• Are you a commercial lending or finance professional who combines strong financial skills with the ability to build relationships, develop new business, and guide clients through complex projects?
• Would you welcome the opportunity to use your lending and relationship-building experience to help churches and faith-based institutions acquire, build, renovate, and finance the facilities they need to serve their communities?

If this sounds like you, we’d love to hear from you!

PNP Staffing Group is excited to have been retained by the American Baptist Extension Corporation to lead their search for a Loan Officer.

JOB TITLE: Loan Officer

SALARY: $65,000 - $70,000

LOCATION: On-site in King of Prussia, PA, with 50% travel throughout the U.S.

COMPREHENSIVE BENEFITS: See below

About ABEC

ABEC is a financial institution with a mission. ABEC exists to assist American Baptist churches and institutions with the acquisition, construction, renovation, and refinancing of property used to spread and share the gospel of Jesus Christ. We carry out that mission when individuals, churches, and institutions invest funds with ABEC. An investment in ABEC is an investment in supporting church building.

Who we are seeking

The Loan Officer serves as both a lender and trusted advisor to American Baptist congregations and institutions undertaking significant property and building projects. The role combines relationship development, commercial lending and financial analysis with hands-on guidance to churches considering property acquisition, new construction, renovation, and capital-related refinancing. The Loan Officer develops new lending opportunities throughout the American Baptist network and works with church leaders from the earliest stages of project planning through financing and ongoing loan follow-up.

This is a highly relational, hands-on role in a small, collaborative organization. The Loan Officer works closely with ABEC's Executive Director and finance staff and represents ABEC with pastors, lay leaders, regional executives, national organizations, and other denominational partners.

Essential duties and responsibilities

• Develop a pipeline of prospective borrowers by building relationships across the American Baptist network; represent ABEC at regional and denominational meetings, cultivate leads, follow up on referrals, and proactively introduce ABEC's loan, investment, and building-planning services.
• Respond consultatively to congregations and institutions considering property acquisition, new construction, renovation, or refinancing of capital-related debt.
• Advise pastors and church leaders who may be undertaking a major building project for the first time, helping them clarify goals, identify planning questions, understand financing implications, and engage the congregation appropriately in larger projects.
• Manage prospective loans from initial inquiry through application, documentation, financial review, credit analysis, underwriting, negotiation, and recommendation; contribute to decisions regarding loan terms, rates, and structures.
• Review financial statements, income and expense information, debt obligations, project budgets, and other documentation to assess a congregation's or institution's ability to support proposed financing.
• Monitor loan applications and existing loan performance and provide timely, persistent follow-up with borrowers and prospective borrowers.
• Coordinate with ABEC finance staff, outside professionals, and loan counsel regarding financial analysis, project planning, loan documentation, and closing requirements; connect clients with appropriate ABEC staff for investment information.
• Travel approximately 50% of the time for church visits, regional and denominational meetings, project discussions, and relationship development.

Required qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in business, finance, ministry, architecture, planning, or another relevant discipline.
• A minimum of three years of experience in commercial lending, banking, finance, church or nonprofit finance, building planning, real estate finance, credit analysis, or a related field.
• Ability to read and understand financial statements, income and expense statements, project budgets, and other financial information relevant to lending decisions.
• Strong relationship-development and business-development skills, including the ability to identify opportunities, cultivate leads, ask thoughtful questions, and follow through consistently.
• Strong consultative, communication, presentation, and group-facilitation skills; ability to work effectively with pastors, lay leaders, boards, committees, and other stakeholders.
• Ability to thrive in a small-team environment, work independently, manage multiple projects, and collaborate effectively in diverse and multicultural settings.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite and aptitude for learning specialized account and loan-information software; ability and willingness to travel approximately 50% of the time.

Preferred qualifications

• Experience in commercial real estate or other commercial lending; experience lending to churches or nonprofit institutions is especially valuable.
• Hands-on experience with credit analysis and underwriting. ABEC will consider candidates with strong lending, finance, or relationship-management experience who have the aptitude to deepen these skills.
• Understanding of church finances and congregational operations, including gifts, tithes and offerings, clergy compensation, and the financial dynamics of churches; familiarity with American Baptist structure or another faith-based environment is a plus.
• Understanding of building planning, construction-industry practices, zoning, capital campaigns, or other issues relevant to church property projects.
• Postgraduate degree in business, finance, ministry, architecture, planning, or another relevant discipline.

Compensation and benefits

ABEC is an equal opportunity employer and offers competitive salary and comprehensive benefits, including paid vacation and sick days, medical and dental insurance, and participation in a 403(b) retirement plan.