VP Underwriter

If you're looking for an exciting career opportunity, you're in the right place.

West Coast Community Bank is a top-rated community bank with a focus on serving the banking needs of businesses and individuals along the Central Coast, in Silicon Valley and throughout the Bay Area. We operate full-service branches in Aptos, Capitola, Cupertino, King City, Monterey, Salinas, San Luis Obispo, Santa Cruz, Scotts Valley and Watsonville.

Delivery of relationship-based service with a solutions-driven focus sets us apart from the competition. We offer direct access to decision-makers combined with modern banking technologies and digital tools. The Bank is a leading SBA lender in Santa Cruz County and Silicon Valley and a top USDA lender in the state of California.

Since opening in 2004, we have proudly upheld our commitment to support regional well-being by actively participating in and donating to local nonprofit organizations. We engage in impactful volunteerism and support the greater economic vitality within our four-county reach, contributing more than 2,000 hours of volunteering annually.

Our success is driven by our exceptional team - experienced, knowledgeable and focused on delivering results

National, regional and local honors we've received include:

• Newsweek - America's Best Regional Banks and Credit Unions 2025
• American Banker Magazine - Top 100 Best Performing Community Banks in the U.S., 10 years
• Good Times - Readers' Poll, Best Bank in Santa Cruz County, 13 years
• Santa Cruz Sentinel - Readers' Choice, Best Bank in Santa Cruz County, 10 years
• Farm Bureau of Santa Cruz County and Agri-Culture - Al Smith Friend of Agriculture Award
• Second Harvest Food Bank - Big Step and Platinum Awards for Holiday Food and Fund Drive
• Santa Cruz Area Chamber of Commerce - Business of the Year 2025, 2021 and 2018
• The Pajaronian - Best of the Pajaro Valley 2024 Readers' Poll, Best Bank
• The Press Banner - The Best of Scotts Valley 2024 Readers' Poll, Best Local Bank

About the Role:

This role is located on-site at one of our locations.

The Vice President Commercial Loan Underwriter plays a critical role on the Bank's Credit Administration team. This individual will work directly with the Credit Administration Officers, the Senior & Executive Management teams and the lending production staff, to manage the risk analysis and decision-making process for the Banks most complex commercial loan transactions. This role requires deep expertise in credit risk assessment, financial analysis, and lending practices, ensuring that credit facilities and the Banks overall credit portfolio are underwritten in a manner that minimizes risk exposure in adherence with both Bank policies and regulatory guidance. The VP Commercial Loan Underwriter can also expect to aide in tasks and special assignments associated management of the credit administration function of the Bank, improving on processes and procedures and training junior level team members.

• Evaluates and examines credit requests in order to assess creditworthiness, risk classification, loan structure, and collateral analysis. The VP Commercial Loan Underwriter will focus on the largest most complex financing requests.
• Preparing credit approval requests and submitting them for approval by executives and loan committees.
• Attending training courses, enhancing knowledge of credit and lending topics, and performing industry and/or geographic analysis.
• Working closely with commercial lenders to ensure accurate and up-to-date credit files. This may include accompanying lenders on site visits and client calls.
• Contacting clients to request financial information and other documents related to loan requests.
• Discussing perceived credit weaknesses or potential credit problems with the Underwriting Manager or other lending managers.
• Reviewing credit requests for conformance to regulatory guidelines and Bank policies.
• Assessing collateral and other sources of repayment as well as borrower credit history and management ability.
• Guiding and mentoring Credit Analyst I, Credit Analyst II, and Senior Credit Analyst team members, and documenting procedures; setting standards and best practices among the Credit Analyst group.
• Attending loan committee meetings and participating in discussions for loan approval.
• Engaging in and leading special projects pertaining to Credit Administration.
• Assisting the Underwriting Manager with tasks that relate to improving the Bank's credit analysis and portfolio management functions.
• Works closely with Underwriting manager to aide in management of the analyst team to include help with oversight of the established process & procedures, in addition to assisting with active pipeline management and review of other team members work prior to being presented for approval.
• Performing general clerical duties including filing, copying, data entry and scanning.

Requirements

Required Education:

• BA Business Administration with a preferred concentration in Finance, Accounting or Economics.

Preferred Prior Experience:

• 6+ years related experience in commercial banking.
• Participation in a formal bank training program highly desired.

Requisite Skills:

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with ability to effectively convey information across the bank and also with executive management, regulators and vendors.
• Critical thinking and independent judgment in credit and lending decisions.
• Advanced analytical skills and ability to create meaningful credit reports using Excel.
• Thorough knowledge of credit products and typical lending software.
• Ability to enter information into financial software and bank systems with a very high level of accuracy and attention to detail.
• Strong understanding of accounting and finance topics and familiarity with financial statements and tax returns.
• Proficient in the use of personal computers and software programs, such as MS Excel, MS Word and Adobe Acrobat, as well as other programs specific to the banking industry.
• Ability to work effectively at a fast pace with competing interests and due dates, while maintaining accuracy timely turnaround time on credit requests.
• Proficient in bank software and core systems.
• Familiarity with typical loan documents such as borrowing base certificates, real estate appraisals, covenant compliance certificates, etc.
• Ability to complete tasks with minimal supervision and independently solve complex issues.

Supervisory Responsibility:

• Potential to supervise a junior analyst.

Benefits:

• Medical, dental, and vision plans.
• Vacation, sick leave, paid holidays.
• Paid volunteer time.
• Employer paid life insurance, long term and short term disability.
• 401(k) with employer matching.
• Ongoing training, professional development and career advancement opportunities.

Physical Demands:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by a teammate to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee may be regularly required to stand, sit, talk, hear, reach, stoop, kneel, and use hands and fingers to operate typical office equipment such as a computer, telephone, mouse and keyboard.
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision requirements due to computer work.
• Light to moderate lifting may be required.
• Regular, predictable attendance is required; including the occasional evening and weekend work as business demands dictate.
• Travel between company locations as needed.

Work Environment:

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those a teammate encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Moderate noise (i.e., business office with computers, phone, and printers, moderate traffic).
• Ability to work in a confined area.
• Ability to sit or stand at a computer terminal for an extended period.

Salary Description

$110,000-$140,000/year

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