Small Business Referral Growth Lead, Senior Vice President

About the role

Citi is looking for a Small Business Referral Growth Lead at the SVP level to own and scale the firm's small business referral strategy for Citigold North America. This is a rare opportunity to grow a referral engine— connecting Citi's internal ecosystem with external centers of influence to generate consistent, high-quality small business lead flow. If you are a networked, results-driven professional who converts relationships into funded business and thrives in a performance-focused environment, this role was designed for you.

Responsibilities

• Own the end-to-end small business referral strategy at Citigold North America, from identifying and sourcing lead opportunities across the branch network and business banking channels to converting referrals into funded client relationships.
• Build and manage a high-performing small business referral pipeline, using CRM tools, scorecards, and performance dashboards to track lead volume, conversion rates, and time-to-fund metrics.
• Identify and cultivate referral partnerships with centers of influence and financial advisors who serve small business owners — generating consistent external lead flow.
• Activate Citi's internal referral ecosystem by engaging and aligning branch bankers, relationship managers, private client advisors, and small business specialists to identify and pass qualified referrals.
• Train and coach frontline branch and sales staff on small business referral identification, qualification standards, and handoff best practices to strengthen referral discipline across the organization.
• Develop compelling referral value propositions tailored to both internal partners and external COIs, positioning Citi's small business product suite — including SBA loans, business lines of credit, merchant services, and business deposit products — as the preferred referral destination.
• Produce and deliver regular referral performance reports and pipeline updates to senior leadership, translating data into actionable recommendations that improve conversion and partner engagement scores.
• Ensure all referral and partnership activities comply with applicable regulations, Citi policy, and sound ethical standards, maintaining transparency in reporting and escalation of control issues.

 Required Qualifications & Skills

• 10 or more years of experience in small business banking, business development, referral program management, or partnership management within a financial services organization.
• Demonstrated ability to build and scale small business referral programs at a bank, credit union, or fintech
• Deep knowledge of small business financial products including SBA 7(a) and 504 lending, business lines of credit, business checking, merchant services, payroll, and business credit cards.
• Hands-on experience with CRM platforms such as Salesforce or equivalent tools to manage referral pipelines and track partner engagement across multiple channels.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to engage and influence senior internal stakeholders and external business partners simultaneously.
• Required current US FINRA Registrations: SIE and Series 7.
• ○        Must meet ALL US FINRA Registration requirements within 150 of starting in the role
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite including Excel, PowerPoint, and Word, with comfort using data to present program performance to senior leadership.

Beneficial Skills & Qualifications

• Experience working alongside Business Development Officers, Business Services Officers, or branch teams within a structured small business referral model.
• Familiarity with community banking practices and the small business owner financial journey, including how to unlock cross-sell opportunities through strategic referral timing.
• Experience coordinating cross-functional referral initiatives across marketing, risk, operations, and product teams in a large financial institution.
• Bachelor’s degree/University degree or equivalent experience
• Master’s degree is preferred in business, Finance, or a related field.

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Job Family Group

Consumer Sales

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Job Family

Consumer Sales Support

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Time Type

Full time

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Primary Location

New York New York United States

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Primary Location Full Time Salary Range

$149,600.00 - $224,400.00

In addition to salary, Citi’s offerings may also include, for eligible employees, discretionary and formulaic incentive and retention awards. Citi offers competitive employee benefits, including: medical, dental & vision coverage; 401(k); life, accident, and disability insurance; and wellness programs. Citi also offers paid time off packages, including planned time off (vacation), unplanned time off (sick leave), and paid holidays. For additional information regarding Citi employee benefits, please visit citibenefits.com. Available offerings may vary by jurisdiction, job level, and date of hire.

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Most Relevant Skills

Please see the requirements listed above.

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Other Relevant Skills

For complementary skills, please see above and/or contact the recruiter.

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Anticipated Posting Close Date

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Automated Processing and AI

We use automated processing, including artificial intelligence, for our legitimate business interests (or our reasonable and appropriate business purposes) to identify and align the candidate's skills and abilities with a specific job opening. Additionally, if you so choose, or consent, we can match your skills and abilities to other suitable roles at Citi.

Importantly, all our hiring processes and decisions, including determining your suitability for a role, are conducted, checked, and decided by individuals. Our automated processing and AI do not involve relying on automatic or autonomous decision-making. Please refer to any Jurisdictional Considerations, with specific provisions for your country (where relevant) for further details.

Illinois residents – AI Notice and Right

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Citi is an equal opportunity employer, and qualified candidates will receive consideration without regard to their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, status as a protected veteran, or any other characteristic protected by law.

If you are a person with a disability and need a reasonable accommodation to use our search tools and/or apply for a career opportunity review Accessibility at Citi.
View Citi’s EEO Policy Statement and the Know Your Rights poster.