Chief Credit Officer

Summary: The Chief Credit Officer is responsible for the overall management of the Bank’s Credit Department, including the credit underwriting and loan review analysis process, and all functions providing lending support, direction, credit information, and loan policies, procedures and processes to ensure the overall quality of the Bank’s lending portfolio.

Essential Duties:

• Oversee the management of the Bank’s Credit Department, including the credit underwriting, loan portfolio reporting, risk rating and analytics, monitoring lending personnel to ensure prudent credit risk management, overseeing the loan review process, and all functions providing lending support, direction, credit information, and loan policies, procedures and processes to ensure the overall quality of the Bank’s lending portfolio.
• Assist the Bank in meeting its overall business plan goals and maximizing loan profitability and maintain high credit quality through early identification and early intervention.
• Manage, mentor, train, develop, and direct core credit functions, including credit underwriting for all types of loans originated by the Bank, analysis, credit approval presentations, credit review and approval, risk assessment and loan portfolio management.
• Work directly with various lending personnel to facilitate the origination of new loans, ensure effective loan portfolio and loan customer account management, monitor and report on loan exceptions and borrower compliance with lending agreements, and maintain high loan portfolio credit quality.
• Establish controls and training programs to ensure underwriting, asset quality, and compliance with designated laws, rules and regulations are developed, implemented and revised when appropriate, and serves as the foundation for coordinating the Bank’s credit underwriting, delinquency follow-up and loan portfolio quality.
• Formulate, revise, and implement the Bank’s loan policies, procedures and practices; ensure that proposed loans adhere to existing policy guidelines and are sufficiently documented to ensure security of collateral and that administration and review are adequate to maintain the Bank’s loan portfolio’s quality and profitability; and work closely with lending personnel to ensure the Bank’s policies, procedures and processes are adhered to and all loan presentation approvals are thorough and concise.
• Maintain a current knowledge of changing legislation and regulatory climate and recommend changes to the Bank’s loan policies and procedures.
• In conjunction with CFO, prepare and calculate the Bank’s allowance for credit losses in compliance with U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and applicable federal regulatory guidance and make recommendations to executive management for the amount to be added/deducted to/from the allowance for credit losses; calculation includes analyzing local, regional, and national economic conditions; allowance for credit losses and trends; and loan product concentrations.
• Conduct a periodic analysis of loan concentrations and industry exposures that adheres to regulatory guidance and Bank policy.
• Periodically examine loan files for assurance of credit and collateral documentation, regulatory compliance, and loan policy conformance, as well as review technical exceptions and deficiencies and provide reports of exception to the Board of Directors and Loan Committee.
• Monitor and control Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s) in conjunction with annual performance goals and through collaborative efforts, such as, but not limited to, loan policy and credit/collateral exception thresholds, loan to deposit ratio, loan charge-offs, past due and non-accrual loan levels, classified and substandard loans, etc.
• Prepare and submit various loan reports to the Board of Directors and Loan Committee; prepare and distribute credit information covering loan quality trends, growth trends, loan product concentrations, loan customer concentrations and work closely with employees and external advisors in reviewing such topics as local real estate data and assessing the impact on the Bank’s loan portfolio.
• Coordinate the external loan review activities, in coordination with the Board of Directors’ Audit & Risk Committee, designed to evaluate credit risk and maintain the integrity of the Bank’s credit rating system.
• In conjunction with CEO and President, review and approve/decline large and complex loans; recommend approval of loans over assigned lending authority; ensure that loans are risk rated correctly; loan reviews consist of making recommendations on loan structure, terms, and pricing so as not to expose the Bank to undue credit risk; and provide technical guidance to lending personnel in the interpretation of credit risks. .
• Oversee regulatory compliance with federal and state laws, as well as rules and regulations for the Bank; submit accurate and timely credit/loan portfolio reports as required by the Board of Directors, Loan Committee, Senior Management, and regulatory agencies.
• Meet with current or prospective customers as needed and/or required on material credits to assist in evaluation of credit or to more clearly communicate the Bank’s risk tolerance.
• Assist in expanding credit product offerings and creating efficiencies in the Bank’s credit delivery and risk monitoring processes.
• Develop and maintain knowledge of financial industry, economy, market conditions, rates, vendors and competition; attend regular regulatory and industry training/conferences to gain perspective on industry trends and correlate to the Bank’s business practices.
• Assist in meeting annual deposit and loan growth goals assigned by senior management and the Board of Directors; participates in various internal committees assigned by Senior Management and the Board of Directors.
• Monitor staff in daily tasks, operations and quality control; ensure the organization of assigned areas of the department, coordinating available resources (e.g., staff, materials, etc.) for maximum results.
• Assume responsibility for special projects; gather data and prepare reports for the Board of Directors, other members of Senior Management, audits and other personnel.
• Assure compliance with all Bank policies, procedures and processes, and all applicable state and federal banking laws, rules and regulations; adhere to Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) responsibilities that are specific to the position.

Supervisory Responsibility: This position is responsible for the supervision of one or more employees and expected to fulfill supervisory responsibilities in accordance with the Bank's policies and applicable laws, ensuring adherence to EEO guidelines. Supervisory responsibilities include, but are not limited to, providing leadership, training, and guidance to less experienced personnel.

Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree (BA) or equivalent; 10+ years related experience and/or training; or the equivalent combination of education and experience. Work-related experience should consist of a financial analyzing or lending background. Educational experience, through in-house training sessions, formal school or financial industry related curriculum, should be business or financial industry related. A professional banking school completion and accreditation and/or advanced education beyond a college degree is preferred, ideally in a financial or business discipline, such as a Master’s degree or MBA.
• Mastered knowledge of commercial and real estate, including loan risk rating, portfolio monitoring, asset recovery, and loan work outs.
• Mastered credit analysis skills with extensive knowledge of loan structure, pricing and collateral analysis.
• Ability to develop marketing and business development skills with customers.

These specifications are general guidelines based on the minimum experience normally considered essential to the satisfactory performance of this position. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or ability required to perform the position in a satisfactory manner. Individual abilities may result in some deviation from these guidelines.

This job description is not intended to be a comprehensive list of all the duties and responsibilities of this position. Management reserves the right to change this job description at any time according to business needs.