Vp Senior Credit Officer

Primary and Essential Functions

• Leads and supports Strengthening HOPE Initiative that values an organizational culture for open communication, innovation, associate engagement and other traits that contribute to collaboration and high performance.
• Provides direct supervision to the Credit Underwriters. Mentor, coach and develop Credit Underwriters.
• Provides ownership of HOPE's Commercial Lending Policy with regard to regular updates, adherence, and explanation.
• Maintains and leads updates of HOPE's loan policies and risk rating methodologies in conjunction with senior leadership as guided or directed by HOPE's Board of Directors and Finance Committee.
• Provides guidance, insights, and feedback on structuring, underwriting, and presentation of new loan requests and/or loan modifications.
• Mentors Loan Officers and provides feedback on new money loan requests including structuring and underwriting requirements.
• Review Credit Memos in advance of Loan Committee to ensure optimal and accurate presentation of loan request for approval.
• Reviews and presents government-guaranteed loan participation requests to the Senior Management Loan Committee for approval.
• Coordinates loan and investment closings with the Loan Operations.
• Supports Portfolio Management, as needed, with the Construction and Development loan program. The Senior Credit Officer may support construction loan advances, disbursement projections, and file management to secure collateral and validity of loan and risk exposures processed or managed within Commercial Lending.
• In coordination with the SVP, Commercial Lending and management staff, supports the financial and risk goals of HOPE's Lending and business.
• Works closely with the SVP, Commercial Lending to create product-underwriting guidelines, model risk; ensure new products and programs incorporate the appropriate risk criteria and capital investment parameters.
• Participates as a voting member of HOPE's Senior Management Loan Committee and Credit Risk Management Committee and assess risks, mitigants and optimal structuring of individual loan requests.
• Coordinates closely with Portfolio Management, Special Assets, Finance and Investor Relations Departments, and other key staff to support projects and initiatives, new requests, investor and funder relationships and ongoing reporting.

Secondary Functions

• Works closely with HOPE's Corporate Training and Human Assets Team in coordination with Commercial Lending Management to provide continuous credit and product training to Commercial Lending and Community Economic Development staff.
• Supports senior business development staff with complex transactions and training and development of credit skills with staff.
• Maintains required job knowledge, skills and core professional Attends and participates in required educational programs and staff meetings.

Regulatory Compliance Requirements

• Must comply with provisions of the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA).
• Must comply with all provisions of the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (Regulation B).
• Must comply with all provisions of the Fair Credit Practice Rule.
• Must comply with all provisions of the Fair Credit Reporting Act.
• Must comply with all provisions of the Flood Disaster Protection Act.
• Must comply with all provisions of the National Flood Insurance Act.
• Must comply with all provisions of the Truth in Lending Act (Regulation Z).
• Must comply with all provisions of the Privacy of Consumer Financial Information regulations.
• Must comply with all provisions of the Right to Financial Privacy Act.

Accountability for Business Results

• Achievement of department lending and program goals, including specified closing metrics.
• Ensures that systems, processes and procedures are in place for the smooth operation and timely processing and tracking of all new loan requests and that consistent application of Policy is applied to underwriting, approvals, and declines.
• Leads the collaboration and implementation of changes to HOPE's Risk Rating Matrix.
• High level of customer satisfaction with HOPE's products and services.
• Comprehensive credit memos that provide thorough credit analysis and explanation of risks and mitigants.
• Identifies and recommends solutions to issues and problems relating to loan program implementation.
• Cultivates a culture of openness in information sharing. Encourages open communication, cooperation, and the sharing of knowledge.
• Models personal accountability that promotes ownership and engagement.
• Builds and maintains effective working relationships with colleagues, peers and team members.
• Values and supports differences in others, contributing to an inclusive work environment. Demonstrates the ability and willingness to communicate effectively with people of diverse backgrounds and experiences to create a collaborative, collegial, and caring community.
• Commercial loan production and performance
• Commercialloan profitability

Specified Authority Level

• Access to loan applications and performance data.
• Access to loan files and commercial loan tracking system.

Competencies/Skills

• Demonstrate competence in commercial and industrial lending, commercial real estate lending, cash flow and project analysis, underwriting, loan structuring, creating lending policies and procedures, and loan closing process.
• Demonstrated competence in understanding financial statements and credit analysis
• Knowledge of community development principles and real estate finance and development.
• Strong interpersonal and communications skills; direct client experience is required
• Ability to think creatively in deal structuring and approach to challenges; ability to work well with ambiguous projects.
• Self-starter with strong project management skills.

Desired Qualifications

• Minimum of ten years of experience in commercial lending, commercial real estate or community development finance required with a track record of growth and increasing responsibility, including management responsibilities. Alternative investments experience preferred.
• MBA or MA preferred, preferably in business, accounting, finance, or community development. A Bachelor's degree plus ten years additional relevant experience may substitute for an advanced degree.
• Two or more years of supervisory/management experience.
• Advanced knowledgeable of Small Business Administration programs, construction and lending practices and terminology.
• High level of written and oral communication and presentation skills.
• Advanced MS Excel and database skills; ability to create risk-based models to evaluate the portfolio.
• Ability to quickly learn and operate within new technology systems.
• Knowledge of Tax Credit Programs, i.e. New Market Tax Credits and Low Income Housing Tax Credits.
• Periodic travel throughout the southeast.

Physical Demands

• Employee is regularly required to sit, stand, and walk.
• Employee will use hands to finger, handle or feel, reach with hands and arms, and talk or hear.
• Employee must regularly lift and/or move up to 10 pounds and frequently lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.
• Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Work Environment

• Employee spends the majority of time in an office environment, generally accessible to the public, customers, and potential customers.
• Noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.
• Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities
The contractor will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor's legal duty to furnish information. 41 CFR 60-1.35(c)