Location: Seattle, WA
Salary: $130,000–$190,000

Position Overview

We are seeking an experienced and highly motivated Vice President Relationship Manager to join a growing banking team in Seattle. This is a relationship-driven role for a banking professional who understands that strong commercial relationships are built on trust, responsiveness, sound financial judgment, and a genuine understanding of the client’s business.

The VP Relationship Manager will be responsible for developing, managing, and expanding a portfolio of commercial banking relationships while serving as a trusted financial partner to business owners, executives, and key decision-makers. This individual will identify opportunities to deepen existing relationships, develop new business, structure appropriate credit solutions, and coordinate with internal banking partners to deliver a high level of service.

The ideal candidate brings a strong commercial banking background, excellent credit instincts, business-development capabilities, and the confidence to sit across the table from experienced executives and have meaningful conversations about their financial goals. This is not simply a portfolio-management position. It is an opportunity to take ownership of relationships, contribute to growth, and become a recognizable and trusted presence in the Seattle market.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop, manage, and grow a portfolio of commercial banking clients with a focus on long-term relationship development and profitability.

• Build meaningful relationships with business owners, executives, CFOs, controllers, and other key decision-makers.

• Identify prospective clients and actively develop new business through networking, referrals, centers of influence, community involvement, and targeted business-development efforts.

• Conduct regular client meetings and business reviews to understand changing financial needs, challenges, opportunities, and long-term objectives.

• Recommend and structure appropriate commercial lending, deposit, treasury management, and other banking solutions based on each client's individual needs.

• Manage the complete relationship-development process from prospecting and initial contact through onboarding, relationship expansion, and ongoing portfolio management.

• Analyze financial statements, cash flow, debt service capacity, collateral, guarantor strength, industry conditions, and other relevant credit factors.

• Prepare and present well-supported loan requests and credit recommendations in accordance with established credit policies and risk parameters.

• Work closely with Credit Administration, Underwriting, Loan Operations, Treasury Management, Deposit teams, and other internal partners to ensure transactions move efficiently from opportunity to execution.

• Monitor portfolio performance and remain proactive regarding financial trends, covenant compliance, risk exposure, and changing client circumstances.

• Maintain a strong understanding of each client's business model, industry, competitive environment, ownership structure, and strategic objectives.

• Identify cross-selling and relationship-expansion opportunities across lending, deposits, treasury services, cash management, and other appropriate financial products.

• Partner with internal teams to provide clients with responsive, knowledgeable, and solutions-oriented service.

• Maintain accurate and timely documentation, pipeline information, call reports, relationship-management records, and other required documentation.

• Ensure all lending and relationship-management activities comply with applicable laws, regulations, bank policies, and established risk-management standards.

• Maintain a disciplined approach to portfolio management while balancing business development with sound credit judgment.

• Participate in community and professional organizations to increase visibility and strengthen the bank's presence throughout the Seattle market.

• Serve as a knowledgeable representative of the bank in client meetings, community events, industry functions, and business-development activities.

• Stay informed regarding economic conditions, local market activity, industry trends, interest rates, and developments that may affect clients and the broader commercial banking environment.

• Protect the quality and integrity of the portfolio while continuing to pursue profitable growth.

• Contribute to a collaborative banking culture by sharing market intelligence, referrals, relationship opportunities, and ideas with colleagues.

Business Development

A significant component of this position will be developing new relationships and expanding the bank's presence in the Seattle market. The successful candidate should be comfortable creating opportunities rather than waiting for them to arrive.

This includes building a strong network of business owners, professional advisors, attorneys, CPAs, commercial real estate professionals, community leaders, and other centers of influence. The VP Relationship Manager should have the confidence and communication skills necessary to open doors, earn credibility, uncover financial needs, and turn those conversations into lasting banking relationships.

Success will be measured not only by production, but by the quality, profitability, retention, and depth of the relationships developed.

Credit & Portfolio Management

The VP Relationship Manager will maintain a strong balance between business development and prudent risk management. The successful candidate should be comfortable reviewing complex financial information and making informed recommendations based on a company's financial condition and future prospects.

Responsibilities include reviewing financial statements and tax returns, analyzing cash flow, evaluating collateral and guarantor support, monitoring loan performance, identifying emerging risks, and ensuring that credit relationships remain consistent with the bank's established policies and risk appetite.

Strong judgment is essential. The right candidate knows when to pursue an opportunity, when to ask additional questions, and when a deal simply does not make sense.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, Economics, or a related field preferred.

• Several years of progressive commercial banking, relationship management, commercial lending, or related financial-services experience.

• Demonstrated success managing and growing a commercial banking portfolio.

• Proven ability to develop new business and establish long-term client relationships.

• Strong understanding of commercial credit principles, financial analysis, loan structuring, and risk management.

• Experience working directly with business owners, executives, and other sophisticated commercial clients.

• Strong financial statement and cash-flow analysis skills.

• Ability to understand complex business structures and identify appropriate financial solutions.

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

• Strong negotiation, presentation, organization, and time-management abilities.

• Ability to manage multiple priorities while maintaining a high level of responsiveness to clients.

• Demonstrated integrity, sound judgment, professionalism, and discretion.

• Strong knowledge of commercial banking products and services.

• Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively with internal banking teams.

• Established relationships within the Seattle business community are highly desirable.

What Makes This Opportunity Stand Out

This position is designed for a relationship banker who wants to make an impact. You will have the opportunity to work with established businesses, develop new relationships, influence growth, and become an important part of the bank's presence in the Seattle market.

The ideal candidate is confident without being transactional, analytical without losing sight of the client, and commercially driven without compromising credit discipline. You should enjoy being out in the market, meeting people, learning businesses, solving problems, and turning relationships into meaningful long-term partnerships.

If you are an experienced commercial banker who knows how to build relationships, identify opportunities, structure thoughtful solutions, and manage risk, this is an opportunity to bring those skills to a role with significant visibility and growth potential.

Salary Range: $130,000–$190,000, depending on experience and qualifications.