Commercial Lender - Baton Rouge Market

Great employees are essential to maintaining the confidence our customers place in us. FGB believes that our employees are our greatest asset as demonstrated in their professionalism and dedication. We encourage open communication and strive to cultivate an environment in which our employees will contribute new ideas and innovations that will help us excel. As we grow, we want YOU to join our team to help fulfill our mission of serving the banking needs in our local communities.

Our full-time employees are eligible for amazing benefits including medical, dental, vision, and basic life/AD&D insurance, prescription drug benefits, long term disability, and salary continuance (short-term disability). In addition, they get paid holidays, paid vacation and sick leave, a tuition reimbursement program, 401k, section 125 cafeteria plan, and the opportunity to earn FGB stock grants. Apply today to enjoy these benefits and more!  

Position Summary 

The Commercial Lender position is responsible for the identification and cultivation of customer relationships (new and existing).  The position accomplishes this by prospecting for new leads and opportunities and meeting with the companies/individuals to determine the best loan, deposit, and cash management products to meet their needs.  The position operates with limited credit authority. This position supports the Baton Rouge market. Candidates must currently reside in or have significant professional involvement within this market. The ideal candidate possesses deep local market knowledge and established business relationships that can contribute to successful market expansion efforts.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities 

1. Attend to the needs of present and potential customers seeking a banking relationship that may involve unsecured funds and/or credit secured by mortgages or other banking products.
   • Interview applicants to develop information concerning their business or consumer needs, desires, repayment ability and earnings to determine the viability of the relationship.
   • Obtain and direct the analysis of all financial data.
   • Conduct credit checks and make on site visits.
   • Take the banking relationship through the credit process, deposit process and ancillary bank products process.
2. Responsible for growth of individual loan portfolio and achieving loan production goals, deposit goals, and referral goals. 
3. Follow current loans to ensure complete conformity with terms and identification of developing trends.
4. Work past due loans to ensure they are kept current.
5. Stay abreast of portfolios risk ratings, work high risk credits out of the bank, enhance relationships with stronger credits.
6. Responsible for cross selling activities including Deposit products, cash management referrals and referring business to any other internal partners.
7. Perform required outside calling activity and record it in the Bank’s CRM program.
8. Provide customers with routine platform services, such as approving checks for cashing, loan draws, or addressing customer requests.
9. Work with Customers to correct/clear loan exceptions (financial, covenant, collateral, etc.) as needed.
10. Represent First Guaranty Bank in the community.
11. Adhere to BSA/AML policy and all other bank policies.
12. Other duties and responsibilities as may be assigned by supervisor. 

Minimum Qualifications (Education, Experience, Skills) 

• 3 years lending experience.  May substitute for related experience at management discretion.
• Formal credit training preferred.
• Strong sales skills
• Strong organizational and communication skills
• Time Management
• High school diploma or equivalent, college degree preferred.

Physical Demands and Work Environment 

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the functions.

While performing the duties of this position, the employee is regularly required to talk and hear. The employee frequently is required to use hands or fingers, handle, or feel objects, tools or controls. The employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; sit; reach with hands and arms; climb or balance; and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl.

The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this position include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, and the ability to adjust focus.

The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee(s) incumbent in this position.  Employees will be required to follow any other job-related instructions and to perform any other job-related duties requested by any person authorized to give instructions or assignments.

All duties and responsibilities are essential functions and requirements and are subject to possible modification to reasonably accommodate individuals with disabilities.  To perform this job successfully, the incumbents will possess the skills aptitudes and abilities to perform each duty proficiently.  Some requirements may exclude individuals who pose a direct threat or significant risk to the health or safety of themselves or others.  The requirements listed in this document are the minimum levels of knowledge, skills or abilities.