Vice President, Commercial Credit

VyStar Credit Union•Jacksonville, FL

18h

About The Position

The Vice President, Commercial Credit reports to the Senior Vice President Commercial Credit and provides leadership and direction for commercial credit and loan functions, including credit analysis, underwriting, approvals, and risk management. The position is a member of the Credit Union Loan Committee, communicates with senior executives, contributes to strategic planning, and evaluates operational goals for the Commercial Credit Department. The role oversees the development, maintenance, and monitoring of business lending policies, procedures, and processes to ensure that commercial lending products are underwritten and managed safely and soundly, in alignment with the credit union’s credit culture and economic environment, and in compliance with regulatory requirements. It also drives process improvements and supports a first-class member experience, while ensuring the team is appropriately hired, developed, coached, and motivated. The Vice President oversees complex business and commercial loan underwriting, origination, and closing across Commercial & Industrial (C&I), Commercial Real Estate (CRE), syndication and participation, equipment and vehicle financing, business credit cards, and other specialized loan products. The position leads committee and risk-management activities, supports audits and examinations, and coordinates integration work related to the Credit Union’s merger and acquisition strategy.

Requirements

10 or more years of experience in a business or commercial credit, production, underwriting, and servicing environment within a financial institution.
Five or more years of experience supervising others in a commercial credit environment.
Strong analytical, critical-thinking, and problem-solving skills, including the ability to take ownership, work independently, and contribute to a broader team.
Strong leadership and negotiation skills with business and technical groups, including the ability to share knowledge, resolve conflict, and build consensus among stakeholders.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills for documenting and writing business recommendations.
Successful track record leading projects and project teams in a dynamic, fast-paced environment.
Ethical and effective handling of sensitive, confidential, and proprietary information, with the ability to provide realistic and honest risk feedback to senior and executive leadership.
Advanced knowledge of business and personal tax returns, financial statements, financial analysis, cash flow, profitability, liquidity, leverage, risk management, commercial credit, and loan system applications.
Demonstrated ability to structure complex credit requests that minimize risk while providing member value.
Ability to analyze and understand applicable laws, regulations, regulatory guidance, and state and NCUA regulatory expectations.
Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Business, or Accounting, or equivalent work experience.
Formal credit analysis training.
Ability to meet the position’s physical demands, including occasional exertion of up to 20 pounds of force and extensive periods of sitting and computing.

Nice To Haves

A minimum of five years of credit approval experience is strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

Lead commercial credit and loan functions, including credit analysis, underwriting, approvals, and general risk management.
Provide strategic leadership for the Commercial Credit Department, including shaping its strategy, vision, roadmap, and operational goals.
Oversee business lending policies, procedures, and processes to support safe and sound underwriting, risk management, and regulatory compliance.
Oversee complex business and commercial loan underwriting, origination, and closing across C&I, CRE, syndication and participation, equipment and vehicle financing, business credit cards, and specialized loan products.
Guide managers in applying procedures and policies to provide quality service, improve productivity, maintain confidentiality and security, and respond to member requests.
Review exceptional transactions and member requests outside established procedures, and ensure complaints are investigated and resolved efficiently.
Ensure credit requests are accurately stated, appropriately graded, and supported by properly structured collateral.
Use delegated lending authority to approve transactions consistent with credit union policies, credit culture, and risk appetite.
Advise on relevant industry trends and regulations and contribute to business growth and risk management.
Evaluate processes and technology and recommend improvements or software to increase efficiency and enhance user experience.
Develop managers and employees through coaching, training, performance correction, accountability, and recognition.
Oversee preparation for and participation in federal and state examinations, internal audits, and independent third-party audits of the business loan portfolio and lending practices.
Complete ad hoc projects designated by the Chief Lending Officer or SVP Commercial Credit.
Provide analysis and recommendations to the ALLL Committee regarding general and specific business-loan reserves, including collateral evaluation scenarios and cash-flow interpretations.
Complete applicable self-monitoring program and enterprise risk management tasks and processes for business lending.
Participate in weekly Business Loan Committee sessions, provide feedback and recommendations on presented loans, and oversee committee agendas, minutes, sign-offs, and reporting.
Review credit write-ups requiring Business Loan Committee approval; assess underwriting soundness and risk; approve or decline requests within assigned authority and recommend decisions on requests exceeding that authority.
Develop and maintain Key Risk Indicator and Key Performance Indicator reporting and operational metrics.
Participate in and, when appropriate, lead re-engineering projects to improve Commercial Services lending processes and procedures.
Coordinate and integrate responsibilities for the Credit Union’s merger and acquisition strategy, including reviewing M&A loan policies and supporting the integration of new credit teams.
Identify, assess, manage, and report risks within the role’s domain and help maintain compliance with regulatory mandates.
Demonstrate VyStar Excellence behaviors: focus, connect, understand, counsel, advance, and verify follow-up actions.