Director of Loan Operations

Location: Topeka, KS (Headquarters)

The Numbers: Up to 150K Base Salary (Market-aligned executive package commensurate with multi-product operational leadership depth)

The Big Picture

Our client is an established, highly respected $1.2B regional community financial institution headquartered in Topeka, with an active branch footprint extending across Northeast Kansas and the Kansas City metro. Operating with deep community roots since 1959, the bank pairs conservative balance sheet strength and local executive governance with continuous technology investments. The organization champions an operational culture centered on local decision-making velocity, accountability, and direct executive partnership rather than corporate bureaucracy.

The Mission

As Director of Loan Operations, you will serve as the organizational owner of the bank's centralized lending engine, directing all loan operations across commercial, consumer, and real estate lending channels. This executive role exists to provide operational sovereignty over the full lending lifecycle—from document preparation, closing, and funding through secondary servicing and collateral perfection. You will partner directly with Credit Administration and frontline lending leaders to eliminate execution friction, modernize core workflows, and build an agile, scalable operational platform supporting balance sheet growth.

The Daily Grind (The Good Kind)

• Lifecycle Operational Governance: Direct centralized loan operations across commercial, consumer, and mortgage portfolios, ensuring prompt, accurate closing, disbursement, servicing, and collateral administration.
• Credit & Revenue Partnership: Work hand-in-hand with Credit Administration, Underwriting, and Commercial Relationship Managers to translate approved credit terms cleanly into actionable loan documentation and seamless funding workflows.
• Technology & Workflow Modernization: Own the core loan origination, documentation, and servicing tech stacks; implement automated workflows, reduce cycle turnaround times, and eliminate redundant operational friction.
• Risk, Controls & Audit Integrity: Maintain robust internal controls, collateral tracking, lien perfection standards, and regulatory compliance practices across all state and federal supervisory boundaries.

Your Toolkit

• The Battle Scars: 8+ years of progressive banking loan operations leadership, with proven experience overseeing multi-asset lending operations (commercial, consumer, and mortgage).
• Cross-Functional Scope: Demonstrated mastery across the entire post-approval lending lifecycle (processing, closing, funding, booking, servicing, and collateral management); not limited to siloed retail or mortgage origination ops.
• Technical Mastery: Deep fluency with core banking systems, commercial loan documentation software (LaserPro or comparable), and automated loan origination platforms.
• Collaborative Leadership: High-velocity communication edge with the executive presence to partner effectively with Credit Administration, internal audit, external examiners, and commercial lending teams.

The Payoff

• Professional Autonomy: Direct ownership of the loan operations department with executive mandate to modernize systems, structure teams, and shape departmental workflows.
• Platform Agility & Culture: Escape money-center bureaucracy and disconnected offshore operations; operate within a locally governed $1.2B institution where executive leadership sits down the hall.
• Competitive Package: Base salary up to 150K plus executive incentive structure, comprehensive health benefits, and robust retirement contributions.

Our Partnership Approach

Thank you for trusting Lupton Partners with your career transition. We take immense pride in our work, but our focus is always on the outcome—for both the candidates we represent and the companies we serve. If the first role we discuss isn't the perfect fit, we won't force it. Our goal is to land you in the right place, not just the next place. We also recognize that career changes—even the most exciting ones—come with a side of stress. That’s normal. We’re here to handle the heavy lifting and provide clarity at every step.

What to Expect

• The Introduction Call: This is a high-level chemistry check. We’ll dive into your history, map out your career goals, and get real about compensation and advancement targets.
• Active Searches: We’ll match your story to our clients' needs. We keep compensation targets front-and-center so nobody’s time is wasted.
• Client Submissions: It is our promise that we do not present your name or credentials to clients without clear communication and your explicit permission.
• Interview Feedback: This is where we earn our keep. Call us as soon as you hit the parking lot. If you think you fumbled a question or found a better answer ten minutes too late, let’s talk.
• Background Checks: Absolute transparency. We manage red flags together before they become "surprises."
• Offers: No surprises. We align on numbers early so the formal letter is a "green light" celebration.

Questions? Reach out anytime. Travis Lupton Office: 913-521-3303 | Mobile: 913-231-8472 travis@luptonpartners.com