SVP – SBA Lending Program Leader

Madison-Davis, LLC; United States; On-site; USD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

Madison-Davis, LLC is seeking a senior SBA lending leader reporting to the Chief Lending Officer with full program ownership across origination, underwriting, closing, servicing, business development, and team leadership for the Bank's SBA lending platform.

This role blends deep SBA 7(a) technical knowledge with strategic program development to guide portfolio growth, strengthen operations, and scale the SBA function in line with the bank's lending strategy.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated leadership experience in SBA or commercial lending.
• Strong knowledge of SBA 7(a) loan lifecycle from origination to guaranty preservation.
• Ability to balance portfolio growth with risk management and regulatory compliance.

Responsibilities

• Lead daily SBA lending operations with oversight across the team and internal partners.
• Serve as the primary escalation point for SBA eligibility, loan structure, documentation, closing, and servicing.
• Provide SBA technical guidance across the full loan lifecycle, including origination, underwriting, closing, and servicing.
• Ensure activities comply with SBA requirements, bank policy, internal credit standards, and regulatory expectations.
• Lead SBA business development efforts and align referral strategies with target markets.
• Coach and develop SBA team members, clarifying roles, handoffs, and decision points.
• Partner with bank leadership to refine and execute SBA strategy and prepare program updates for management and committees.
• Stay current on SBA program requirements and translate changes into practical guidance and process updates.

Skills

Leadership

SBA 7(a)

Credit judgment

Strategic thinking

Education

Bachelor's degree in business, finance, accounting, economics

Job description

This is a senior leadership opportunity within the SBA lending function of a well-established bank, reporting directly to the Chief Lending Officer and offering full program ownership across origination, underwriting, closing, servicing, business development, and team leadership for the Bank's Small Business Administration lending platform. The role combines deep SBA technical expertise with strategic program development; guiding responsible portfolio growth, overseeing business development efforts, strengthening operational practices, and ensuring the SBA function is structured to scale in alignment with the Bank's broader lending strategy. It's the right seat for an experienced SBA lending leader with 10+ years of commercial lending experience who combines strong SBA 7(a) technical knowledge with sound credit judgment, collaborative leadership, and the executive presence to represent the program to management, loan committees, regulators, and auditors.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead the daily operations of the SBA lending function including workflow oversight, prioritization, issue resolution, and coordination across SBA team members and internal partners
• Serve as the primary escalation point for SBA-related questions covering eligibility, loan structure, documentation, closing, servicing, client needs, and internal process considerations
• Provide SBA technical guidance across the full loan lifecycle including origination support, underwriting considerations, closing requirements, servicing actions, and guaranty preservation
• Ensure all SBA lending activities are conducted in accordance with current SBA requirements, Bank policy, internal credit standards, and regulatory expectations
• Lead and oversee SBA business development efforts including oversight of the SBA Business Development Officer, alignment of referral strategies with target markets, and coordination across business development, credit, operations, and closing functions
• Lead, coach, and develop SBA team members; clarify roles, responsibilities, communication expectations, decision points, and handoffs to drive consistent and disciplined execution
• Partner with bank leadership and internal stakeholders to refine and execute the SBA business strategy; support responsible portfolio growth, strengthen operating practices, prepare program updates for management and loan committees, and support audit, review, examination, and readiness activities
• Stay current on SBA program requirements, regulatory changes, industry trends, and best practices; translate relevant changes into practical guidance, process updates, and team communications

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in business, finance, accounting, economics, or a related field required
• 10+ years of commercial lending experience required, including at least 5 years of direct SBA 7(a) lending experience in a leadership, management, or senior program oversight capacity
• Strong working knowledge of SBA 7(a) lending required, including eligibility, underwriting, packaging, closing, servicing, liquidation, and guaranty preservation
• Demonstrated people leadership experience within SBA or commercial lending required
• Experience interacting with SBA offices, audit, loan review, compliance, credit administration, regulators, or similar oversight functions preferred
• Established SBA industry relationships, referral networks, or participation in SBA-focused trade organizations preferred
• Formal credit training preferred, along with relevant SBA, NAGGL, RMA, Graduate School of Banking, or similar commercial lending training
• Sound credit judgment with the ability to balance responsible portfolio growth, client experience, SBA compliance, and risk management
• Strong communication and presentation skills, including the ability to explain complex SBA, credit, and program matters to management and committee audiences
• Collaborative leadership style with the ability to work effectively across Credit, Compliance, Operations, Risk, Legal, Audit, Portfolio Management, and Executive Leadership