Finance role
Member Business Lending Manager Recruiters
Financial Headhunters: Acquiring new business members and securing clean credit memos while adhering to credit union regulations.
This is what we do all day: recruit accounting, finance, banking and insurance professionals.
Executive-search discipline at every level, with conversations shaped around the work.
No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire.
Need someone now? Call 305-306-4829.
We offer a candidate replacement guarantee on standard search agreements. The applicable period and exact terms are set out in the signed client recruiting agreement.
- Controller
- CFO
- VP Finance
- FP&A Director
- Accounting Manager
- Director of Accounting
- Assistant Controller
- Tax Director
- Treasury Manager
- Internal Audit Director
- Senior Accountant
- Financial Analyst
- Head of Financial Reporting
- Commercial Lender
- Chief Credit Officer
- Business Systems Finance Lead
- No upfront fee
- Pay only if you hire
- Accounting, finance, banking and insurance
- We reach people who aren’t on job boards
- Replacement terms on standard searches
01
What does this hire really come down to?
This role requires a balance between aggressive business development and strict credit quality. You need someone who can go into the local market to acquire new business members while adhering to the unique regulatory constraints of a credit union. If they cannot write a clean credit memo or manage the relationship, the portfolio risk becomes your problem immediately.
Expect the candidate to manage the end-to-end loan process for small to mid-sized business members. They must balance growth targets against the credit union's risk appetite. They are not just sales people; they are the front-line credit decision makers who must present their own deals to the loan committee without needing constant correction.
We ask how they handled a loan default during a market downturn. We require them to detail the specific workout actions they took before choosing foreclosure. We ask for their process of balancing loan volume with deposit growth to confirm profit.
Focus your initial screening on the mechanics of their deal flow to determine if their underwriting methodology matches your internal standards. Ask them to walk you through the most complex commercial credit memo they authored in the last year specifically detailing their assessment of secondary repayment sources and industry specific risks. If they cannot explain how they arrived at a specific DSCR or how they mitigated LTV exposure in a volatile market you are looking at someone who relies on others to complete the heavy lifting. Probe for evidence of how they structured loan covenants to protect against liquidity shifts. Challenge them to explain exactly what data points they track when monitoring a business portfolio for early warning signs of impairment. A strong candidate provides granular detail on their portfolio management tools. If they provide vague responses about general relationships rather than specific credit documentation and risk mitigation techniques keep searching for a better technical match.
02
What do we check before you see anyone?
We verify these six areas to prevent wasted interview time.
Before you interview anyone we have a scope conversation to define the exact loan size and asset class limits you need to hit this year. We ask candidates specific evidence questions about their recent deal files to see how they handle secondary repayment sources when the primary business cash flow dips. We force a trade-off discussion where the candidate must choose between closing a high-volume loan with moderate risk or rejecting it to protect the current portfolio balance. If they cannot describe the specific documentation needed to justify that decision to a board they lack the operational independence required.
- 01Active portfolio management history: We confirm they have held responsibility for a specific dollar volume of loans rather than just supporting a larger team.
- 02Credit underwriting proficiency: We check if they have formal credit training or can demonstrate deep knowledge of DSCR and LTV calculations.
- 03Regulatory adherenceWe check their work history with NCUA rules to verify they distinguish bank from credit union operations.
- 04Portfolio quality metricsWe ask for their historical default and delinquency rates to verify they did not grow the book by ignoring credit standards.
- 05Direct deposit acquisitionWe confirm they have successfully cross-sold treasury or deposit accounts to business members instead of just originating loans.
- 06Local market experienceWe check that their established business network is actually in your region or a comparable market.
03
Where do we find them?
We look within regional community credit unions, community banks, and specialized SBA lenders. We prioritize individuals who have spent time in commercial lending departments where they were responsible for their own origination and underwriting. We look for candidates at smaller institutions who are frustrated by bureaucratic bottlenecks or those at larger organizations who are tired of rigid, centralized credit committees that kill local deal flow. We also target those at banks that recently completed a merger, as these transitions often displace capable lenders who have strong local relationships but are no longer a fit for the new culture.
04
Which hiring mistakes should you watch for?
- 01Hiring someone with only consumer lending experience, expecting them to easily handle complex business loans.
- 02Prioritizing pure sales ability over the necessary skill to document and underwrite a sound credit deal.
- 03Ignoring a candidate's lack of experience with local business members in your specific geographic market.
05
The search in three steps
- 01We identify lenders currently holding portfolios of similar size and risk profile to your credit union.
- 02We verify their track record in both loan volume and credit quality to confirm they contribute to bottom-line results.
- 03We deliver a shortlist of candidates who are ready to engage and have a logical reason for seeking a new role.
How your Member Business Lending Manager search runs
How does The Six-Step Search work?
Research, direct conversations and professional judgment, with follow-through through the offer.
Search Calibration
We establish what this person must own: reporting demands, systems responsibilities, team, decision authority and first-year needs. We ask what would make an otherwise good candidate wrong for this job.
You get: An agreed search brief and a clear basis for judging fit.
Market Mapping
We research relevant operating environments, not just matching titles. An owner-led business, a portfolio company and a regulated lender can need different experience from someone with the same job title.
You get: A reasoned research direction, with scope differences made explicit.
Professional Contact Intelligence
We research professional ways to contact the people identified. Finding a name is a starting point; it does not establish availability, interest or fit.
You get: A route to a professional conversation, not simply a candidate list.
Persistent Personalized Outreach
We contact people directly about the actual work and follow through on the conversation. We explain the remit and discuss whether a move could make sense. Not everyone will answer or want to move.
You get: A candid view of interest, objections and the tradeoffs in your opportunity.
Live Candidate Qualification
We discuss what each person actually owned, the complexity involved, their reasons for considering a move, compensation expectations and practical constraints. The questions fit the assignment, from a staff accounting seat to CFO.
You get: A candidate account of relevant ownership, with gaps left visible.
Candidate Intelligence and Process Support
Written recruiter context explains relevant experience, strengths and remaining questions. After introduction, we gather feedback, resolve questions, discuss changed requirements and support interviews and offer decisions. You retain the hiring decision and technical assessment.
You get: Continuity through the offer, rather than a handoff that ends at an introduction.
Questions people ask
Do I owe money for finding a manager who can write our local credit memos?
No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire.
Does this role include authority to approve loans?
This depends on your internal policy. We identify candidates who have held specific loan approval authority, but you define the final decision rights during the interview process.
How do you confirm they fit a credit union?
We focus on candidates with prior credit union experience or those who have worked in relationship-based community banking. These environments prioritize member service over the transactional nature found in large commercial banks.
Can you find candidates who are already local?
Yes, our search focus is always on identifying talent with existing relationships in your specific market. We prioritize candidates who can begin driving business and managing member expectations immediately.
What is the fee for a Member Business Lending Manager search?
No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire. The fee and terms are agreed in writing before we start.
How soon will I see a Member Business Lending Manager shortlist?
It depends on the seat, the location and the pay. We give you an honest read after the calibration call and we do not promise dates we cannot control.
What about counteroffers on a Member Business Lending Manager hire?
We ask every Member Business Lending Manager candidate early why they would move and what their employer might do to keep them. Counteroffer risk goes in the written brief before you make an offer.
What is your guarantee?
We offer a candidate replacement guarantee on standard search agreements. The applicable period and exact terms are set out in the signed client recruiting agreement.
What don't you do?
We do not post your Member Business Lending Manager job and forward whoever applies. We do not send stacks of unscreened resumes, and we do not recruit outside accounting, finance, banking and insurance.
Start a search
Tell us about the seat.
No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire.
We offer a candidate replacement guarantee on standard search agreements. The applicable period and exact terms are set out in the signed client recruiting agreement.
Not ready to start a search?
Get a practical read on the talent market or the job description. No fee or obligation.
What does the published pay data show?
$166,570 national annual median. SOC 11-3031: Financial Managers.
BLS reports Member Business Lending Manager within a broader occupation. It does not publish separate wages for this exact title, credentials, seniority or industry. Compare the listed SOC duties with your actual role before using this range.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Released 2026-05-15. This is not a separately measured salary for this exact title.
Read the full salary guide