Senior Vice President, Commercial and Specialty Banking

Utah First Credit Union•Salt Lake City, UT

9d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Senior Vice President, Commercial & Specialty Banking provides senior level leadership and strategic oversight for Utah First's commercial and specialty lending verticals. This role is responsible for building, leading, and growing a portfolio of business-focused banking divisions; currently including Commercial Real Estate, Practice Banking (dental and medical professionals), and Medical Cannabis Banking, and SBA Lending. This is a hybrid leadership and business development role. The SVP serves as both a strategic architect of Utah First's commercial banking capabilities and an active participant in cultivating key business relationships, generating referrals, and supporting high-value member acquisition. The role reports directly to the President/CEO and serves as a key member of the senior leadership team. This position contributes directly to Utah First's mission: To be significant in the lives of our members, employees, and their communities.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in business, finance, or a related field required.
Ten or more years of progressive leadership experience in commercial lending, specialty banking, or business banking within a financial institution.
Demonstrated experience building or scaling a commercial or specialty banking division or vertical.
Deep understanding of commercial credit underwriting, real estate lending, and business banking products and services.
Proven business development acumen with an established network of referral relationships in the Utah market.
Thorough knowledge of regulatory requirements governing commercial and specialty banking, including relevant NCUA guidance.
Demonstrated ability to lead, develop, and inspire high-performing teams in a growth-oriented environment.
Excellent communication and relationship management skills across executive, board, and member audiences.
Working knowledge of commercial lending systems, financial analysis tools, and Microsoft Office applications.

Nice To Haves

MBA or advanced degree strongly preferred.
Experience in a credit union or community banking environment preferred.
Prior experience with professional services or healthcare/dental lending strongly preferred.
Experience with SBA lending or regulated cannabis banking a plus.

Responsibilities

Execute the strategic vision for Utah First's commercial and specialty banking verticals, aligned with the organization's long-range plan and growth objectives.
Serve as the senior champion for the Practice Banking initiative, overseeing program build-out, staffing, product development, and go-to-market execution for dental and medical professional banking.
Provide senior oversight of Medical Cannabis Banking operations, ensuring risk-appropriate growth and sustained regulatory compliance.
Lead the continued integration of SBA lending across all vertical business lines.
Collaborate with the CEO, COO, and CFO on portfolio strategy, concentration risk, capital considerations, and commercial lending risk appetite.
Represent Utah First in the professional and business community to advance the credit union's commercial banking brand and mission.
Actively cultivate referral networks and strategic partnerships with CPAs, attorneys, dental and medical practice consultants, commercial real estate brokers, and other centers of influence.
Maintain a personal portfolio of high-value commercial relationships and serve as an senior level relationship manager for key accounts.
Support Relationship Managers and Business Development Officers in closing complex or strategically significant transactions.
Identify emerging market opportunities and new client segments aligned with Utah First's mission and risk profile.
Represent Utah First at relevant trade events, professional associations, and community engagements to build brand recognition and pipeline.
Provide direct leadership and performance oversight for the VP of Commercial Real Estate, the Director of Practice Banking, and future specialty vertical leaders.
Monitor commercial loan portfolio performance including loan growth, credit quality, delinquency trends, concentration risk, and charge-offs.
Provide guidance on complex credit matters, deal structuring, and lending exceptions within delegated authority.
Ensure all division lending activities adhere to established credit policies, underwriting standards, and regulatory requirements.
Partner with the VP of Credit and loan operations teams to maintain appropriate controls, documentation standards, and internal audit readiness.
Conduct periodic policy reviews and recommend adjustments in response to market conditions and regulatory developments.
Keep the President/CEO and executive leadership team informed of division performance, pipeline activity, and material risks.
Ensure all commercial and specialty lending activities comply with applicable federal and state regulations, including NCUA requirements.
Maintain current knowledge of regulatory developments affecting commercial lending, specialty banking, and cannabis banking.
Oversee regulatory examinations, internal audits, and compliance reviews related to the division's operations.
Work proactively with Compliance and BSA/AML functions to ensure appropriate oversight of specialty banking risk categories, particularly within cannabis banking.
Provides strategic direction, performance management, coaching, and succession planning for all direct reports.
Promotes a high-performance, relationship-driven culture within the division consistent with Utah First's values and mission.