding of responsible lending, compliance and risk obligations.
• Excellent relationship-building and referral skills.
• Comfort talking with members by phone and via digital channels.

Responsibilities

• Deliver exceptional service to members at ADFA and through virtual channels.
• Build trusted relationships through needs-based conversations.
• Manage personal lending opportunities from enquiry to settlement.
• Promote banking, lending and insurance solutions.
• Proactively handle member enquiries, applications and lending pipelines.
• Identify and refer suitable home lending opportunities.
• Meet personal lending, referral and cross-sell targets.
• Support complex lending scenarios and service desk enquiries.
• Maintain accurate records and comply with lending obligations.
• Support Defence Bank visibility at ADFA and local initiatives.

Skills

Personal lending

Retail banking

Relationship management

Needs-based selling

Digital channels

Compliance & risk

Communication

Travel flexibility

Job description

Defence Bank is a member‑owned bank with a proud history of serving the Australian Defence community for over 50 years.With 26 branches across Australia and our award-winning app, Defence Bank is where our members need us – anywhere, anytime.

The bank provides financial products and services to the Australian Defence Force and its unique community, reinvesting profits for the benefit of our members. We are a leader in our sector and our people led, technology enabled environment, celebrates the individual talents, personalities, interests and needs of our people.

Recognised as an Australian HR Awards 2026 Excellence Awardee for Employer of Choice and Best Workplace Flexibility Program, Defence Bank combines a strong people-first culture with a commitment to innovation. From flexible ways of working to the adoption of AI-powered tools such as Microsoft Copilot, we empower our people with the technology, support and autonomy they need to do their best work and continue delivering exceptional experiences for our members. It's not just our employees who think Defence Bank is one of Australia's best places to work.

As our Lending & Relationship Specialist, you’ll combine relationship banking with personal lending expertise to support Defence members at ADFA and across Australia. You’ll build trusted relationships, understand members’ financial goals and provide tailored solutions through face-to-face, phone and digital channels.

You’ll also be a personal lending subject matter expert for our broader branch network. From managing lending opportunities and supporting applications through to settlement, to helping colleagues navigate complex scenarios, you’ll play an important role in improving member experiences, strengthening frontline capability and driving sustainable growth.

Key responsibilities

• Deliver exceptional service to members at ADFA and through virtual channels.
• Build trusted relationships through genuine, needs-based conversations.
• Manage personal lending opportunities from initial enquiry through to settlement.
• Promote relevant banking, lending and insurance solutions.
• Proactively manage member enquiries, applications and lending pipelines.
• Identify and refer suitable home lending opportunities.
• Achieve personal lending, referral and cross-sell targets.
• Provide personal lending expertise and support across the branch network.
• Assist with complex lending scenarios and service desk enquiries.
• Maintain accurate records and meet responsible lending and compliance obligations.
• Support local initiatives that strengthen Defence Bank’s visibility at ADFA.
• Share knowledge, improve processes and contribute to stronger member outcomes.

About you

You’re an experienced retail banking professional who knows how to turn meaningful conversations into positive member and lending outcomes. You bring strong personal lending knowledge, confidence working across physical and virtual channels, and a genuine desire to support the Defence community. Organised, proactive and commercially minded, you can manage a busy pipeline while maintaining high standards of service, accuracy, compliance and risk management.

To be successful, you’ll bring

• At least two years’ personal or consumer lending experience.
• At least three years’ experience in retail banking.
• Strong knowledge of personal lending products and processes.
• Demonstrated experience managing lending pipelines and performance outcomes.
• Sound knowledge of responsible lending, compliance and risk obligations.
• Strong relationship-building, needs-based selling and referral skills.
• Confidence supporting members by phone and through digital channels.
• The ability to work independently while collaborating across a wider network.
• Personal lending assessment delegation or the ability to obtain it.
• Flexibility to travel within the state and interstate when required.