Lending Specialist - Community Mortgage

As a Lending Specialist
- Community Mortgage, you’ll provide underwriting and credit analysis support to lending partners as they evaluate, structure, and process loan applications. You’ll review borrower information and supporting documentation, assess credit risk, and help identify eligibility, policy, and documentation requirements. You’ll also prepare clear underwriting summaries and recommendations, support timely credit decisions, and help ensure each file meets internal standards and regulatory expectations.

This role is well suited to someone who brings strong analytical thinking, sound judgment, and a commitment to prudent lending that supports community objectives. At CIBC we enable the work environment most optimal for you to thrive in your role. Details on your work arrangement (proportion of on-site and remote work) will be discussed at the time of your interview.

• Credit Analysis
  - Review loan applications, financial information, credit reports, tax returns, collateral details, and supporting documentation to assess borrower capacity, repayment ability, and overall credit risk.
• Underwriting Support
  - Identify missing documentation, underwriting conditions, and policy or eligibility concerns, and prepare clear credit summaries and recommendations for approval or further review.
• File Quality and Compliance
  - Help ensure files are complete, accurate, and aligned with internal lending standards, regulatory requirements, and applicable program criteria.
• Partnership
  - Work closely with lending partners and internal stakeholders to structure credit solutions that balance sound risk management with community lending objectives.
• Process Management
  - Maintain accurate underwriting notes and system updates, communicate decisions and outstanding items clearly, and elevate complex or exception-based requests when needed.
• Continuous Improvement
  - Contribute to process improvements that enhance consistency, efficiency, and service delivery across underwriting support activities.

• You have relevant underwriting experience.
• You bring experience in underwriting, credit analysis, mortgage lending, community development finance, small business lending, or commercial lending.
• A background supporting specialized lending teams is an asset.
• You know how to assess credit risk.
• You have strong knowledge of lending principles, financial analysis, and credit risk assessment, with the ability to review financial statements, tax returns, cash flow, credit reports, and borrower documentation.
• You bring specialized mortgage knowledge.
• You have deep knowledge of Federal Housing Administration (FHA) guidelines and experience working with grants and down payment assistance programs.
• You understand community-focused lending.
• Familiarity with community development programs, affordable lending initiatives, mission-based credit products, or Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) related lending is preferred.
• You’re organized and detail-oriented.
• You can manage multiple files at once while maintaining a high standard of accuracy, documentation quality, and follow-through.
• Values matter to you.
• You bring your real self to work, and you live our values - trust, teamwork, and accountability.

At CIBC, we offer a competitive total rewards package. This role has an expected salary range of $85,000 - $110,000 for the Chicago, IL market based on experience, qualifications, and location of the position. The successful candidate may be eligible to participate in the relevant business unit’s incentive compensation plan, which also may include a discretionary bonus component. CIBC offers a full range of benefits…