Agribusiness Associate

The Opportunity Based in Whippany, New Jersey, MetLife Investment Management (MIM) is one of the largest institutional investors and asset managers in the world, with nearly $740 billion in combined managed assets. MIM has been ranked a "Best Places to Work in Money Management" by Pensions & Investments for five consecutive years and has consistently generated superior returns for both policyholders and shareholders. The enterprise has more than 1,100 dedicated professionals with extensive experience and expertise in all asset classes, with a strength in public and private fixed income and private assets, including real estate. Visit us at www.metlife.com/investments to learn more. MIM's Global Real Estate and Agricultural Investments maintains a portfolio invested in commercial real estate and agricultural mortgages, as well as real estate equities. In addition to sourcing and managing these investments, the groups are responsible for developing and maintaining relationships with key industry contacts and referral sources. The mortgage portfolio and equity portfolio units are organized according to specialty, and they actively manage MetLife's portfolio of mortgage loans and equity investments in agricultural, office, apartment, retail, industrial, and hotel properties. The portfolio units are responsible for overall portfolio strategy, pricing, transaction approval and credit approval on new loans, as well as the active management of the overall mortgage and equity portfolios. Real Estate Investments sources and manages commercial real estate investments through seven regional field offices in the U.S. and International field offices in London, Tokyo, Mexico City and Santiago. MIM's Food & Agribusiness Region is seeking an extremely resourceful Associate to support the Food & Agribusiness Region. This position will be part of a national team responsible for the origination and servicing of mortgage loans in the food and agribusiness sectors across the continental United States. This opportunity is focused on supporting origination and servicing of mortgage loans in the food and agribusiness sector, providing support to Mortgage Originators and Regional Office Management.

Key Responsibilities

• Business development and asset (loan) origination.
• Relationship management in collaboration with the team.
• Portfolio Management.
• Take the lead role in credit underwriting, and Financing Memo preparation in collaboration with the Mortgage Originators.
• Industry research on food and agribusiness industries.
• Collaboration with the Loan Closing team and Mortgage Originators for loan closings.
• Coordination of loan servicing/reporting in collaboration with Mortgage Originators.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a related field such as Business, Finance, Accounting, Agriculture, or a comparable discipline.
• 5+ years of experience in agricultural finance, commercial real estate lending, or related lending activities.
• Experience supporting lending activities including underwriting, servicing, portfolio management, and commercial credit portfolio administration.
• Demonstrated experience in commercial credit analysis and decision‑making, including use of financial projection models.
• Exposure to loan documentation, collateral review, and preparation of credit approval packages, annual reviews, and portfolio reports.
• Strong portfolio and relationship management skills, with the ability to build and maintain effective customer and peer relationships.
• Proficiency in MS Office 365, particularly Word and Excel (including spreadsheet creation and formulas).
• Familiarity with Moody’s RiskCalc or similar credit risk tools.
• Excellent oral, written, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Strong analytical, problem‑solving, project management, and multitasking abilities, with the capacity to manage multiple deadlines and requests.
• Must have appropriate work authorization in the country where the position is located and not require relocation assistance.

Preferred Qualifications

• Self‑Manages for effective performance - both independently and within a team.
• Detail oriented, dependable, discreet, proactive & highly organized.
• Builds relationships with internal and external clients.
• Ability to interpret and apply credit policy consistently across underwriting, servicing, and portfolio monitoring.
• Strong analytical skills to identify loan‑level and portfolio‑level trends, exceptions, and emerging risks.
• Clear written communication skills for credit packages and servicing requests.
• Strong organizational and time‑management skills to handle multiple loans, deadlines, and data requests simultaneously.
• Advanced Excel proficiency for financial analysis, scenario testing, and portfolio reporting; understanding and use of spreading and platting software.
• Experience preparing decision‑ready materials for senior credit, risk, or management committees.
• Working knowledge of loan servicing processes, including renewals, modifications, and covenant management.
• Familiarity with agricultural lending, rural real estate collateral, and agricultural risk drivers.

At MetLife, we’re leading the global transformation of an industry we’ve long defined. United in purpose, diverse in perspective, we’re dedicated to making a difference in the lives of our customers. Equal Employment Opportunity/Disability/Veterans If you need an accommodation due to a disability, please email us at [email protected]. This information will be held in confidence and used only to determine an appropriate accommodation for the application process. MetLife maintains a drug‑free workplace.