Commercial Lending Manager

Commercial Lending Manager

Commercial Lending X | Northeast Florida | Full time

$75,000 to $85,000 base | Target total annual compensation of $150,000 to $200,000 as agreed performance goals are achieved

Help build the next stage of CLX.

Commercial Lending X helps business owners, buyers, and real estate investors secure financing. We bring 16 years of experience, more than 800 loans closed, and relationships with over 500 lending partners.

We’re a small team of five, building our next stage of growth. We currently receive approximately three to five financing requests per day and plan to expand our marketing activity.

SBA financing represents a significant part of our work. Our broader pipeline includes business acquisitions, commercial real estate, refinancing, and other commercial financing needs.

We’re looking for someone who can independently manage deals and help our team operate more effectively as we grow.

The opportunity

You will own an assigned portfolio of financing opportunities, serving as the primary borrower contact and leading substantive lender conversations from qualification through funded closing and fee collection.

You will assess financing needs, develop proposed structures, coordinate with underwriting, and resolve routine issues independently within agreed decision boundaries.

Because you will be doing the work, you will also see where decisions, handoffs, and processes need improvement. We expect you to help implement better ways of working.

Success means more deals progressing reliably, clients receiving clear communication, and fewer routine matters depending on our president.

Where you fit

You will report directly to ownership and work alongside our president and teammates handling underwriting, lender coordination, borrower communication, and documentation.

For your assigned transactions:

• You own deal progression. Lead borrower communication, substantive lender discussions, routine financing decisions, and follow through.
• Our underwriter leads credit analysis and file quality. Work together on deal readiness, financing considerations, and lender questions.
• Our teammate coordinating lender submissions supports distribution, documentation, and follow up. Agree on a clear handoff so lenders know who handles substantive questions and next steps.
• Borrower support assists with document collection and communication. Establish clear responsibilities so requests are coordinated and nothing is missed.
• Our president provides complex lending judgment and exception guidance. Bring a recommendation and a specific decision request when that expertise is needed.

You will keep your deal records current and work with the teammate maintaining consolidated pipeline reporting and scorecards.

Responsibilities will evolve with demonstrated capability, team capacity, and business needs.

What you will own

• Qualification and financing approach. Review assigned opportunities, understand borrower needs, identify missing information, and develop proposed financing structures with appropriate underwriting input.
• SBA deal execution. Apply a strong working knowledge of SBA financing to assess opportunities, recognize structural issues, and move transactions through lender review and closing.
• Borrower relationships. Explain requirements, address questions, set realistic expectations, and maintain timely communication.
• Lender engagement. Lead substantive conversations on your deals, resolve questions, evaluate proposed terms, and coordinate progress toward approval and funding.
• Transaction management. Coordinate documentation, underwriting handoffs, lender conditions, and closing milestones.
• Client agreements. Ensure required agreements are completed before term sheets are released under company policy. Escalate exceptions.
• Pipeline visibility. Maintain accurate stages, communications, next actions, owners, and deadlines in the current CRM.
• Execution improvements. Resolve recurring handoff problems, reduce duplicate work, and help the team handle greater volume.
• Business visibility. Keep ownership informed about expected closings, risks, and capacity constraints.

Your authority

You will have defined authority to manage assigned transactions and make routine execution decisions independently.

Within agreed operating boundaries, you will coordinate next steps, establish deadlines with teammates, and implement practical workflow improvements. Changes affecting others will be communicated clearly before implementation.

Staffing, reporting lines, compensation, company policy, and changes to credit standards remain with ownership and the appropriate specialist.

We will establish these boundaries during onboarding and review them as your knowledge and responsibility grow.

Helping CLX become more efficient

We already have tracking systems and regular team conversations. You will build on that foundation and help turn visibility into completed work.

We expect you to:

• Identify recurring bottlenecks and address their causes.
• Clarify routine decisions that can move without the president.
• Improve handoffs between teammates.
• Reduce duplicate document handling and missed communications.
• Establish clear ownership of transaction steps.
• Implement agreed improvements and check whether they work.
• Identify useful automation and simplification opportunities.
• Surface capacity constraints and unresolved execution issues early.

Use our current CRM as the operating foundation. Contribute to future CLXOS improvements as priorities and resources are agreed with ownership.

You do not need to arrive with every answer. You do need to recognize problems, exercise judgment, and follow through on solutions.

The pace and expectations

This is a demanding, hands on role in a small team. New opportunities arrive daily while active deals require attention, judgment, and persistence.

We expect you to:

• Move work forward without repeated reminders.
• Pick up the phone when a conversation will resolve an issue faster.
• Make sound decisions with incomplete information within your authority.
• Bring recommendations and make tradeoffs clear.
• Address missed commitments directly and respectfully.
• Keep colleagues and deal records informed as work progresses.
• Improve the process while managing live transactions.

Expect a full workday and occasional flexibility around time sensitive closings. Urgency must come with accurate work, sound lending judgment, and respectful communication.

Experience and capabilities

• 5 years relevant experience
• Demonstrated experience personally managing commercial financing transactions through approval and closing.
• Strong SBA lending knowledge, including experience developing proposed deal structures and navigating lender requirements.
• Confidence leading borrower and lender conversations independently.
• Working knowledge of business financial statements, credit considerations, financing structures, and documentation.
• Experience beyond SBA lending is valuable, particularly commercial real estate and conventional business financing.
• Ability to recognize when a transaction needs a different approach or senior review.
• Experience managing multiple deals and coordinating colleagues around clear commitments.
• Evidence of improving a workflow, reducing delays, or increasing team capacity.
• Comfort with CRM systems, automation, and appropriate use of AI tools with confidential information.
• Clear communication and comfort working in a small business where responsibilities evolve.

A previous executive title is not required. Demonstrated deal ownership and practical leadership are essential.

How success will be measured

We will establish a baseline during your first 30 days and finalize targets based on deal mix, portfolio size, and decision authority.

Measure - Independent ownership

Initial expectation - By day 60, manage routine borrower and lender decisions for your assigned portfolio within agreed boundaries.

Measure - Responsiveness

Initial Expectation - At least 95% of assigned inquiries and messages requiring action receive a meaningful response or clear response timeline within one business day.

Measure - Pipeline visibility

Initial Expectation - Every assigned active deal has a current stage, owner, next action, and deadline in the CRM.

Measure - Execution reliability

Initial Expectation - At least 90% of internal commitments are completed by the agreed deadline. Changes and reasons remain visible.

Measure - Blocker resolution

Initial Expectation - Escalate unresolved internal blockers within two business days, sooner when a closing or client commitment is at risk, with a recommended next step.

Measure - File and agreement readiness

Initial Expectation - Reduce avoidable documentation rework. Complete required agreements before term sheet release under company policy, with documented exceptions.

Measure - Leadership capacity

Initial Expectation - Establish a baseline and target a 25% reduction by day 90 in the president’s routine coordination time for transferred deals.

Measure - Operating improvement

Initial Expectation - By day 90, implement at least two agreed workflow improvements and demonstrate their effect on delays, duplication, or capacity.

We will distinguish internal delays from borrower and lender waiting time. Results will be evaluated alongside client experience, file quality, and sound lending judgment.

Your first 90 days

First 30 days: Learn the portfolio and team workflow. Agree on assigned deals, decision boundaries, communication ownership, and baseline metrics.

By day 60: Independently manage routine activity for your assigned portfolio. Lead borrower and lender conversations and implement initial improvements with the team.

By day 90: Demonstrate reliable deal progression, fewer routine interventions from the president, cleaner handoffs, and measurable operating improvements.

Compensation and growth

Base salary of $75,000 to $85,000, depending on experience, plus meaningful participation in company profit improvement. Benefits include Paid Time Off; Paid Holidays; Health Insurance / PPO; Dental Insurance; Vision Insurance; Life Insurance; Disability Insurance; FSA Medical Savings Account; 401K eligibility after 6 months of employment.

We intend to structure the package with target total annual compensation of $150,000 to $200,000 as agreed company profitability and individual performance goals are achieved.

Help us close more suitable deals, improve execution, and build a more profitable business, with earnings that grow alongside those results.

This is a performance target, not guaranteed compensation or a promised first year outcome. Specific goals, the incentive formula, and payout terms will be defined in writing before acceptance.

As results and business needs support it, this role can grow into broader operational leadership.

Standard work hours Monday through Friday 9:00am to 5:00pm.

Our application process

1. Send your résumé

Include a few sentences about your commercial and SBA lending experience and why this opportunity interests you.

2. Record a short introduction

If your experience looks aligned, we’ll invite you to submit a two to three minute video answering:

• Tell us about a lending deal you personally managed that became stuck. What decisions did you make, what did you do, and what happened?
• It’s 9 a.m. Five new financing requests arrived, two borrowers are waiting for updates, and a lender needs missing information for a closing tomorrow. Our president is unavailable until noon. What do you do first, how do you involve the team, and what do you handle independently?

A simple phone recording or Loom is perfect. No slides, editing, or production needed. Please keep client information confidential.

Every candidate who submits a video will receive a personal response within five business days.

If video presents an accessibility barrier, let us know and we’ll arrange an equivalent option.

3. Work through a practical conversation

Selected candidates will complete a short live exercise using fictional deals. You’ll prioritize a pipeline, handle a borrower scenario, and explain your recommendation.

We’re interested in your lending judgment, communication, and ownership.

If you enjoy taking responsibility and helping people get to the finish line, we’d like to meet you.

Pay: $75,000.00 - $85,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• Dental insurance
• Flexible schedule
• Flexible spending account
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Experience:

• commercial lending: 5 years (Required)

Work Location: Hybrid remote in Ponte Vedra, FL 32081

Salary : $75,000 - $85,000