Director Ag Retail Credit Underwriting

About Our Opportunity

The Director Ag Retail Credit Underwriting provides direct leadership for a team of Credit Officers and Credit Decision Managers responsible for supporting the Ag Retail portfolio of Farm Credit Mid-America. This role ensures high-quality financial analysis, risk assessment, and adherence to credit policies. The Director Ag Retail Credit Underwriting is responsible for setting credit team goals consistent with attaining Association goals and provides coaching in credit analysis, decision making, credit administration, and effectively managing relationships with internal and external customers.  The Director Ag Retail Credit Underwriting maintains credit authority to approve transactions within established limits and serves as a resource for complex credit decisions.

At Farm Credit Mid-America, Directors provide leadership to their team of individual contributors, ensuring the effective delivery of services and achievement of organizational goals. This role focuses on coaching, developing, and empowering team members to deliver exceptional experiences while maintaining operational excellence. Directors maintain accountability for team performance, facilitate workflow and processes, and collaborate with other departments to drive strategic initiatives. Directors are pivotal in fostering a high-performing, customer-centric team culture.

How You Will Spend Your Time

• Selects, coaches, and develops team members to make consistent, high‑quality credit decisions based on customer financial analysis and the Association’s credit philosophy, while partnering with retail teams to provide excellent service and maintain strong loan quality and credit administration.
• Assists in the strategic planning, budgeting process and aligning team goals with attaining association goals.  Works closely with leaders and appropriate teams to implement improved processes and tools.
• Collaborates with sales leaders in achieving portfolio growth goals while determining ways to deliver value beyond the customer’s capital needs.
• Approves or denies loans within their delegated authority, makes recommendations for loans exceeding authority and establishes appropriate loan terms and structures to manage loan risks.
• Provides day-to-day oversight and leads team members and self by modeling values, inspiring a shared vision, and encouraging continuous learning and development.
• Defines team operating standards, monitors internal procedures and processes and ensures compliance with regulatory requirements to manage operational risks.
• Develops and implements strategies to achieve organizational goals.
• Monitors market and other relevant changes, adjusting plans to address resource and operational challenges, as appropriate.
• Uses data-driven insights to make informed decisions and effectively address challenges.
• Establishes and maintains trusting, collaborative relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Collaborates with cross-functional teams to recommend and implement improved processes and tools that facilitate operational excellence and enhance customer and team member experience.
• Participates in committees, projects, and strategic initiatives to support overall customer experience and drive organizational success.

Minimum Education & Experience

Bachelor’s degree in agriculture, business or related field. 5 years experience building foundational leadership skills, understands team responsibilities, and develops emerging competence in leadership practices, coaching, decision-making, and technical mastery to effectively support their team and achieve operational goals. 

Mental & Physical Requirements

While engaged in this position, team members will routinely sit, use hands for tasks, and communicate orally. Standing or walking is frequently required, while occasional demands include reaching with hands and arms, and lifting or moving up to ten pounds. Vision requirements encompass close and distance vision. The work environment typically has a moderate noise level. This role may entail a blend of mental and physical capabilities, requiring strong mental acuity, problem-solving skills, and occasional physical tasks such as standing, lifting, or extended computer usage. Some roles may require physical or mental requirements related to driving, such as a valid driver's license, and the ability to drive a long-distance. Reasonable accommodations will be considered for individuals as requested.