Relationship Manager – West Tennessee (Memphis / Jackson)
Confidential Search | Mission-Driven Small Business Lender
Most Relationship Manager roles ask you to maintain a book of business someone else built. This one is different: you'd be the first person on the ground for a well-established, mission-driven lender entering the West Tennessee market.
If you've ever wanted to plant a flag and own the outcome, while also feeling extremely proud of the good you are putting out into your community, this is might be for you.
The Organization:
Our client is a well-established, mission-driven lender with decades of experience helping businesses grow through creative, flexible financing. As a certified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) and Certified Development Company (CDC), they specialize in SBA 504 and Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) lending — deploying capital that helps business owners and their banking partners get deals done that traditional financing alone can't reach.
They're not a bank; they're a capital partner. The organization banks call in when a deal needs more flexibility, more creativity, or a structure conventional lending can't offer.
What You'll Own
- The West Tennessee market. You'll build relationships with banks, credit unions, CPAs, attorneys, real estate developers, and municipal officials across Memphis, Jackson, and the surrounding region.
- Loan program expertise. Deep knowledge of SBA 504 and LIHTC (CDFI) lending, with working knowledge of New Markets Tax Credits (NMTC) as a bonus.
- A referral-driven pipeline. A consistent, proactive calling program that turns relationships into deal flow.
- Deal execution. Delivering clean, accurate credit packages and staying engaged with underwriting and closing through the full deal lifecycle.
- Visibility. Representing the organization at industry events and becoming a known, trusted name in West Tennessee's small business lending community.
Ideal Candidate Profile
- SBA 504 lending experience. LIHTC or broader CDFI lending experience is a strong plus.
- You've built something before, or you're hungry to. This role rewards self-starters who don't need an existing book of business to succeed.
- You are a strong networker and are relationship driven across banking, commercial real estate, and community development circles in Memphis and West Tennessee.
- You bring energy, not just activity. This organization is looking for someone who elevates the people around them and is mission-driven with their work.
Why This Role
- Genuine market-building autonomy — rare in commercial lending, where most RM roles are managing what already exists.
- A strong, stable, mission-driven organization with decades of track record and an established brand in the region.
- A product set (SBA 504 + LITC) that lets you offer real solutions banks can't structure on their own.
- The chance to be the name people think of first when SBA 504 or CDFI financing comes up in West Tennessee.