Universal Banking Manager

Merchants Bank is seeking a service‑driven, relationship‑focused Universal Banking Manager to join our Retail Banking team. This leadership role oversees Universal Bankers within the Red Wing/Cannon Falls market and ensures the delivery of exceptional customer experiences across all channels. This position plays a key role in developing staff, deepening customer relationships, supporting consumer lending, and promoting a culture aligned with our “One Merchants” values.

This individual will serve as both a leader and a hands‑on banker—providing direct customer service, coaching and mentoring teammates, assisting with complex customer needs, and ensuring operational excellence. The ideal candidate demonstrates strong customer service expertise, sales leadership, problem‑solving abilities, and a high degree of professionalism.

This is a full time, 40 hours a week position; hours will vary to cover branch hours Monday-Friday with a Saturday morning option.   This position will work at the Red Wing and Cannon Falls offices, however will provide back-up to  other nearby branches. 

Why Merchants Bank?

Merchants Bank offers competitive compensation and a comprehensive benefits package, including health, dental, life, disability, and vision insurance; flexible spending accounts; 401(k) and ESOP retirement plans; a bonus plan; paid time off; tuition reimbursement; and additional voluntary insurance options.

Please click on Apply Now or apply in person at any Merchants Bank location. Questions can be emailed to hr@merchantsbank.com. Merchants Bank is an Equal Opportunity Employer of women, minorities, protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.

Job Summary:

This position will oversee Universal Bankers in a defined market and ensure that we are providing exceptional customer service to customers (internal and external). This position will have direct customer contact daily and will require tact, courtesy, and a genuine desire to serve others.  Must be capable of applying effective problem solving and resolution when assisting Universal Bankers and serving customers.  Will participate in the hiring process, performance reviews, and coaching/mentoring teammates.  This position plays a crucial role in building customer relationships. You will also play an important role in fraud prevention.

This position requires proven customer service, leadership, and communication skills. Requires an excellent background in Bank products and a general banking knowledge of all Bank services.  A minimum of four years of front-line banking experience required.  Requires initiative and judgment necessary to determine and interpret the needs of customers.  Excellent personal sales ability is and the ability to lead and motivate a team to achieve sales goals is also a key expectation of this role.

The high degree of customer contact requires tact, courtesy, and a genuine desire to serve others. 

Essential Duties:

Culture:

• Represents Merchants Bank in a manner aligned with our aspiration to be the financial institution of choice and recognized as a top business leader in the community

• Exemplifies exceptional customer experience standards by modeling the way in the market

• Focuses on staff development, coaching and team building and serves as a mentor to the Universal Bankers.

• Contributes to expectations in areas of transparency and communication to ensure internal stakeholders on the team have a strong connection to the strategic direction of the Company

• Embraces and embodies the “One Merchants” culture of responsibility – setting the tone, living our core values and holding others accountable through a collaborative process of ongoing and consistent improvement efforts

Leadership:

• Supervises activities of Universal Banker levels I, II, III;

• Make hiring decisions, do performance reviews and coaching/mentoring teammates.

• Will ensure that team members have the tools, education and support they need to respond to internal and external customers in an efficient manner, and while providing exceptional customer service.

• Will motivate Universal Bankers to reach sales goals by creating a positive department culture.

• Maintain knowledge of and adheres to all applicable laws and regulations and policies and procedures relevant to Merchants Bank.

• Maintain excellent fraud prevention and resolution procedures at all levels.

• Properly diagnose customer needs and proactively offer new opportunities to customers by cross-selling or referring to appropriate business line to deepen customer relationships

• De-escalate situations involving dissatisfied customers, offering patient assistance and support.

• Research, analyze and resolve customer issues; determine appropriate resolution; manage difficult customer situations and follow up on resolutions to ensure customer satisfaction.

• Assist Universal Banker team and customers in resolving issues within our digital channels.

• Responsible for ensuring testing and product knowledge is completed by entire team.

• Will be responsible for completing workflow requests and internal processes

• Ability to do business analysis of DDA options.

Lending – Producing Manager:

• Establishes effective working relationships with customers; obtains necessary information to determine creditworthiness to make sound financial decisions.

• Initiates the preparation of the appropriate loan documentation ensuring all terms and conditions are accurate and as agreed.

• Must be willing to collect on loans

• Attends to the needs of potential real estate customers for in-house loans.

• Work with regulation changes in regards to Consumer Lenders at all affiliates. 

• Follows through on loan transactions and department procedures.

• Identifies and initiates cross-sales opportunities of other banking products and takes appropriate action in directing customers to other banking departments for further service and establishment of accounts.

• Provides ongoing account maintenance to customers; responds to customer inquires and concerns in a timely, accurate, and professional manner.

• Responsible for individual loan, fee income and referral goals, and expected to participate in over-all department, bank and MFGI goals.

• May include crop insurance duties.

• Customer confidentiality and confidence are critical to the success of this position.

Exceptional Customer Service:

• Ensure that internal and external customers receive outstanding service from every employee (and speak up when they do not).

• Be efficient and accurate when processing customer transactions, as outlined in current policies and procedures

• Provide excellent customer service by greeting customers, seeking to understand their needs, and offering them personalized solutions.

• Provide high-quality consultative conversations to uncover needs and opportunities.

• Resolve customer issues and concerns promptly and effectively; escalate when needed.

• Be proficient and happily able to assist customers on the systems including internet banking products, bill pay, e statements, mobile banking, telephone banking and anything else the customer may need assistance with.

Relationship Building:

• Build strong relationships with customers to understand their financial goals and identify opportunities to meet their needs.

• Foster long-term customer loyalty through ongoing relationship management and exceptional service.

• Build strong internal relationships with immediate coworkers as well as Merchants Bank employees in all shared services areas.

Sales and Business Development:

• Meet or exceed individual and team/branch sales targets for banking products (such as deposit accounts, loans and credit cards) to contribute to overall business growth.

• Lead and direct Universal Bankers to conduct outbound sales activities (such as prospecting, lead generation, and follow-up on sales opportunities).

• Respond to all customers inquires and forward any appropriate requests to other departments.

• Promote bank products by answering inquires; inform customers of new services and product promotions.

• Attend external customer meetings as requested. 

• Participate in partnership banking visits, as requested.

Product Knowledge:

• Ensure team members maintain in-depth knowledge of the bank's products, services, and promotions.

• Educate customers on the features, benefits, and terms of various banking products to help them make informed decisions.

• Stay updated on industry trends, regulatory changes, and competitive offerings to provide accurate and up-to-date information to customers.

Compliance and Risk Management:

• Complete all required compliance training and certifications on time to maintain a comprehensive understanding of compliance requirements. Ensure the Universal Banker team completes all required courses.

• Collect Privacy Codes/Security word as well as update email addresses and contact numbers.

• Process transactions efficiently and accurately, ensuring compliance with internal policies, procedures, controls, and banking regulations.

• Follow all bank policies, procedures, and regulatory guidelines to ensure compliance and mitigate risk.

• Adhere to security and fraud prevention measures to safeguard customer information and bank assets.

• Disseminate information regarding legal and fraud issues, to protect customers and retailers against fraud.

Operations:

• Perform various administrative and operational tasks when opening and closing accounts, account maintenance and changes, and documentation.  Follow maintenance and closed account procedures for all types of deposit accounts.

• When working in the Teller area, process financial transactions including receiving deposits and loan payments, cashing checks, issuing withdrawals, recording night deposits, selling cashier's checks and money orders as well as answering customer questions.  Maintain a balanced cash drawer and maintain an accurate supply of cash and coin.

• Update central file information when working with account portfolios & compliance regulated forms.

• Accurately submit customer workflow/task requests as required in the appropriate systems.

• Review the daily overdraft report to proactively catch your customers before they default.

• Comply with any and all audit regulations concerning the security of your work area and branch location.

• Performs all other duties, as assigned, to increase performance of Merchants. 

• Accept request to cross-train for additional duties.

Teamwork/Relationships:

• This position will report directly to Retail Banking Manager with performance and direction engagement from the Market President.

• Ensure that all team members collaborate to ensure branch operations run smoothly and efficiently.

• Coordinate team members and participate in trade shows, promotional events, and marketing activities during work ours and on evenings and weekends as requested.

• Participate in community activities to actively promote the bank.

• Contribute to a positive working environment through words and actions.

Physical Working Conditions:

Climate-controlled inside working environment with low noise level.  No environmental hazards or chemicals.  While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit and stand; must occasionally lift and/or move up to 35 pounds.  This position requires extensive work on a computer system.

Experience and Skill Requirements

• A minimum of four years of front-line banking experience required. 

• Individual must desire leadership position.

• Ability to coach and train staff

• High degree of tact and professionalism

• Must be skilled at handling sensitive situations.

• Strong communication and interpersonal skills

• Strong customer service skills and experience.

• Demonstrated success handling difficult customer situations.

• Demonstrated ability to stop, pause and speak up when concerned about a coworker’s or customer’s behavior. 

• Ability to use intuition and common sense to carry out instructions, understand procedures, speak professionally and clearly to customers and employees as well as to escalate to supervisor when needed.

• Strong time management skills and the ability to multi-task and prioritize.

• Strong math skills and abilities.

• Strong computer system proficiency.

• Ability to learn and follow established regulatory and compliance guidelines, policies and procedures. 

• Strong attention to detail.

• A genuine desire to have engaging conversations with customers to identify and solve customer needs, as well as to offer additional appropriate products and service solutions

Work Habits:

• Maintain a neat and organized work area

• Project a well groomed and professional appearance

• Adhere to bank policy on absenteeism and the establish work hours

• Avoid personal phone calls, text messages, and non-business related emails (internal and external), and internet usage (unless in an urgent situation).

• Cooperate and collaborate with other staff members.

• Respond to supervisory guidance and direction, ask good questions, listen and do the appropriate detective work to either help yourself or our customers. 

Dependability:

• Regular and dependable on-time attendance is an essential function of the job.

• Accurately within the established guidelines.

• Organize time to complete duties without sacrificing service to customers.

• Stay calm, professional and focused under pressure.

• Complete assignments independently and in a timely manner

• Accept accountability for personal and bank success.

• Adapt well to change

• Flexible to changing needs, such as staffing needs for the Branch

• Is confidential (Internal and External)

• Is a team player