Crop Growers Leader

Join a team focused on the success of our customers, the success of our communities, and the success of each other. Farm Credit East (FCE) is the leading provider of loans and farm advisory services to farm, forest product, fishing, and other agricultural business owners across the northeast with $12.5 billion in total loan volume and $29 million in annual financial services revenue from 18,000 customers across our 8-state territory. We are One Team Working Together with a focus on our five pillars: Outstanding Customer and Employee Experience, Quality Growth, Operational Excellence, Commitment to our Communities, and Protecting Customer Information.

This is a key leadership position within the Association (ACA) with responsibility for the Crop Growers insurance practice including setting and attaining ACA goals, development and motivation of the team, program growth and profitability, and team supervision and evaluation. The Leader ensures the business unit provides effective insurance services and underwriting while protecting the Association, all while providing a best in class customer experience and growing the business.

The leader develops plans with measurable objectives and monitors performance of the ACA, taking corrective action promptly and reallocating resources when necessary.  The leader promotes operational excellence and ensures that the team adopts uniform processes, procedures, and technologies to improve efficiency and protect customer data.  This role is mindful of risk management and business issues ranging from the customer level to the broader Association level. 

The leader ensures collaboration with support teams and other business units and encourages strong community involvement to provide an outstanding customer and employee experience.

The value drivers for this role are as follows:

• Profitably leads the Crop Growers team across the entire association to execute the Association’s vision
• Develops superior customer experience, employee experience and growth-focused culture across the association
• Drives operational excellence and success for the functional area

Come join a collaborative, customer-focused team at Farm Credit East!

Duties and Responsibilities:

Business Development/Profitability

• Partners with other ACA leaders to work collaboratively and create consistency across common marketplaces/industries/segments and alignment with FCE’s overall operating model while promoting a marketing culture
• Represents and/or coordinates representation of the Association both internally and externally at community/industry events across the LSA
• Manages and grows the revenue, and profitability of the Crop Growers program, while maintaining a level of risk in line with the Association's risk appetite
• Engages a customer centric approach utilizing a 360-degree view of both existing customers and new prospects across financial services and lending
• Collaborates with the financial services team to develop a robust customer database and leverages multiples sources of data to identify future opportunities

Team Leadership

• Provides leadership and direction for all roles aligned with the customer facing activities within the ACA
• Coaches and mentors both direct reports along with team members with dotted line accountability
• Supervises team leaders and reviews performance evaluations for their subordinates
• Protects the confidentiality, security, and integrity of the Association’s systems and data and clients’ data
• Collaborates with peers across other business units, ensuring alignment, attending to group dynamics and acts to ensure that diverse perspectives are being shared
• Sets a tone of a proactive and forward-thinking culture
• Works with Regional Leaders, Director of FAS Training, and HR to hire, train, and motivate staff  

Crop Growers Strategy Execution

• Strategically leads the Crop Growers program to leverage the digital customer relationship, develop a robust customer database and identify opportunities to improve operational efficiency
• Develops superior customer experience, employee experience and growth focused culture for the ACA
• Works with Operations Leader and SMEs to review and recommend process improvements.
• Partners with other ACA leaders to work collaboratively and create consistency across functional areas and regions and alignment with FCE’s operating model

Job Qualifications and Requirements:

• This position requires a Bachelor's degree in Agriculture, Agri-Business, Economics, Finance, Business or a related field or an equivalent combination of education and experience to perform the essential functions of the job.
• We offer hybrid work options after six months of employment with Farm Credit East. Hybrid work options are determined based on job role and balancing the needs of the customers, the team, and individual work performance. This will be reviewed based on manager discretion.

Compensation and Benefits:

• Salary Range: $115,000 to $175,000 commensurate with experience
• Short-Term Incentive to reward business results
•  Retirement Contributions :
  • 401k match up to 6% of salary
  • Defined Contribution retirement plan funded at 2-9% of salary depending on years of service
• Time Off:
  • 15-25 days of vacation leave per year, depending on years of service
  • 12 days of holiday leave per year
  • 7.5 days of sick leave in your first year, followed by 12 days of sick leave per year thereafter; unlimited rollover of unused sick leave year to year
• Health and Insurance:
  • Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision plans, including preventive care and wellness programs to support your overall health and well-being
  • Health Savings Account
  • Life insurance at 2x base pay
  • Accidental Death and Dismemberment insurance at 2x base pay
  • Long-term disability insurance at 2/3 base pay
• Additional Benefits: 
  • Tuition reimbursement
  • Continuing education and training
  • Employee Assistance Program offering a wide variety of tools and resources

Farm Credit East is an Equal Opportunity Employer. As an Equal Opportunity Employer, we do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, marital status, parental status, political affiliation, disability status, protected veteran status, genetic information or any other status protected by federal, state or local law. It is our goal to make employment decisions that further the principle of equal employment opportunity by utilizing objective standards based upon an individual's qualifications for a specific job opening. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”), if you have a disability and would like a reasonable accommodation in order to apply for a position with Farm Credit East, please call 1-800-562-2235 or e-mail FarmCreditCareers@farmcrediteast.com