Loan Portfolio Assistant

IT'S FUN TO WORK IN A COMPANY WHERE PEOPLE TRULY BELIEVE IN WHAT THEY'RE DOING! We're committed to bringing passion and customer focus to the business. POSITION SUMMARY The Loan Portfolio Assistant position provides support to the company’s bankers by servicing, maintaining, and updating loan documentation and loan files.  The position requires substantial interaction with new and current bank customers, both internal and external, and requires excellent customer service skills along with proactive communication abilities. This position often functions as an SME across multiple loan assistants and a go-to person for complex questions, challenges, or processes; typically acts as a peer leader to less experienced loan assistants. This position specifically serves the Community Market bankers in the absence of a Portfolio Manager.                 Essential Duties and Responsibilities - Thorough understanding of loan documentation, credit policy and banking regulation to enable a constant review to ensure the assistant is up to speed on any changes with company credit policy and company compliance.  - Ability to manage high volume and/or complexity of loans in an efficient manner. - Performs initial screening and underwriting of new lending opportunities developed by the commercial lender. - Prepares memorandum and facilitates the initial underwriting of new transactions and/or renewals. - Works directly with other internal departments including commercial credit analysts, appraisal services group and loan administration - Coordinate the preparation of required loan documentation; review documentation for compliance with documentation requirements; coordinate the execution of loan documents; organize workflow for loan renewal; follow up with clients, insurance agents, Title Company and/ or attorney for missing loan documentation as necessary. - Effective file maintenance to resolve exceptions or any other documentation deficiencies along with actively managing outstanding exception items for compliance with Credit Policy. - Work closely with the assigned banker to assist in collecting financial data and client phone/email communication to better manage the overall client relationship.  Other client related services include wires, NSF accounts and overdrafts. Should contain a significant ability to interpret complex financial statements and their analyses with ability to translate all details to the appropriate business partner. - Responsible for monitoring reports such as past due, paid off loans, criticized assets, and maturing loan lists to assist and proactively inform banker of potential or pending issues along with providing support to minimize administrative issues such client past dues. - When needed, coordinate with Portfolio Manager and CCFG to facilitate funding of construction loan disbursements in accordance with bank policy. - Promote an outstanding customer experience by exemplifying prompt follow-up and proactive internal/external customer communication, proper etiquette, and all other professional customer service qualities to maximize the most out of the client relationships. - Moderate understanding of HMDA, CRA Community Development, and CRA Small Business Revenue inputs to ensure proper reporting and compliance for the bank.  - Solid partnership with all ancillary departments within the bank to include the Loan Admin group, CIS, Loan Review, Special Assets, Bank Card, and Consumer Special Services. - In certain market, Thorough understanding and communication ability of the bank’s retail services and processes in order to effectively perform retail functions as needed. - Performs other duties and responsibilities as assigned. Qualifications To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. - Skills- Ability to read, write, analyze and comprehend simple instructions, routine business correspondence, financial reports and/or legal documents. - Ability to read and interpret documents such as procedure manuals, general business correspondence and/or journals or government regulations. - Ability to manage problematic situations in a diplomatic manner.          - Education and/or Experience  - HS Diploma/GED required - 4+ years’ loan experience required, preferably commercial experience                                                               - Computer Skills - MS Office programs - Thorough understanding of the bank’s operating systems to include Lending Cycle, Argo, and Synergy or relative prior experience with similar operating systems - Certificates, Licenses, Registrations- None.                 - Other Qualifications (including physical requirements)- Self-starter, ability to work independently. - Demonstrate the ability to be proactive in judgment, multi-task, and be punctual and timely in performing tasks.   - Skills Training:- Communication - Customer Service - Time Management - Critical Thinking Other Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job.  Activities, duties and responsibilities may change at any time with or without notice.   Equal Employment Opportunity Information: Simmons First National Corporation and its subsidiaries are committed to a policy of equal employment with respect to a person's race, color, religion, sex, ancestry, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, covered veterans, military status, physical or mental disability or any other legally protected classifications.