DIRECTOR OF COMMERCIAL CREDIT

7 17 Credit Union•Warren, OH

10d•Onsite

About The Position

7 17 Credit Union is seeking an experienced Director of Commercial Credit to lead our Commercial Credit function and support the continued growth of our commercial lending portfolio. This is a hands-on leadership role responsible for overseeing the commercial credit and underwriting function while maintaining a personal pipeline of commercial loan requests. The Director will lead a team of commercial underwriting professionals, partner closely with Commercial Relationship Managers and senior leadership, and provide sound credit analysis and risk assessment to support responsible lending decisions. The ideal candidate brings extensive commercial credit and underwriting experience, strong leadership skills, sound business judgment, and a passion for developing people and improving processes. This position will also play an important role in strengthening commercial credit policies and procedures and advancing technology solutions that improve efficiency and the experience of our business members.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, Economics, or a related field.
15+ years of financial institution experience, including at least 10 years of commercial credit experience.
5+ years of management or leadership experience.
Advanced knowledge of commercial lending and loan underwriting, including: Commercial real estate and non-real estate lending, Financial statement and cash flow analysis, Loan structuring, SBA lending, Commercial credit risk assessment, Commercial lending regulations and compliance.
Strong understanding of commercial entity documentation, loan documentation, and the commercial real estate closing process.
Demonstrated ability to lead, coach, and develop high-performing teams.
Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to work effectively with members, lenders, employees, senior leadership, vendors, and other stakeholders.
Exceptional attention to detail and commitment to accuracy.
Ability to manage multiple priorities, meet deadlines, and work independently.
Strong organizational and time-management skills.
Ability to learn and effectively utilize loan origination, underwriting, document preparation, and other business systems.
Proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, and other Microsoft Office applications.
Ability to handle confidential member and Credit Union information with the highest level of discretion and professionalism.

Nice To Haves

Occasional travel to business customers, vendors, or other locations may be required.

Responsibilities

Lead the day-to-day commercial credit function and oversee the department's underwriting pipeline.
Maintain a personal underwriting pipeline and ensure loan requests are reviewed accurately and within established turnaround expectations.
Partner with Commercial Relationship Managers to structure new loan opportunities and provide credit guidance throughout the lending process.
Conduct due diligence, financial statement analysis, cash flow analysis, financial projections, and comprehensive credit risk assessments.
Underwrite commercial real estate and non-real estate loans and accurately risk-rate proposed loans using all available information.
Prepare detailed Credit Approval Memorandums outlining financial trends, key risks, mitigating factors, and recommendations.
Approve loans within established individual lending authority and present credit requests to the appropriate loan committee.
Participate in prospect and member calls with Commercial Relationship Managers as needed.
Prepare and present reports for the Special Asset Committee, including troubled member business loans and quarterly commercial loan reporting.
Help build out SBA lending and serve as a subject matter expert for SBA loans within the Commercial Lending department.
Assist with the annual commercial loan review process.
Lead, coach, and develop team members involved in commercial loan underwriting.
Establish performance expectations, provide ongoing feedback, and conduct annual performance evaluations.
Identify training needs and develop and maintain a comprehensive training program for the Commercial Credit team.
Conduct regular team meetings to communicate priorities, business updates, and service expectations.
Develop career development plans and provide opportunities for team members to expand their knowledge and skills.
Foster a collaborative team environment focused on accuracy, efficiency, accountability, and exceptional member service.
Partner with Commercial Lending leadership to establish annual and long-term goals that support the Credit Union's strategic objectives.
Ensure commercial credit proposals and underwriting practices comply with Board policy, NCUA regulations, and applicable requirements.
Help develop, evaluate, and implement commercial credit products, policies, procedures, and underwriting guidelines.
Provide backup support for Commercial Credit functions as needed.
Monitor credit processes and identify opportunities to strengthen controls, improve consistency, and manage risk.
Identify opportunities to streamline, automate, and improve Commercial Credit workflows, reporting, controls, and processes.
Lead departmental and cross-functional projects focused on efficiency and the member experience.
Assist with the implementation of new products, processes, and technology solutions.
Collaborate with internal teams on participation servicing, product and system enhancements, and digital commercial servicing capabilities.
Utilize and train staff on relevant systems and technology to support timely underwriting and loan decisioning.
Build and maintain production reports to monitor product, process, and vendor performance.
Manage and maintain relationships with assigned third-party vendors and serve as an internal and external point of contact.
Assist with vendor onboarding, due diligence, and ongoing vendor management.
Support audits and examinations conducted by NCUA, ODFI, governmental agencies, and third-party vendors.
Complete required regulatory and compliance training.