Senior Credit Manager

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Senior Credit Manager

Commercial Banking Full Time IC Sales Novato, CA, US

2 days ago Requisition

General Summary

The Senior Credit Manager serves as the senior credit partner to the Commercial Lending Executive and acts as the primary liaison between Commercial Banking and Credit Administration. This role provides leadership, oversight, and quality control for commercial lending opportunities prior to submission to the Credit Department for formal underwriting and approval.

The Senior Credit Manager is responsible for overseeing Relationship Managers and Portfolio Managers throughout the credit origination process, ensuring loan requests are appropriately structured, thoroughly analyzed, aligned with the Bank's credit philosophy, and submitted with complete supporting documentation. The position plays a critical role in maintaining credit quality, improving deal flow efficiency, and ensuring consistency in credit presentations across all commercial lending teams.

This individual serves as a trusted advisor to lenders and senior management on complex commercial credit matters while supporting the Bank's growth objectives and risk management standards.

Essential Job Functions Credit Leadership and Deal Oversight

• Review and evaluate commercial loan opportunities prior to submission to Credit Administration.
• Provide guidance to Relationship Managers and Portfolio Managers regarding transaction structure, risk assessment, covenant recommendations, and credit enhancement strategies.
• Ensure commercial credit requests meet established underwriting standards, loan policy requirements, and risk appetite guidelines.
• Challenge deal assumptions and identify potential weaknesses or mitigating factors before credits move forward.
• Partner with Relationship Managers on complex commercial, owner-occupied, investment real estate, construction, and C&I lending opportunities.
• Assist lenders in developing lending solutions that balance customer needs with prudent risk management.
• Oversee Portfolio Managers responsible for underwriting, annual reviews, covenant monitoring, risk rating administration, and portfolio maintenance.
• Monitor portfolio quality trends and recommend corrective actions when necessary.
• Ensure timely completion of credit renewals, annual reviews, risk-rating changes, covenant monitoring, and problem loan identification.
• Review credit presentations for quality, consistency, and completeness.

Credit Quality Control

• Serve as the final Commercial Banking review prior to submission to Credit Administration and Loan Committee.
• Ensure all required financial information, cash flow analysis, collateral analysis, guarantor support, and risk assessments are adequately documented.
• Maintain consistency in credit presentation standards across all Commercial Banking offices.
• Partner with Credit Administration to improve turnaround times and increase efficiency in the approval process.
• Participate in discussions regarding exceptions, policy interpretation, and credit structuring.
• Provide coaching, mentoring, and technical credit guidance to Relationship Managers, Portfolio Managers, and Credit Analysts.
• Foster collaboration between Commercial Banking and Credit Administration.
• Assist in training Commercial Banking staff on underwriting standards, loan policy, and regulatory requirements.
• Support succession planning and talent development within the commercial credit and portfolio management teams.
• Monitor portfolio concentrations, industry exposures, and emerging credit trends.
• Assist in identifying criticized and classified credit trends.
• Support ongoing portfolio reviews and risk management initiatives.
• Ensure compliance with Bank policy, regulatory guidance, and sound banking practices.
• Escalate material credit concerns to the Commercial Lending Executive and Chief Credit Officer as appropriate.

Strategic Support

• Participate in Commercial Banking strategy discussions and growth initiatives.
• Assist with development of underwriting standards, credit procedures, and process improvements.
• Support special projects related to commercial lending, credit administration, technology, and workflow optimization.

Job Skill Level and Additional Requirements

• Significant experience in commercial credit underwriting and portfolio management.
• Prior management or leadership experience within commercial banking, credit…