At Stearns Bank, we’re helping people, entrepreneurs, small businesses, and local communities nationwide reach their full financial potential. Sound like something you want to be a part of? If so, we’re currently looking for an Assistant Branch Manager. This position is in-office at our Scottsdale, AZ bank branch.
Come see how we’re doing business unusual and charting our own path to reimagine a more inclusive financial services and banking ecosystem for all.
BENEFITS
Stearns Bank understands and respects that everyone is managing unique career, family, and wellness needs. That’s why we offer industry-leading benefits to employees to help them live healthy lives and bring their full selves to work every day. Benefits may vary for part-time positions. Some of those benefits include:
- Employee Stock Ownership Plan & 401k Plan
- Healthcare (Medical, Dental, Vision, Telehealth, Life insurance)
- 12-week Paid Parental Leave and Medical Leave: With a cap of 20 weeks for eligible team members who qualify for both Medical and Parental Leave related to the birth of a child
- $5,000 Family Care Reimbursement: Childcare, Elder Care, Student Loan Debt, Pet expenses, Down Payment Assistance, Health Insurance Premiums
- PTO from 13 to 23 days depending on tenure. Cashout and Carryover options
- 10 Days Sick Time
- 11 Paid Holidays
- 4 Days Volunteer Time
- 2 Days Self Allowance Time
- Tuition Assistance
For this position, we anticipate an hourly rate between $33.65 - $40.87 per hour. Final employment offers will be dependent upon the selected candidate’s relevant qualifications and experience.
JOB SUMMARY
The Assistant Branch Manager supports the Branch Manager in the overall leadership, operations, and performance of the branch. This role is responsible for fostering a high-performing team environment, delivering exceptional customer experiences, ensuring operational excellence, and maintaining compliance with all applicable policies and regulations. The Assistant Branch Manager exercises sound judgment, critical thinking, and strong decision-making skills to resolve complex issues, manage risk, and support strategic branch objectives. A strong attention to detail is essential to ensure accuracy, compliance, risk mitigation, and operational excellence across all branch activities.
RESPONSIBILITIES
Essential Duties & Responsibilities:
- Serve as the operational leader for the branch by ensuring adherence to internal controls, operational procedures, bank policies, and regulatory requirements.
- Conduct and document daily operational reviews, identifying operational exceptions, fraud indicators, compliance concerns, and opportunities for process improvement.
- Exercise sound judgment when resolving operational issues while recognizing when escalation to the Branch Manager or appropriate support departments is necessary.
- Review branch activities for compliance with Regulation CC, CTR requirements, OFAC, CIP, dual control procedures, fraud prevention standards, and other applicable regulations.
- Maintain a high level of accuracy and attention to detail when reviewing transactions, documentation, reports, and operational processes.
- Identify and proactively address discrepancies, errors, and process gaps to minimize risk and improve operational efficiency.
- Support achievement of branch goals through relationship building, business development, and customer retention efforts.
- Review and approve transactions within delegated authority while mitigating operational risk.
- Support audit readiness and maintain a strong culture of compliance and accountability.
- Identify opportunities to improve processes, efficiency, and the overall customer experience.
- Lead branch operations in the absence of the Branch Manager.
- Develop and carry out strategies to increase deposit balances from existing customers by understanding their needs and offering tailored solutions.
People Leadership Responsibilities:
- Assist with interviewing, onboarding, and training new employees.
- Conduct regular coaching sessions with frontline staff and provide timely feedback to enhance performance and engagement.
- Reinforce performance expectations through observation, coaching, and follow-up.
- Assist in developing individualized employee development plans.
- Recognize employee accomplishments while appropriately addressing performance concerns.
- Promote a positive culture centered around accountability, teamwork, customer service, risk awareness, and continuous improvement throughout the branch.
Leadership Competencies:
- Leads by example.
- Demonstrates professionalism and integrity.
- Holds self and others accountable.
- Build trust with customers and employees.
- Strong conflict resolution and problem-solving skills.
- Effective coaching and mentoring abilities.
- Strong organizational and delegation skills.
- Adaptability during organizational change.
- Demonstrates emotional intelligence and professional maturity.
Transaction Processing and Account Management:
- Approve overrides within authority limits.
- Review lending documentation.
- Supervise complex transactions.
- Process commercial, business and consumer checking deposits, verifying cash and accurate endorsement of items.
- Process savings deposits and withdrawals, verifying cash, endorsements, and signatures.
- Accept checks presented for cash following the check cashing policy and verifying identification.
- Accept installment and commercial payments.
- Process advances for personal and home equity lines of credit.
- Handle U.S. Savings redemption transactions.
- Issue cashier checks, money orders, gift cards, and credit card cash advances.
- Issue debit cards, make changes, and close a requested.
- Accept check re-orders and address changes.
- Process dormant and inactive account transactions according to bank policy.
- Handle and balance cash drawer.
Operational Ownership:
- Maintain ownership of the branch’s daily operational review process.
- Manage branch schedules, workflow management, and staffing coverage.
- Review and monitor operational reports including, but not limited to:
- Large Aggregated Deposits
- Large Item Reports
- Mobile Deposit Reports
- ACH/NOC Exceptions
- Daily Wire Activity
- CTR Review Reports
- Deficit Balance Reports
- Non-Post Reports
- High Net Worth Daily Balance Reports
- Deposit Trends
- New Accounts
- Closed Accounts
- RDC Verification Reports
- Additional operational exception reports as assigned
- Ensure audit and compliance readiness.
- Assist with opening and closing of the bank facility by accessing security system, recording, and processing night deposit bags / envelopes.
- Maintain bank security by following policy, which includes internal security, transaction security, and robbery procedures.
- Process any of the following: Incoming mail deposits and payments; Loan deposits; signature cards; transfers, and coin orders.
- Perform ATM duties.
- Assist in applying postage to the bank’s outgoing mail.
- Scan & index account forms in M-Files.
- Perform Canadian exchange for customers.
- Generates new business through prospecting, calling, social networking and referrals from EFD, SBA, National, Commercial and Consumer lending.
Sales Leadership and Business Development:
- Support achievement of branch sales, referral, deposit growth, and customer relationship goals.
- Analyze branch production metrics and partner with the Branch Manager to develop action plans that improve performance, consistently meeting or exceeding assigned sales, deposit growth goals for new accounts and deposit balances.
- Conduct regular production conversations with employees regarding referrals, outreach activity, customer engagement, and deposit growth.
- Build and deepen customer relationships by identifying financial needs, recommending appropriate solutions, and cross-selling relevant products and services.
- Partner with internal business lines to identify referral opportunities and expand customer relationships.
- Assist in executing business development initiatives through networking, community involvement, and relationship management activities.
Compliance and Training:
- Maintain solid understanding of all legal and regulatory compliance issues as they pertain to this position.
- Maintain NMLS certification.
- Lead compliance training initiatives.
- Loss prevention and security as applicable for this position.
- Complete required training.
- Participate in Stearns Bank sales/referral promotions.
- Assist with deposit product training with new and existing employees.
- Maintain file on assigned competitor and monitor rates, pricing, product changes, etc.
- Participate in Saturday duty when needed.
- Other projects assigned.
REQUIREMENTS
- Occasionally lift and/or move up to 10 lbs.
- Literacy in English.
- Ability to sit for extended periods of time, twist, bend, sit, walk use hands to twist, handle or feel objects, tools, or controls, such as computer mouse, computer keyboard, calculator, stapler, telephone, staple puller, etc., reach with hands and arms, balance, stoop, kneel, talk, or hear.
- Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and the ability to adjust focus.
QUALIFICATIONS
Minimum Qualification
- Minimum of 3–5 years of progressively responsible experience within a financial institution or customer-focused banking environment.
- Previous leadership, supervisory, coaching, or lead experience preferred.
- Demonstrated success achieving sales, deposit growth, referral, and customer relationship goals.
- Strong understanding of branch operations, compliance requirements, operational risk management, and fraud prevention.
- Demonstrated ability to coach, develop, and motivate employees.
- Strong communication, interpersonal, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
- Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Prior experience with Fiserv banking software.
- Prior experience with Salesforce Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software.
- Experience and knowledge surrounding Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs), specialty bank accounts, and business documentation.
SUCCESS MEASURES
Success in this role is demonstrated through:
- Operational excellence and compliance adherence.
- Positive audit, operational review, and examination results.
- Achievement of individual and branch production goals.
- Successful coaching and development of branch employees.
- Strong customer service and employee engagement outcomes.
- Effective identification and mitigation of operational risk.
- Active participation in business development and community involvement efforts.
THE COMPANY
Founded in 1912, Stearns Financial Services Inc. (SFSI) is a $3.2 billion, independently owned financial institution with locations in Minnesota, Florida and Arizona, and over 35,000 small business customers nationwide. Specializing in affordable housing financing, USDA and SBA lending, and small business and equipment financing, Stearns Bank is regularly recognized as one of the country’s top-performing banks and “Best Banks to Work For” by American Banker.
As a Star Tribune Top Workplaces award recipient and an award recipient of the Minnesota Business Magazine 100 Best Places to Work in Minnesota, Stearns takes pride in their team and holds their employees in extremely high regard. We offer a competitive salary and benefit package including our Employee Stock Ownership Program-one of the best long-term incentive programs in the nation. To learn more about Stearns Bank, visit www. StearnsBank.com
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER /AFFIRMATIVE ACTION PLAN
We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, or creed, religion, sex, marital status, familial status, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, veteran’s status, status with regard to public assistance, or any other class protected by Federal, State, local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment.
