SBA Loan Processor at MONTEREY COUNTY BANK – Monterey, California

Join a growing SBA lending team where your expertise directly supports small business success. As an SBA Loan Processor, you’ll play a key role in guiding SBA loans from application through closing and funding, ensuring a smooth, efficient, and compliant process every step of the way. You’ll collaborate closely with SBA Business Development Officers, Underwriters, and Closing staff, gaining broad exposure across the SBA lifecycle while contributing to timely execution and an exceptional borrower experience. This is an opportunity for a detail-oriented professional who thrives in a collaborative environment and wants to grow their career while helping entrepreneurs build and expand their businesses.

Key Responsibilities:

The SBA Loan Processor manages SBA loan applications from initial submission through closing and funding, primarily supporting SBA 7(a), Express, and related programs. This role is responsible for collecting, reviewing, and organizing borrower, guarantor, and third-party documentation, ensuring all files are complete, accurate, and compliant with SBA Standard Operating Procedures (SOP), Bank credit approvals, and internal documentation standards. The SBA Loan Processor maintains well-organized, audit-ready loan files that support efficient processing and long-term servicing.

Serving as a central point of coordination, the SBA Loan Processor acts as a key liaison between borrowers, SBA Business Development Officers, Underwriters, Closing, and internal departments to facilitate timely loan progression. This role tracks loan conditions, outstanding items, and timelines, communicates documentation requirements and next steps clearly and professionally, and partners closely with closing and servicing teams to ensure smooth loan funding and handoff.

A strong focus on compliance and quality is essential. The SBA Loan Processor reviews loan files for SBA eligibility, use of proceeds, ownership structure, and guarantor requirements, verifies the accuracy and completeness of loan documents and disclosures prior to closing, and assists in preparing SBA guaranty packages to support SBA purchase, servicing, and secondary market requirements. This role also supports internal audits, loan reviews, and regulatory examinations related to SBA lending.

From a systems and reporting perspective, the SBA Loan Processor inputs and maintains accurate loan data within the Loan Origination System (LOS) and related platforms, monitors loan pipeline reports, and provides status updates to management as requested. Additionally, the role identifies recurring documentation challenges or process gaps and recommends opportunities for efficiency and continuous improvement, contributing to the ongoing growth and success of the SBA lending platform.

Qualifications:

• Strong documentation and file management skills
• Experience working in a regulated banking environment.
• Minimum 2–4 years of loan processing experience, preferably in SBA or commercial lending.
• Working knowledge of SBA loan documentation and general SBA SOP requirements.
• Strong organizational and time-management skills.
• High attention to detail and accuracy.
• Excellent written and verbal communication
• Ability to manage multiple loans simultaneously and meet deadlines
• Collaborative, service-oriented mindset
• Comfort working with loan origination and document management systems
• Commitment to compliance, quality, and operational discipline

The ideal candidate will bring direct experience processing SBA 7(a) loans within a community or regional banking environment, along with a strong understanding of SBA loan closing and post-closing requirements. This role requires prior experience working in a regulated banking environment, with the ability to navigate compliance standards, documentation requirements, and internal controls while supporting a high-quality borrower experience.