SBA Underwriting Officer

Cathay Bank•El Monte, CA

5d•Onsite

About The Position

The SBA Underwriting Officer is responsible for the ongoing portfolio management, servicing, credit quality, and regulatory/SBA compliance of assigned U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) government-guaranteed loans, including SBA 7(a), SBA Express, SBA 504 loans and State Government Small Business Loan Guarantee Programs (SBLGP) , as applicable. The SBA Underwriting Officer works closely with SBA Sales, Closing, Credit Administration, Loan Operations, branch/relationship teams and business partners or vendors to maintain strong borrower relationships and ensure that post-closing servicing actions are completed in accordance with the Bank's policies and procedures and applicable SBA requirements. The PM is expected to proactively identify credit deterioration, documentation or servicing deficiencies, and other portfolio risks and to recommend timely corrective action.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in business, finance, accounting, economics, or a related field strongly preferred.
At least 1-2 years of commercial/SBA portfolio management, credit underwriting, loan servicing, relationship management, or a combination thereof.
Direct SBA lending or servicing experience strongly preferred.
Working knowledge of SBA 7(a) and 504 lending and servicing requirements, including SBA SOP requirements, loan documentation, collateral, servicing actions, guaranty preservation, and problem-loan processes.
Experience with State Government Guarantee Loan Program is a plus.
Strong commercial credit analysis skills, including cash-flow analysis, global debt service coverage, financial statement and tax-return analysis, collateral evaluation, risk rating, and credit memorandum preparation.
Strong written and verbal communication skills and the ability to work effectively with borrowers, SBA personnel, internal credit partners, auditors/examiners, attorneys, CDCs, and other third parties.
Ability to manage multiple deadlines and a sizeable portfolio in a fast-paced environment with strong attention to detail, follow-up discipline, and sound independent judgment.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office and commercial loan/portfolio systems.
Experience with SBA systems such as CAFS, E-Tran, or related SBA platforms is preferred.

Nice To Haves

Experience with State Government Guarantee Loan Program is a plus.
Experience with SBA systems such as CAFS, E-Tran, or related SBA platforms is preferred.

Responsibilities

Underwrite and present SBA 7(a) loans, including Express and Small Loans, SBA 504 loans, and State Small Business Loan Guarantee Program (SBGLP) loans in accordance with applicable SBA SOP requirements, state program guidelines, and Bank credit policies.
Perform comprehensive credit analysis, including historical and projected cash flow, debt service coverage, global cash flow, collateral evaluation, guarantor support, management experience, character, capacity, capital, credit history, and repayment.
Prepare complete and well-supported credit approval memoranda, including transaction background, loan purpose, sources and uses, financial analysis, projections, collateral analysis, risk assessment, mitigants, and recommended loan structure.
Analyze business and personal financial statements, tax returns, interim financial statements, accounts receivable/payable aging, debt schedules, projections, purchase agreements, leases, franchise documents, and other supporting.
Determine borrower and transaction eligibility under SBA and SBGLP requirements, including eligible business type, ownership, use of proceeds, size standards, occupancy requirements, injection/equity requirements, and guarantor.
Recommend appropriate loan amount, term, amortization, interest rate, collateral structure, guaranties, covenants, and other credit conditions consistent with program requirements and the Bank's credit standards.
Evaluate collateral adequacy, including commercial real estate, business assets, equipment, UCC collateral, and available personal collateral, and identify required appraisal, environmental, title, lien, and insurance documentation.
Identify key credit risks, policy exceptions, program exceptions, and structural weaknesses, and recommend reasonable mitigating factors prior to credit approval.
Present credit recommendations to the appropriate credit authority or loan committee and respond promptly to questions, conditions, and requests for additional analysis.
Ensure SBA and SBGLP underwriting complies with applicable program requirements, Bank policies, regulatory standards, and delegated lending authority requirements.
Review and verify required SBA forms and eligibility documentation, including SBA Forms 1919 and 912 when applicable, ownership information, affiliate analysis, franchise eligibility, citizenship/residency requirements, and other program-specific.
Confirm loan proceeds and structure comply with applicable SBA or SBGLP requirements, including refinancing, business acquisition, partner buyout, working capital, equipment, construction, and owner-occupied commercial real estate.
Maintain current knowledge of SBA SOP updates, SBA notices, SBGLP guidelines, and internal credit policy changes, and apply changes consistently to new credit requests.
Coordinate with SBA Sales, Closing, Credit Administration, appraisal/environmental vendors, legal counsel, and other internal or external parties to obtain information necessary for underwriting and approval.
Review third-party reports and due diligence, including appraisals, environmental reports, business valuations, franchise documentation, lien searches, title information, and organizational documents, as applicable.
Ensure underwriting files contain sufficient documentation to support eligibility, credit analysis, collateral decisions, loan structure, and approval conditions before handoff to closing.
Clearly communicate approval conditions and outstanding underwriting items to Sales and Closing to support an efficient transition from approval to documentation and funding.
Apply sound credit judgment and maintain consistent underwriting standards for SBA and SBGLP transactions while balancing program objectives with the Bank's risk appetite.
Identify potential fraud indicators, repayment concerns, concentration risks, eligibility issues, or material inconsistencies and escalate concerns to management, Credit Administration, Compliance, BSA, or Legal as appropriate.
Ensure underwriting assumptions, projections, repayment sources, collateral values, and guarantor support are reasonable, adequately documented, and independently validated where appropriate.
Support internal loan review, regulatory examinations, SBA reviews, and program audits by providing clear underwriting rationale and complete credit documentation.
Manage assigned underwriting pipeline and prioritize transactions to meet established approval and closing turnaround.
Maintain accurate status reporting for assigned credit requests and promptly communicate delays, missing information, or material credit issues.
Support development and enhancement of SBA and SBGLP underwriting templates, credit tools, checklists, procedures, and training materials.
Identify opportunities to improve underwriting efficiency, consistency, credit quality, and coordination among Sales, Underwriting, Closing, and Credit Administration.