VP of Commercial Lending in Pensacola, Florida at Gulf Winds Credit Union

About Gulf Winds

Service Beyond Banking - At Gulf Winds, we are forward-thinking and team-oriented. We recognize and reward service that exceeds our members’ expectations and, most importantly, have fun while working hard and impacting our community. We’re looking for driven professionals who are passionate about service, fueled by purpose, and guided by core values of Integrity, Care, Growth, and Innovation

Our Values

Integrity

We own our decisions and actions by doing the right thing, learning from our mistakes, and taking responsibility.

Care

We help members meet their goals by listening to understand and offering the best solutions, placing kindness above all else.

Growth

We set ambitious goals, provide personal development opportunities, and encourage results.

Innovation

We challenge the status quo to enhance the member’s experience and solve tomorrow’s challenges today.

We Invest in Our People

We offer a comprehensive benefits package designed to support your health, financial well-being, and work-life balance. Benefits include 11.5 paid federal holidays, PTO starting at 18 days for new hires, 16 hours of paid volunteer time, competitively priced medical insurance, and dental and vision coverage with 100% of individual premiums paid by Gulf Winds. Team members also receive employer-paid life insurance, short-term disability coverage, a 401(k) with company match, an employer-funded pension plan, flexible spending accounts, tuition reimbursement, and wellness programs.

Working at Gulf Winds

Working at Gulf Winds is not just a job, it’s a career. We’re hiring collaborative, motivated people who want to love what they do. We are forward-thinking and team oriented. We recognize and reward excellent member service and have fun while working hard. When you join the team, you can expect:

• Open and transparent communication with your leaders
• Consistent coaching and opportunities to improve performance.
• Collaborative and team-focused environments
• Short and long-term professional development
• Opportunity to participate in cross-functional projects.

With you on our team we can achieve our vision of becoming the leading and most trusted credit union on the Gulf Coast.

Role:

The Vice President of Commercial Lending provides strategic leadership and operational oversight for all commercial lending processes, from origination through portfolio management. This employee is responsible for ensuring operational excellence, regulatory compliance, and the delivery of high-quality service to commercial banking clients and internal stakeholders. The VP partners closely with the Chief Lending Officer, relationship managers, and risk management to drive efficiency, scalability, and profitability within the commercial lending function.

Essential Functions & Responsibilities:

15% Directs Operational Leadership: Oversees end-to-end commercial loan operations (processing through servicing); develops operational strategies aligned with growth objectives; establishes and monitors service level agreements (SLAs).

15% Manages Credit Administration: Supervises loan documentation review, covenant monitoring, and collateral management; ensures sound underwriting and timely credit decisions.

15% Leads Team Development: Mentors and develops operations professionals; fosters a high-performance culture; coordinates with Human Resources on talent acquisition and succession planning.

10% Implements Process Improvements: Drives continuous improvement initiatives using technology and automation; reduces cycle times and operational costs through best practices.

10% Ensures Regulatory Compliance: Maintains full compliance with federal and state regulations (BSA/AML, CRA, HMDA); serves as primary contact for regulatory examiners and internal/external auditors.

10% Optimizes Technology Systems: Champions the adoption of loan origination systems (LOS) and core banking platforms; identifies fintech partnerships and leads system implementations or upgrades.

10% Controls Operational Risk: Identifies trends in credit quality and delinquency; manages exception processes to resolve documentation deficiencies; coordinates risk assessments with Enterprise Risk Management.

5% Facilitates Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partners with Relationship Managers, Treasury, Finance, and Legal on complex deal structures and specific client requirements.

5% Provides Strategic Reporting: Leverages data analytics to provide actionable KPIs to management; represents department in senior leadership and board meetings.

5% Performs Other Related Duties: Completes additional tasks as assigned by management to support organizational goals.

Performance Measurements:

1. Maintains an average "Application to Funding" cycle time that meets or exceeds established benchmarks (e.g., reduction of 10% annually) without compromising credit quality or compliance standards.

2. Achieves a 95% or greater success rate in meeting internal SLAs for loan documentation, closing, and funding turnaround times to support Relationship Manager and member expectations.

3. Ensures zero "High Risk" audit findings related to loan documentation or collateral perfection and maintains a documentation exception rate of less than 5% of the total portfolio.

4. Ensures 100% of direct reports complete individual development plans (IDPs) and required regulatory training on schedule.

5. Successfully manages regulatory exams and internal audits with no repeated findings and ensures all identified deficiencies are remediated within 60 days.

6. Demonstrates measurable gains in staff productivity (e.g., increased loan volume per FTE) resulting from the successful implementation or optimization of the Loan Origination System (LOS).

7. Manages the Commercial Operations budget within a +/- 5% variance and identifies at least one initiative annually that reduces operational costs per loan through automation or process redesign.

Knowledge and Skills:

Experience Minimum of 7 years of progressive experience in commercial lending, credit administration, or loan operations within a bank, credit union, or financial institution. Minimum of 5 years in a management role overseeing operational teams. Demonstrated experience managing a commercial loan portfolio of $100M or greater. Experience with construction, C&I, CRE, and SBA lending preferred.

Education Bachelor's degree in Finance, Business Administration, Accounting, or a related field preferred. MBA or advanced degree preferred. Completion of a formal bank credit training program is a strong plus.

Interpersonal Skills Work involves extensive personal contact with others and is of a personal or sensitive nature. Motivating, influencing, and/or training others is key at this level. Outside contacts become important and fostering sound relationships with other entities (companies and/or individuals) becomes necessary and often requires the ability to influence and/or sell ideas or services to others.

Other Skills Deep knowledge of commercial credit underwriting, loan documentation, and portfolio management principles.

Thorough understanding of regulatory guidelines, NCUA requirements, and state banking laws.

Proficiency with loan origination systems (e.g., nCino, Sageworks, Baker Hill) and core banking platforms (e.g., Jack Henry, FiServ, Temenos).

Exceptional analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making abilities.

Strong leadership presence with the ability to influence across organizational levels.

Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including experience presenting to executive teams and boards.

Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.

Physical Requirements This role requires sitting at a computer for most of the day. This role would also require the ability to file files, open filing cabinets, and bend or stand as necessary. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Work Environment The position is based in-office in our Pensacola, FL market, operates primarily in an office setting, and routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, printers, and phones. This position requires consistent presence in the office to effectively collaborate with team members and fulfill job responsibilities. It requires the ability to actively participate in conference calls and meetings with other Credit Union team members and vendors. The normal expected work schedule is Monday through Friday, 8:30a.m. to 5:00p.m. Occasional after-hours work or travel may be required to meet project deadlines or attend conferences, seminars, or client meetings. Must adhere to safety rules and regulations.

This Job Description is not a complete statement of all duties and responsibilities comprising the position.

Gulf Winds is an Equal Opportunity Employer and Drug Free Workplace.