Lending Manager

Chief Financial Credit Union; Rochester Hills (MI); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Blue Cross Blue Shield insurance

401(k) plan with employer contribution

Generous vacation and PTO

Tuition reimbursement

Opportunities for professional growth

Job summary

Chief Financial Credit Union is seeking a Direct Lending Manager to lead a skilled team and oversee loan origination, underwriting, and funding with a focus on responsible risk management. This role balances growth with member-centric service and requires strong credit judgment and people leadership.

You will drive strategies, coach staff, and ensure compliance while collaborating with other departments to optimize portfolio performance.

Qualifications

• Three to five years of consumer lending, underwriting, or closely related financial-services experience.
• Prior leadership, supervisory, team-lead, or management experience.
• Demonstrated experience reviewing and making consumer credit decisions.
• A strong understanding of consumer lending regulations, underwriting principles, and responsible risk management.
• The confidence to explain the reasoning behind credit decisions.
• Experience coaching employees, setting expectations, and addressing performance constructively.
• The ability to interpret lending results and turn data into practical action.
• Strong organization, communication, problem-solving, and relationship-building skills.
• Experience working with loan origination systems, spreadsheets, and standard business technology.
• A two-year college degree, specialized lending or financial-services training, or an equivalent combination of education and directly related experience.

Responsibilities

• Lead, coach, and develop the Direct Lending team, setting clear expectations and providing ongoing feedback.
• Oversee daily loan origination, processing, decisioning, and funding activities.
• Review, underwrite, and approve consumer loans within assigned lending authority.
• Evaluate escalated, complex, and exception requests while balancing member needs, credit quality, and responsible risk.
• Monitor production, service levels, portfolio quality, productivity, yield, and profitability.
• Use department data to identify trends, address performance concerns, and support responsible loan growth.
• Establish effective staffing, workflow, and service expectations so members receive timely and consistent support.
• Develop and improve lending procedures, workflows, and operational practices.
• Ensure lending activities comply with applicable laws, regulations, Credit Union policies, and sound lending practices.
• Work collaboratively with branch operations, the Contact Center, Collections, Accounting, Compliance, and other departments.
• Support lending technology and vendor relationships, including system improvements, service expectations, and process enhancements.
• Communicate department results, needs, risks, and opportunities clearly to senior leadership.
• Create a team culture built on accountability, sound judgment, learning, collaboration, and exceptional member service.

Skills

Strong credit judgment

People leadership

Consumer lending experience

Communication skills

Data interpretation

Lending systems experience

Education

Two-year college degree or higher

Specialized lending training

Tools

Loan origination systems

Spreadsheets

Business software

Job description

Direct Lending Manager

Lead the Team. Strengthen the Decisions. Help Members Move Forward.

Full-Time | Management Position | In-Office Leadership + Potential Hybrid Flexibility

At Chief Financial Credit Union, lending is about more than approving applications and reaching production goals. It’s about understanding the person behind the application and helping members make confident financial decisions.

As our Direct Lending Manager, you’ll lead a small, experienced team responsible for helping members access the financing they need. You’ll guide department performance, develop lenders, review complex applications, and make sound decisions that balance member needs with responsible risk management.

This is a hands-on management position for someone who understands that great leadership happens alongside the team—not from a distance.

You’ll remain connected to the day-to-day work of Direct Lending while building the people, processes, and strategies that help the department grow responsibly.

A Hands-On Leadership Opportunity

You won’t simply monitor reports or manage from the sidelines.

You’ll coach lenders through challenging situations, review and underwrite applications, make escalated and exception decisions within your lending authority, and step in when the team needs additional support.

At the same time, you’ll look beyond the application in front of you- identifying trends, improving workflows, strengthening portfolio performance, and creating an environment where employees can learn, grow, and do their best work.

What You’ll Do

As the Direct Lending Manager, you will:

• Lead, coach, and develop the Direct Lending team, setting clear expectations and providing meaningful, ongoing feedback.

• Oversee daily loan origination, processing, decisioning, and funding activities.

• Review, underwrite, and approve consumer loans within assigned lending authority.

• Evaluate escalated, complex, and exception requests while balancing member needs, credit quality, and responsible risk.

• Monitor production, service levels, portfolio quality, productivity, yield, and profitability.

• Use department data to identify trends, address performance concerns, and support responsible loan growth.

• Establish effective staffing, workflow, and service expectations so members receive timely and consistent support.

• Develop and improve lending procedures, workflows, and operational practices.

• Ensure lending activities comply with applicable laws, regulations, Credit Union policies, and sound lending practices.

• Work collaboratively with branch operations, the Contact Center, Collections, Accounting, Compliance, and other departments.

• Support lending technology and vendor relationships, including system improvements, service expectations, and process enhancements.

• Communicate department results, needs, risks, and opportunities clearly to senior leadership.

• Create a team culture built on accountability, sound judgment, learning, collaboration, and exceptional member service.

What You’ll Bring

We’re looking for a lending professional who can combine strong credit judgment with thoughtful people leadership.

You should have:

• Three to five years of consumer lending, underwriting, or closely related financial-services experience.

• Prior leadership, supervisory, team-lead, or management experience.

• Demonstrated experience reviewing and making consumer credit decisions.

• A strong understanding of consumer lending regulations, underwriting principles, and responsible risk management.

• The confidence to make difficult decisions and clearly explain the reasoning behind them.

• Experience coaching employees, setting expectations, and addressing performance constructively.

• The ability to interpret lending results and turn data into practical action.

• Strong organization, communication, problem-solving, and relationship-building skills.

• Experience working with loan origination systems, spreadsheets, and standard business technology.

• A two-year college degree, specialized lending or financial-services training, or an equivalent combination of education and directly related experience.

Credit-union experience is strongly preferred, but we’re also interested in candidates who understand relationship-based lending and share our commitment to serving members responsibly.

The Kind of Leader We’re Looking For

The right person for this role understands that managing a lending department requires more than technical knowledge.

You know how to:

• Set a clear direction while staying connected to daily operations.

• Hold employees accountable without losing sight of coaching and development.

• Make timely, well-supported credit decisions.

• Balance growth, service, compliance, and portfolio quality.

• Build trust across departments.

• Remain calm and decisive when situations are complex.

• Recognize that every loan application represents a real person and a real financial decision.

You don’t have to choose between caring about members and protecting the Credit Union. Great lending leadership does both.

In-Office Leadership + Potential Hybrid Opportunity

This position is classified as an in-office management role. We believe being present with the team is important- especially while learning our systems, understanding our lending approach, building relationships, and establishing yourself as a leader.

Once training is complete and the manager has demonstrated the ability to lead the department effectively, limited hybrid flexibility may be available based on performance, department coverage, operational needs, and leadership approval.

Hybrid flexibility is not guaranteed and may be adjusted as business or team needs change.

Schedule

This is a full-time, exempt management position with a standard Monday-Friday business schedule.

Because this is a leadership role, occasional schedule flexibility may be necessary to support employees, respond to operational needs, complete time-sensitive work, or participate in meetings and Credit Union activities.

Compensation

Starting salary will be based on the candidate’s direct lending experience, underwriting and approval authority, leadership background, technical knowledge, and ability to assume the full responsibilities of the position.

Benefits That Support You

Chief Financial Credit Union offers a comprehensive management benefits package that includes:

• Blue Cross Blue Shield PPO and BCN HMO medical plan options with a $500 deductible.

• Employer contribution of 90% toward medical and dental premiums.

• Vision coverage.

• A medical insurance waiver rebate for eligible employees who do not need Credit Union-sponsored medical coverage.

• Employer-paid life insurance coverage of $100,000.

• Employer-paid short-term and long-term disability insurance.

• 401(k) plan with employer contribution.

• Paid holidays.

• Generous vacation and paid time off.

• Tuition reimbursement after one year of employment, subject to program requirements.

• Opportunities for professional growth, leadership development, and continued learning.

Why Chief Financial Credit Union?

We’re a growing credit union that still believes relationships matter.

Our size gives leaders the opportunity to make a visible impact. You won’t be several levels removed from the decisions or the people affected by them. You’ll work directly with your team, collaborate with senior leadership, and help shape how Direct Lending serves our members and supports the Credit Union’s future.

If you’re ready to lead with sound judgment, develop a strong team, and help members find responsible financial solutions, we’d like to meet you.

Chief Financial Credit Union is an Equal Opportunity Employer.