First Niagara Financial Group is eliminating about 200 of roughly 300 assistant branch manager positions across its branch banking network in four states, including Pennsylvania.

The Buffalo-N.Y.-based bank expects to offer "more than half" of the affected employees other positions, spokesman David Lanzillo said Thursday in an email.

At the same time, the bank is adding about 100 positions in small business banking and wealth management, he said.

"We are refocusing our branch staffing to enhance our sales and service capabilities and better position our branch teams to serve the needs of our growing customer base," Mr. Lanzillo said.

The moves came as First Niagara reported Thursday that net income rose 27 percent in the fourth quarter to $58.5 million. Profits for the full year were $173.9 million, up 24 percent from 2010.

First Niagara entered the Western Pennsylvania market in 2009 with the purchase of 57 former National City Bank branches from PNC Financial Services Group. It is the fifth largest retail bank in the seven-county Pittsburgh region with deposits of $3 billion.

Besides New York and Pennsylvania, First Niagara has branches in Connecticut and Massachusetts.