Nicolet National Bank, a trusted community banking institution serving Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, Iowa, and Florida, is hiring an experienced Agriculture Banking Officer for its Fairfield, Iowa office. This key role is responsible for administering and growing agricultural lending relationships — developing and managing a portfolio of commercial agricultural loans, building new business through referrals and direct outreach, and delivering maximum profitability to Nicolet while serving the farm and agricultural business communities of Iowa with excellence and integrity.
About Nicolet National Bank — Community Banking at Its Best
Mission: Community banking with customer needs at the forefront — serving local communities with excellence across five states
Locations: Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, Iowa, and Florida — a growing regional bank with strong Midwest roots
Core Values: Commitment to customers, employees, and communities — every job is critical to Nicolet’s collective success
Culture: Valued, respected, and supported employees — with investment in their growth and professional development
Diversity: Deeply committed to inclusion, equal opportunity, and a workplace that welcomes every background and perspective
Agricultural Banking Career Opportunity in Iowa
Strategic Location: Fairfield, Iowa — in the heart of Iowa’s rich agricultural belt and active farming community
Community Focus: Build meaningful ag lending relationships that directly support Iowa’s farm families and agricultural businesses
Portfolio Ownership: Full ownership of an agricultural lending portfolio with strong potential for new business development
Career Path: Clear progression path within Nicolet’s agricultural banking division across Iowa and the broader Midwest region
Position Overview
The Agriculture Banking Officer at Nicolet National Bank’s Fairfield, Iowa office is a relationship-driven commercial banking role focused on the agricultural sector. You will develop and maintain a portfolio of commercial agricultural loans — both secured and unsecured — while underwriting credit decisions, managing risk, and building new loan relationships through direct outreach and referrals. Working closely with farm operations and agribusinesses, you will provide valuable financial guidance, manage portfolio health, and actively represent Nicolet in the local agricultural community. This role demands strong credit analysis skills, a genuine understanding of the agricultural sector, and a passion for community banking excellence.
Why This Role Matters: As Agriculture Banking Officer at Nicolet National Bank Fairfield, you directly support Iowa’s agricultural community by providing access to the agricultural lending solutions farm families and agribusinesses need to grow, manage a diversified commercial agricultural loan portfolio with real influence over underwriting decisions and credit structure recommendations, build trusted, long-term banking relationships with farm operators and agricultural businesses throughout northeast and central Iowa, actively develop new business through community engagement, referrals, and direct customer outreach that expands Nicolet’s agricultural banking footprint, and advance a meaningful community banking career within an organization that genuinely values its people and its contribution to local communities.
Key Responsibilities
Agricultural Loan Origination & Credit Decisions
- Attend to customer relationships and prospects seeking agricultural loans or lines of credit involving varied levels of risk underwriting
- Make lending decisions within established lending limits or present well-structured recommendations to the Senior Banking Officer
- Collect and analyze financial information that reflects the current financial position of agricultural customers and prospects
- Lead credit structure recommendations and, where appropriate, close the credit relationship to deliver maximum value for both customer and bank
Agricultural Portfolio Management
- Manage an agricultural loan portfolio within approved terms and in full conformity with Nicolet’s lending policies and risk standards
- Oversee ongoing portfolio activities including past dues, collateral exceptions, renewals, account reviews, overdraft management, and collections
- Monitor and maintain the health of the agricultural lending portfolio to ensure optimal profitability with minimum institutional risk
- Keep accurate, current records of all loan relationships and portfolio performance in compliance with banking regulations
New Business Development & Community Engagement
- Develop new agricultural business by proactively calling on farm operators and agribusiness prospects across northeast and central Iowa
- Cross-sell Nicolet’s full suite of banking products and services to establish complete, long-term banking relationships with agricultural clients
- Participate actively in community affairs to contribute expertise, enhance Nicolet’s visibility, and identify new business opportunities
- Travel up to 20% of the time to meet with potential business partners and monitor agricultural loan relationships across the Iowa region
Customer Financial Guidance & Regulatory Compliance
- Provide informed feedback to customers on business management and financial matters to add genuine value to the banking relationship
- Stay current on new regulations, policies, and procedures relevant to agricultural and commercial banking and general economic trends
- Uphold Nicolet’s philosophy and policies by maintaining appropriate controls ensuring full compliance with applicable laws and regulations
- Envision, develop, and implement new strategies to address competitive and complex agricultural banking challenges in the Iowa market
Qualifications & Requirements
Educational Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Finance, Agricultural Business, or a closely related academic field
- Additional coursework or certifications in agricultural lending, credit analysis, or agribusiness management are an advantage
Experience Requirements
- 3 to 5 years of experience in agricultural lending, financial statement analysis, and credit administration in a banking environment
- Thorough understanding of all aspects of the ag lending area including prudent underwriting standards, regulatory implications, and pricing
- Working knowledge of the agricultural sector and familiarity with farm operations, agribusiness cycles, and rural economic trends
- Strong understanding of the bank’s commercial lending products and a general knowledge of other banking products and services
Skills & Competencies
- Strong analytical skills with the ability to calculate and interpret financial ratios and evaluate complex agricultural credit structures
- Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to interact, influence, and negotiate effectively at all levels of management and with external parties
- Critical thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making capabilities that build trust across the Nicolet organization and with agricultural clients
- Effective verbal and written communication skills for customer presentations, credit reports, and cross-functional team collaboration
- Valid driver’s license and ability to travel up to 20% of the time across northeast and central Iowa
About Nicolet National Bank — Investing in Communities & Careers
Nicolet National Bank is a community-focused financial institution with banking locations across Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, Iowa, and Florida. Built on the principles of community banking, Nicolet places the needs of its customers at the center of every decision — backed by core values of excellence, integrity, and genuine care for the communities it serves. Nicolet is proud to create a workplace where employees feel valued, respected, and supported — investing in their growth and professional development every step of the way. The bank’s commitment to diversity, inclusion, and equal opportunity makes it a welcoming and rewarding place for every banking professional who wants to make a real difference in their community.
Career Excellence: Join Nicolet National Bank’s Iowa agricultural banking team and build a meaningful career that supports the farm families and agribusinesses that are the backbone of Iowa’s economy.
Who Should Apply?
- Agricultural Lending Officers: With 3–5 years of ag loan origination, credit analysis, and portfolio management experience
- Farm Credit Specialists: With hands-on agricultural banking experience and strong relationships in the Iowa farming community
- Commercial Banking Officers: With a focus on agricultural clients, farm operations, or agribusiness lending in the Midwest
- Agribusiness Finance Professionals: With a Bachelor’s in Business or Finance and practical knowledge of Iowa’s agricultural sector
- Iowa-Based Banking Professionals: Ready to build a rewarding agriculture banking career at a respected community bank in Fairfield
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