Lending Strategy Learning and Growth Officer

📌 Core Information

🔹 Job Title: Lending Strategy Learning and Growth Officer

🔹 Company: First United Bank

🔹 Location: Plano-Parkwood, Sherman-Taylor Street

🔹 Job Type: Full-Time

🔹 Category: Financial Services

🔹 Date Posted: June 5, 2025

🔹 Experience Level: Mid-Senior level (5-10 years)

🔹 Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Job Overview

Key aspects of this role include:

• Designing and delivering high-impact training for lending team members
• Supporting end users through system and process changes
• Communicating effectively during lending initiatives and rollouts
• Collaborating with lending leaders, LOB trainers, and SMEs to ensure learning experiences align with lending goals

ASSUMPTION: This role requires a strong background in instructional design, training, and development, with a focus on lending-specific content and processes.

📋 Key Responsibilities

✅ Deliver foundational learning experiences, including new hire onboarding and core lending training, to build confidence and consistency across roles

✅ Design and deliver learning experiences to support lending-specific initiatives, such as system enhancements, policy changes, and new product rollouts

✅ Provide hands-on end-user support during system and process transitions, offering job aids, coaching, and responsive troubleshooting

✅ Develop and execute clear, audience-specific training plans to support change across lending teams

✅ Translate technical and procedural updates into easy-to-understand training materials and job aids for end users

✅ Collaborate with subject matter experts and LOB trainers to ensure training aligns with current lending practices

✅ Facilitate feedback loops and pulse checks with frontline team members to assess training effectiveness and support needs

✅ Help lending leaders cascade key messages and reinforce change by providing talking points, toolkits, and training reinforcement strategies

✅ Support continuous improvement of general learning paths specific to lending roles

ASSUMPTION: This role requires strong communication, collaboration, and project management skills to coordinate with various stakeholders and ensure effective learning experiences.

🎯 Required Qualifications

Education: Bachelor's degree in Instructional Design, Training & Development, Educational Technology, or a related field

Experience: 5-7 years of experience in training and development, curriculum design, corporate training, or a related field

Required Skills:

• Proven experience in instructional design and training delivery
• Strong knowledge of lending processes and systems
• Excellent communication and presentation skills
• Ability to translate complex information into understandable content
• Strong project management and organizational skills
• Proficiency in using training tools and platforms

Preferred Skills:

• Experience with change management
• Familiarity with learning management systems (LMS)
• Background in financial services or banking

ASSUMPTION: Candidates with experience in instructional design, training, and development, along with a strong understanding of lending processes, will be well-suited for this role.

💰 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $70,000 - $90,000 per year (based on industry standards for the role, experience level, and location)

Benefits:

• Health, dental, and vision insurance
• 401(k) retirement plan with company match
• Paid time off (vacation, sick, and holidays)
• Employee assistance program
• Tuition reimbursement
• Employee discounts on banking services

Working Hours: Full-time, typically Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, with some flexibility for training and event schedules

ASSUMPTION: The salary range is an estimate based on industry standards for the role, experience level, and location. Actual compensation may vary based on factors such as skills, qualifications, and business needs.

📌 Applicant Insights

🔍 Company Context

Industry: First United Bank operates in the financial services industry, offering a range of banking, lending, and wealth management services to consumers and small-to-mid-sized businesses.

Company Size: First United Bank has 1,001-5,000 employees, making it a mid-sized organization. This size allows for opportunities to work on diverse projects and collaborate with various teams while maintaining a relatively close-knit work environment.

Founded: First United Bank was founded in 1901 and has since grown into a multi-community banking enterprise, serving customers in Oklahoma and Texas.

Company Description:

• First United Bank is a progressive and innovative community banking organization
• Offers a comprehensive range of financial services, including retail, commercial, trust, brokerage, mortgage, and insurance products
• Focuses on retail and community banking, targeting consumers and small-to-mid-sized businesses within its market areas

Company Specialties:

• Personal Banking
• Personal Loans
• Business Banking
• Auto Loans
• Mortgage Lending
• Home Equity Loans
• Wealth Management
• Lines of Credit
• Credit Cards
• Certificates of Deposit
• Personal Insurance
• Business Insurance
• Builder Financing
• SBA Loans
• Agriculture Loans

Company Website: First United Bank

ASSUMPTION: First United Bank's extensive range of financial services and products provides ample opportunities for growth and career development within the organization.

📊 Role Analysis

Career Level: This role is at the mid-senior level, requiring a balance of technical expertise and leadership skills to drive learning and growth initiatives within the lending department.

Reporting Structure: The Lending Strategy Learning and Growth Officer reports directly to the Head of Lending or a similar senior-level position within the lending department.

Work Arrangement: This role is on-site, with the primary office location in Plano-Parkwood, Texas. However, the position may require occasional travel to other branch locations or client sites for training and events.

Growth Opportunities:

• Expanding the role's impact and influence within the lending department and across the organization
• Developing expertise in additional areas of banking and financial services
• Advancing to a senior learning and development role or a leadership position within the lending department

ASSUMPTION: This role offers opportunities for professional growth and development within the lending department and across the organization.

🌍 Location & Work Environment

Office Type: First United Bank's offices are professional and modern, with a collaborative and inclusive work environment.

Office Location(s): Plano-Parkwood, Texas (primary office), with additional offices in Durant, OK; Oklahoma City, OK; Denton, TX; McKinney, TX; and Sapulpa, OK

Geographic Context:

• Plano-Parkwood is a suburban area of Dallas-Fort Worth, offering a mix of urban and rural living options
• The area has a humid subtropical climate, with mild winters and hot, humid summers
• Plano-Parkwood has a cost of living that is slightly higher than the national average

Work Schedule: The work schedule is typically Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, with some flexibility for training and event schedules. Occasional overtime may be required to meet project deadlines or support training events.

ASSUMPTION: The work environment at First United Bank is professional and collaborative, with opportunities for growth and development within the lending department and across the organization.

💼 Interview & Application Insights

Typical Process:

• Online application and resume submission
• Phone or video screening with the HR department
• In-depth interview with the hiring manager and/or team members
• Background check and reference check
• Final interview with senior leadership

Key Assessment Areas:

• Instructional design and training delivery skills
• Knowledge of lending processes and systems
• Communication and presentation skills
• Project management and organizational skills
• Cultural fit and alignment with First United Bank's values

Application Tips:

• Tailor your resume and cover letter to highlight relevant experience and skills for this role
• Demonstrate your understanding of First United Bank's mission, values, and culture in your application materials
• Prepare examples of your instructional design and training delivery work to discuss during the interview

ATS Keywords: Instructional Design, Training & Development, Curriculum Design, Corporate Training, Change Management, Communication, Coaching, Job Aids, Feedback Facilitation, Lending Practices, Technology Adoption, Policy Changes, Product Rollouts, End-User Support, Continuous Improvement, Engagement

ASSUMPTION: The interview process at First United Bank is designed to assess candidates' technical skills, cultural fit, and alignment with the organization's mission and values.

🛠️ Tools & Technologies

• Learning management systems (LMS)
• Training tools and platforms (e.g., Articulate, Adobe Captivate)
• Presentation software (e.g., PowerPoint, Google Slides)
• Project management tools (e.g., Asana, Trello)
• Collaboration tools (e.g., Microsoft Office Suite, Google Workspace)

ASSUMPTION: The tools and technologies required for this role are standard in the instructional design and training industry, with a focus on learning management systems and training delivery platforms.

👔 Cultural Fit Considerations

Company Values:

• Integrity: Acting with honesty and fairness in all aspects of our business
• Customer Focus: Putting customers first in all we do
• Respect: Valuing and appreciating the diversity of our employees and customers
• Teamwork: Collaborating and supporting each other to achieve our goals
• Accountability: Taking responsibility for our actions and their outcomes

Work Style:

• Collaborative and team-oriented
• Focused on continuous learning and improvement
• Adaptable and responsive to change
• Results-driven and goal-oriented

Self-Assessment Questions:

• Do you align with First United Bank's core values, particularly integrity, customer focus, and respect?
• Are you comfortable working in a collaborative, team-oriented environment?
• Do you thrive in a dynamic, change-driven work environment, and are you adaptable to new tools and processes?

ASSUMPTION: First United Bank's culture is professional, inclusive, and focused on customer service, with a strong emphasis on collaboration and teamwork.

⚠️ Potential Challenges

• Managing multiple training initiatives simultaneously, requiring strong project management skills
• Keeping up with changes in lending processes, systems, and regulations, necessitating continuous learning and adaptation
• Balancing the needs of various stakeholders, including lending leaders, LOB trainers, SMEs, and frontline team members
• Occasional travel requirements for training and events

ASSUMPTION: The Lending Strategy Learning and Growth Officer role presents unique challenges that require strong communication, collaboration, and project management skills to succeed.

📈 Similar Roles Comparison

• Unlike traditional training and development roles, this position focuses specifically on the lending department, requiring a deep understanding of lending processes and systems
• In comparison to other instructional design and training roles, this position offers the opportunity to work closely with senior leadership and influence change within the lending department
• Career progression in this role may lead to senior learning and development roles or leadership positions within the lending department, rather than transitioning to a different functional area

ASSUMPTION: This role is unique in its focus on the lending department and offers opportunities for growth and development within the lending department and across the organization.

📝 Sample Projects

• Developing and delivering a comprehensive onboarding program for new lending employees
• Creating and implementing a training plan to support a major system upgrade in the lending department
• Designing and facilitating workshops to help lending team members adapt to changes in lending policies and procedures

ASSUMPTION: The Lending Strategy Learning and Growth Officer role involves a variety of projects that require strong instructional design, training delivery, and project management skills.

❓ Key Questions to Ask During Interview

• What are the most pressing training needs within the lending department, and how does this role address them?
• How does this role collaborate with lending leaders, LOB trainers, and SMEs to ensure training aligns with current lending practices?
• What opportunities are there for professional growth and development within the lending department and across the organization?
• How does First United Bank support work-life balance for employees in this role?
• What are the most challenging aspects of this role, and how can I best prepare to succeed in them?

ASSUMPTION: Asking thoughtful and insightful questions during the interview demonstrates your interest in the role and commitment to success.

📌 Next Steps for Applicants

To apply for this position:

• Submit your application through the First United Bank careers page
• Tailor your resume and cover letter to highlight your relevant experience and skills for this role
• Prepare examples of your instructional design and training delivery work to discuss during the interview
• Follow up with the hiring manager or HR department one week after submission to confirm receipt of your application

⚠️ This job description contains AI-assisted information. Details should be verified directly with the employer before making decisions.