Director of Partner Credit Risk Management & Oversight

Coastal Community Bank

About The Position

Coastal Bank is seeking a highly analytical and strategic Director of Partner Credit Risk Management & Oversight to lead credit risk oversight across its Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS) partner ecosystem. This role will be responsible for developing and executing a robust second line credit risk framework that supports scalable growth while ensuring strong risk management across fintech partnerships and effective counterparty risk oversight. The ideal candidate has deep leadership experience in credit risk management and analytics within a regulated financial institution and a strong understanding of partner-based models, counterparty risk, and BaaS/fintech ecosystems. The Director will lead a Team of Partner Credit Risk Managers and serve as a key risk leader providing independent challenge, ensuring alignment with Coastal’s risk appetite, and safeguarding the financial integrity of partner programs.

Requirements

12+ years of experience in credit risk, lending, or risk management within a bank or financial institution
5+ years of experience in a second line of defense or oversight function
Proven leadership experience managing teams and cross-functional collaboration
Demonstrated experience working with fintech partners and BaaS platforms
Strong experience with consumer and small business lending portfolios
Proven expertise in counterparty risk assessment, including financial statement analysis
Deep understanding of credit risk frameworks, underwriting, portfolio management, and risk governance
Strong analytical skills with ability to translate data into actionable insights
Excellent communication skills with ability to influence senior stakeholders
Ability to Travel
Bachelor’s degree in finance, Accounting, Economics, Business Administration, or a related field.
Advanced degree (MBA, MS, or similar) preferred
Experience in BaaS, fintech partnerships, or embedded finance models
Familiarity with credit models, stress testing, and data analytics tools
Experience interfacing with regulators on BaaS or fintech-related examinations
Ability to balance innovation and growth with strong risk discipline

Responsibilities

Lead, develop, and manage a team of Partner Credit Risk Managers responsible for oversight of partner credit programs
Establish and maintain a comprehensive second line oversight framework for all BaaS partner credit programs
Recommend and enforce credit risk policies, and risk appetite across partner credit programs
Evaluate and approve (or recommend to Leadership) partner credit models, underwriting strategies, and program structures
Monitor portfolio performance across partners, identifying trends, concentrations, emerging risks and action plans
Guide development of early warning indicators and portfolio stress scenarios
Collaborate with fintech partners, program managers, and internal stakeholders to ensure alignment with risk expectations
Ensure compliance with regulatory expectations related to third-party risk (e.g., FDIC, Federal Reserve guidance)
Support due diligence and onboarding of new BaaS partners, including credit assessments
Provide credible challenge to partner assumptions, models, and performance forecasts
Design and implement controls for counterparty credit risk management, including ongoing partner monitoring
Lead the evaluation of financial strength and stability of BaaS partners. Analyze financial statements, cash flow, liquidity, capital adequacy, and funding models
Establish counterparty risk ratings, exposure limits, and ongoing monitoring standards
Identify and escalate risks related to partner sustainability, operational dependency, and market conditions.