Sr. Relationship Manager

MetLife; United States; On-site; USD 155,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health plan

Life insurance

401(k) with employer matching

Disability insurance

Paid time off

Job summary

MetLife Investment Management (MIM) seeks an experienced Director / Senior Relationship Manager for its Agricultural Investments group. Based in the Central Regional Office, you will originate agricultural loans, service a $400M portfolio in Illinois, and drive growth through strong credit analysis and client relationships.

You will lead relationship management and portfolio development across the Southern and Eastern Illinois markets, partnering with internal stakeholders to deliver value and

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Agricultural sectors, Business Administration, Finance, Economics, or Banking.
• 10+ years of relevant experience in negotiating, underwriting, and servicing agricultural debt deals.
• Strong credit and analytical skills and knowledge of lending principles.

Responsibilities

• Originate agricultural loans and service existing loan portfolio in Illinois.
• Manage and attain aggressive business goals with strong credit analysis.
• Structure large complex financings for sophisticated clients and cultivate client relationships.

Skills

Agricultural lending

Credit analysis

Relationship management

Portfolio management

Business development

Education

Bachelor's degree in Agricultural sectors/Finance/Economics/Banking

MBA (preferred)

Job description

At MetLife Investment Management (MIM), the Real Estate and Agriculture team offers the opportunity to shape thriving markets and drive meaningful impact. With one of the world’s largest portfolios, spanning real estate debt and equity, and agricultural mortgages, you will collaborate with top professionals to invest across the risk spectrum, from core to opportunistic. Recognized as a 2025 Best Place to Work in Money Management by Pensions & Investments, MIM brings together collaboration, strategic insight, and real-world impact. If you’re ready to help build enduring value, this is where you belong.

The Opportunity

Based in Whippany, New Jersey, MetLife Investment Management (MIM) is one of the largest institutional investors and asset managers in the world, with over $742 billion in combined managed assets, and has consistently generated superior returns for both policyholders and shareholders. The enterprise has more than 1,100 dedicated professionals with extensive experience and expertise in all asset classes, with a strength in public and private fixed income and private assets, including real estate. Visit us at www.metlife.com/investments to learn more.

Global Real Estate and Agricultural Investments maintain a portfolio invested in commercial real estate and agricultural mortgages, as well as real estate equities. Agricultural Investments group sources agricultural mortgages through five regional field offices in the U.S. and consulting offices in Mexico and Brazil. MetLife’s Agricultural Investments group is the largest non-GSE agricultural mortgage lenders in the United States. Our agricultural investments are an important part of MetLife’s asset-liability matching program. The long-term nature of these investments makes them a good match for the long-term liabilities the company writes. MetLife’s agricultural portfolio is approximately $25 Billion.

MetLife’s Agricultural Investments group is seeking an exceptional and experienced Director / Senior Relationship Manager. This individual will be an intracule member of the Central Regional Office (CRO) loan origination and servicing team. The CRO sources and manages agricultural mortgage investments in multiple locations covering a large and diverse geographic region from Colorado to Maine. This individual will originate loans and service an existing loan portfolio of $400 million in Southern and Eastern Illinois.

Key Responsibilities

Loan Origination

• Originate agricultural loans and service existing loan portfolio in Illinois.
• Ability to manage and attain aggressive business goals.
• Strong credit and analytical skills, superior knowledge of lending principles, credit procedures, collateral and credit analysis.
• Extensive agricultural lending experience in annual crops with an understanding of livestock lending.
• Ability to structure large complex financings for sophisticated clients.
• Strong agricultural marketing and business development skills.
• Advanced knowledge of digital sales techniques and database management.

Portfolio Management

• Relationship Management position responsible for new business development of agricultural loans.
• Portfolio management to include loans in Illinois.

Relationship Management

• Ability to deliver exceptional customer service with the highest ethical standards to a large client base.
• Experience developing long‑term relationships over a prolonged business development cycle.
• Ability to earn the trust of internal and external stakeholders, prospective customers, and industry leaders.

Required

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Agricultural sectors, Business Administration, Finance, Economics, or Banking as well as any other related field of expertise
• 10+ years relevant experience with a proven history of negotiating, underwriting, and servicing agricultural debt deals.
• Strong credit and analytical skills, superior knowledge of lending principles, credit procedures, collateral, and credit.
• Strong leadership skills and relationship management skills.
• Has an active network among agricultural investment and lending professionals in the Southeran and Eastern Illinois market.
• Real estate valuation knowledge and skills.
• Excellent oral, written, and interpersonal communication.
• Highly professional in all circumstances as a representative of MetLife Investment Management and MetLife Agricultural on a regional platform.

Preferred

Preferred Qualifications

• MBA or master’s degree
• Understand and use of AI platforms to assist and supplement workflow efficiencies.

The expected salary range for this position is $155,000 - $190,000. This role may also be eligible for annual short‑term incentive compensation and stock‑based long‑term incentives. All incentives and benefits are subject to the applicable plan terms.

Benefits We Offer

• Our U.S. benefits address holistic well-being with programs for physical and mental health, financial wellness, and support for families.
• We offer a comprehensive health plan that includes medical/prescription drug and vision, dental insurance, and no‑cost short‑and‑long‑term disability.
• We also provide company‑paid life insurance and legal services, a retirement pension funded entirely by MetLife and 401(k) with employer matching, group discounts on voluntary insurance products including auto and home, pet, critical illness, hospital indemnity, and accident insurance, as well as Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and digital mental health programs, parental leave, paid time off, paid holidays, volunteer time off, tuition assistance and much more!
• For more information regarding MetLife’s U.S. benefits, please click here.

About MetLife

Recognized on Fortune magazine's list of the "World's Most Admired Companies", Fortune World’s 25 Best Workplaces™, as well as the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For®, MetLife, through its subsidiaries and affiliates, is one of the world’s leading financial services companies; providing insurance, annuities, employee benefits and asset management to individual and institutional customers. With operations in more than 40 markets, we hold leading positions in the United States, Latin America, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East.

As part of our New Frontier strategy, MetLife is building an AI‑enabled, people‑centered future. We’re looking for people who bring curiosity, adaptability, and a growth mindset as we use AI to enhance how we serve customers, support communities, and evolve the way work gets done. At MetLife, AI is a responsible partner that supports human judgment, creativity, and continuous improvement while helping us build trust, inclusion, and long‑term value.

Our purpose is simple - to help our colleagues, customers, communities, and the world at large create a more confident future. United by purpose and guided by our core values - Win Together, Do the Right Thing, Deliver Impact Over Activity, and Think Ahead - we’re inspired to transform the next century in financial services. At MetLife, it’s #AllTogetherPossible. Join us!

MetLife is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All employment decisions are made without regards to race, color, national origin, religion, creed, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, marital or domestic/civil partnership status, genetic information, citizenship status (although applicants and employees must be legally authorized to work in the United States), uniformed service member or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law (“protected characteristics”).

If you need an accommodation due to a disability, please email us at [e-mail]. This information will be held in confidence and used only to determine an appropriate accommodation for the application process.

MetLife maintains a drug‑free workplace.

It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liabilities.

This posting is for a current vacancy and is anticipated to remain open for at least 90 days from the listed posting date.